Priscilla and the politician
Priscilla Morely and Harry Leinweber were literally born worlds apart. Priscilla, of English descent was born in Cuba; Harry, of German descent, was born in Russia. They were destined to meet in Calgary, to where both their parents had immigrated in the early 1900s. Priscilla and Harry married in Calgary and settled in Medicine Hat.
Recognized as a dedicated local politician, Harry served as city Alderman from 1944 to 1950, except for 1946. Then between 1961 and 1973, he had a 12-year career as the social credit representative for Medicine Hat in the provincial legislature. As chair of the Parks Advisory Board from 1978 to 1981, Leinweber played a significant role in the development of Lion’s Park and the river valley trail system. City council honoured his service to the city, naming a park north of the Patterson Armoury after him in 1983.
A fact not well known, is that Harry was also involved in local property rental. In 1944, Priscilla and Harry gave up their Parkview Drive home and moved into a two-storey brick building at 525A North Railway Street. Within a few years, with Priscilla at the helm, the building was totally converted to suites and christened the Priscilla Apartments. The Leinwebers resided in then Suite No. 5, until 1962.
The building the Leinwebers purchased was constructed in 1911 of locally manufactured brick. It was designed as apartments on the upper level and as a retail outlet on the lower level. The first retail business was the Anderson Plumbing Co. which became the Anderson Hardware Co. in 1914. At that time, an advertisement of the hardware company was painted on the south side of the building. At around the same time, the O-Pee-Chee Gum Company also painted a sign on the south side. This Canadian confectionery company had only been in operation since 1911. Well over 100 years old, both historic advertisements, known as ghost signs, exist to this very day thanks to lead paint which adheres well to masonry.
From the late 1940s until 1981, the building was known as the Priscilla Apartments. The name fell out of use after 1982 and after a lapse of almost 35 years, was revived around 2016.
Harry died in 1992. At the time of his death, Priscilla and Harry had been married just a few weeks short of 63 years.