On this day in 1941, photos were published from a garden party fundraiser at the home of Maj.-Gen. William Griesbach.
William Antrobus Griesbach had a lengthy résumé. In addition to a distinguished military career that saw him serve in three wars, Griesbach was also a lawyer, federal politician, and the youngest mayor in Edmonton's history.
Griesbach was born in Saskatchewan, though his family moved to Edmonton when he was young. After attending college in Winnipeg for a few years, he returned to Edmonton to study law.
His military career began in 1899 when he enlisted in the Canadian Mounted Rifles to fight in the Second Boer War. So eager was he to enlist that Griesbach reportedly hid a chunk of coal in his clothes during his recruitment, as he wasn't sure he would reach the minimum weight required. He would later write that his experience in South Africa mostly taught him "how not to do things". After returning to Edmonton, he turned down the chance for a permanent military career and instead practiced law.
He next served as an alderman for a couple of years in the early 1900s before winning the mayoral race in 1906. At just 28, he was the youngest mayor in the city's history. His age earned him the nickname "Edmonton's Boy Mayor". However, he wasn't mayor for long. He served his one-year term and declined to run for re-election.
During this time in Edmonton, Griesbach stayed connected to military life. He was a major voice in calling on Ottawa to establish a militia in Edmonton. When the government did establish the Alberta Mounted Rifles in 1908, it made him a lieutenant in the regiment.
When the First World War broke out, Greisbach was promoted to major and given command of the 49th Battalion, which was raised in the Edmonton area. The unit took part in many battles throughout the war, including at Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, and Mons.
Upon returning to Canada after the war, Griesbach returned to politics, this time at the federal level. In 1917, he ran for the Conservatives in Edmonton West, defeating Frank Oliver, who ran as a Liberal. Griesbach served as an MP until 1921, when he was appointed to the Senate.
When the Second World War broke out, Griesbach was made a major-general and became the inspector general of the Canadian Army in Western Canada. He would hold that position, as well as his senate seat, until 1943, when declining health forced him to retire. It would prove to be a short retirement. Griesbach died of a heart attack in 1945.
Given his decorated military career and impact he's had on Edmonton's military history, it's not a surprise that Griesbach's name remains in the city. Shortly after his death, the Griesbach Barracks were established north of Edmonton. The site of the original base is now a residential neighbourhood, also named after Griesbach. And the land that the former base was on is now part of a massive redevelopment plan that the city approved last year.
This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.