Built in 1917 by ex farmer Charles Franklin Kellicut, this garage was nearly destroyed in Granum's second major fire in 1923, the first occuring a block south in 1919. Rebuilt, it went on to sell ESSO gasoline and Ford cars for many years. On the south side of the building is still a large ESSO ghost sign. There were probably Ford signs on the building at one time, as well, but they are all gone now.
Work began on the brick building in Early June of 1917 and the Standard Garage opened in early October of 1917. Frank Kellicut placed the first ad for the garage in the October 19, 1917 issue of the Granum News. The ads below were placed in the Granum Herald and the Granum Advertiser, the first one on July 2, 1919, the second one on June 4, 1920. When it opened, the garage held dealerships for Mitchell, Maxwell, and Elgin six cars, later obtaining the Ford dealership and the dealerships for Canadian Fairbanks Morse stationary engines and Fordson Tractors.
What we have been able to discover about the garage is below.
Granum is officially the smallest designated Town in the province of Alberta with approximately 400 residents in the rural farming community. Granum was once known as Leavings on Willow Creek where the Bull-team Freighters stopped for water and to unload freight. Bull teams consisted of eight teams, or 16 oxen, yolked together and pulling three freight wagons linked by sturdy chains.
In 1907, Leavings' name was changed to Granum, a Latin word for grain, which is most fitting for this community. There still remains a grain cleaning plant built in 1963 which is still operational.
Granum, though small, is still an interesting town to visit with vast rolling prairies, open blue skies and a town of very friendly people. One of their main attractions is the Old Jail and Museum.
The Standard Garage
Block 14, north of Dufferin Street, had on the corner: G & W Blair Flour and Feed (custom grinding), Hoffman's Restaurant, Charles Franklin Kellicut's Garage. In the fall of 1923 fire destroyed the north block of Main Street, when a feed mill, garage and lumber yard burned. Frank Kellicut rebuilt the garage, the only building replaced in the block...
...Charles Franklin Kellicut was born in 1871 and passed away in 1932. Franklin (Frank) Kellicut lived at Currie, Minnesota until 1899, when he moved to North Dakota, where he farmed until he heard of the wonderful opportunities Canada offered. A quarter section of land was available for only ten dollars. In 1902 Frank filed on a homestead across the track — one-half mile north of the Siding of Leavings, as Granum was then known. There was no town but the siding was there.
Frank farmed until 1917, then sold the farm, bought a home and built a garage in Granum — the Standard Garage. Having the Ford Agency, [they] sold new Ford cars for $550.00 in 1917 — brand new Ford touring cars. Frank died in 1932 and his sons, Bert and Linden, operated the business until 1934; from 1934 to 1968 Linden managed alone. In all, the Standard Garage under Kellicut management served the community for 51 years. They had the Ford agency for a while and sold the last of the brass-radiator models for $555. These were busy years — hours were long — there was no such thing as an eight-hour day and during the '30s times were often difficult. Cash sales were scarce — money in the till consisted mostly of cream cheques — $1.50 was a small cheque, $2.50 was a large one. Often a sale was for two gallons of gas and the price of a gallon of gas was around 32 cents.
In 1968 Linden sold the business to Frank (Moose) Gillespie. Born in New Brunswick in 1917, Gillespie moved to Granum in 1968 where Frank had bought the old Heward house and the Standard Garage. He sold the garage to Mel Mensinger in 1972.
From the book Leavings by trail, Granum by rail