CRUMBLING MEMORIES

October 7, 2018October 8, 2018

12 YEARS OLD

The original owner of this land, born in 1846, left his large, poor, religious family in Lac Megantic, Quebec at the age of 12 years old with only .90 in his pocket and the clothes on his back. He had intentions of making big money. He took on whatever jobs he could find and for many years was part of a railway construction gang as a cook in Winnipeg.

In 1881 himself and another landowner, whose old property we have visited, headed to the land titles office in Winnipeg to purchase land in the R.M. of Prairie Lakes. They reached their farms over 100 years ago with a team of horses, a plow to break land and food supplies. Working as a cook gave him a good idea of what food supplies would best suit them. They stocked up on cured salted pork, flour, sugar, coffee and tea.

On his 30th year he arrived at his property. He started breaking land by hand and built a small house. It was hard work but he was able to break land. He also purchased a sow that had 12 little pigs. He sold the extra meat for money. He also purchased a cow and calf for milk and meat and 6 laying chickens.

He never married and when he got older and the work got to be to much he asked his brother to help him.

In 1887 a minister arrived in the area and had the idea to build a small chapel on the land. The downstairs served as the living quarters, the upstairs as a chapel and a small corner on the main level served as the post office. Eventually the church was moved to Dunrae, MB. They also started building a blacksmith shop and a general store. The building of the new railway through Dunrae stopped construction and the small church was moved. The first St. Felix Cemetery remained on the property.

He died in 1915 at the age of 69.

The property shows no signs of this history any longer, except the St. Felix Cemetery in the middle of the 1/4 section.

This is the present home on the land.

On the property was this neat little play house. You could see in the distance that someone has used it as target practice. That day I wasn’t brave enough to venture through the long grass for a closer look.

There were a couple of old buildings on the land which maybe could have been part of the original land owners.

Maybe one of these old buildings were built all those years ago.

October 6, 2018

LITTLE THINGS

I’m drawn to these little things sometimes. Door handles, nails, different, old door latches.

And the rustier the better.

October 6, 2018October 6, 2018

LITTLEST HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, SO FAR

This is by far the smallest house I have been in yet. In fact, it is so small that the dozen of times that I have driven by it I was sure it was just an old shed.

Tucked away in a pasture, you don’t really see much except a very small roof. The view once you get to the house is spectacular. My pictures don’t do it justice.

There wasn’t a whole lot to see here, the remnants of some old equipment and a gas tank. I was sure that the house was moved off its foundation and likely served as some sort of shelter. Regardless we were able to enter it, the roof was pretty much intact but there were no windows or doors.

It was very small and there was no floor, it was right on the bare ground. The tires on the frame of the care were still completely intact.

Heading off the property we came across this pile of wood, wires and scrap. I was then convinced that the house had in fact been moved.

October 6, 2018

BUTTRUM PART 2

A couple weekends ago I finally got myself inside this school. I don’t know what it is that keeps me going back. One thing for sure is that the sky always looks fabulous in the background. It never disappoints.

Once inside I tried to envision the very first Christmas concert with family & friends peering through the windows to get a better look.

And of course what is an abandoned exploration without me finding a shoe!

Such a neat old place with so many of the old settlers having played some sort of role as trustee, contributor or student. Love that its still here to be a part of history.

October 6, 2018October 7, 2018

EATON’S CATALOGUE ORDER?

I have been waiting all summer to get into this house. I found it online on an abandoned home site and was lucky enough to be told its location by a local lady in town who lived there as a young bride. I then discovered that Reg knows the family and he was able to get us permission to enter the home and photograph it.

Set up high overlooking their land, this home still is as stunning as I imagine it was in its time.

I won’t post a lot of photos of the home at the request of the land owner but I can give you little bit of history about it.

The original homesteader came from Owen Sound, Ontario. His family originated in England and were mainly bankers. Mr. R choose sea life. Becoming bored with his profession he immigrated to Canada in 1868 where he married his wife J. Their first born son was born in Portage la Prairie, MB and at 6 weeks old they traveled to the area and settled into this homestead.

I am told that the home was purchased through the Eaton’s Company. You can find a list of the home plans here.

From comparing photos I took inside and outside of the home I would say that this would be the original listing of the home for purchase through Eaton’s.

28.-IdealHome_Earlsfield.jpg

There were many mail order home companies back in the early 1900’s but the most famous was the T. Eaton Co. Ltd. The business was centered at its Winnipeg branch. Eaton houses were made for Western Canada and most of the houses are found on farms.

They had dozens of different models but the most popular was the Earlsfield — a 1-½ storey house with a double gambrel roof. The barn-like roof made for very efficient use of lumber to provide a lot of living space.

The materials cost for the Earlsfield in Fall and Winter 1917-18 was listed at $1,193 (that’s $16,482 in 2015 dollars). Inflation was rampant in the teens so they quit posting prices in 1919. Lumber was shipped by rail from mills in BC and millwork from Winnipeg.

Also on the property is what is left a an old stone barn.

This was certainly worth the wait. Of course I took way more pictures but you can only post so many.

October 4, 2018

CAN’T STAY AWAY

I’m going to keep going back to this one until there is nothing left.

Every time I go it scares me that there is nothing and then boom, it’s there. It’s big and it doesn’t want to be taken over by the trees but slowly it’s losing.

I went back last week because first of all, I can’t get enough and I need to do a re-do cause I’ve grown as a photographer since the first time I was there. Secondly, I need to see what it looks like in the Fall and the Winter and the early Spring. Lastly, I need to make sure it’s still standing.

I love this old house.

October 4, 2018

BEAUTIFUL FALL COLORS

I always talk about how much I LOVE the prairie sunsets I see from my back yard. Well yesterday on my way home the lake was like glass and the leaves are gorgeous. So I raced home for my camera and wouldn’t you know it, the wind picked up!

The water was calm on the Bay side though.

I don’t know if its just me but I’m just not seeing all the usual colors in the leaves. First I think it was so dry that they just started dropping off the trees and now they just might be drowning and covered in snow!

Regardless, Fall is such a beautiful time of year. Enjoy it.

September 27, 2018September 27, 2018

The Robertson’s

Last week I was out and about and found the final resting place of the homeowners of one of the abandoned homes we photographed this summer.

I love that someone still goes there and pays their respects. Children? Grandchildren? Do they go to the old homestead?

September 25, 2018October 7, 2018

ST. FELIX CEMETERY

This one had me stumped. Until today. So now I will edit it.

This land was owned by a bachelor who left home at 12 years old for bigger and better things. He was determined he was going to make it big. He left his large, poor family with .90 in his pocket. He worked his butt off to make ends meet and eventually bought this 1/4 section of land which he broke by hand. He raised animals and worked hard and eventually built himself a log home.

When he started to get older and the work became to much he asked his brother for help. Eventually a local minister and a small chapel was built on the land. Living quarters on the main level with a small post office in the corner and a chapel upstairs. A general store and blacksmith shop were in the works and when the railway was built the decision was made to move the chapel to Dunrae.

This small cemetery is located in the middle of a farmer’s 1/4 section, marked off by poles which holds approximately 30 graves, most of them unmarked and some of them with bare wood crosses.

I am told that this particular cemetery was marked by the local Knights of Columbus group.

A small town site was in the works for this property but the building of the railway changed all this. That is why there are two cemetery’s in the area.

This cemetery is also in a farmer’s field but its not smack dab in the middle of one and its closer to a church.

The headstones at first St. Felix Cemetery were not easy to get to. There were not as many markers there as there were names on the plaque and there were many deep holes in the uncut grass where the stones were. We were able to get closer to a couple of them.

The grass was really high which made it hard to see the stones that were lower to the ground unless you could get closer to them and move some of the tall grass away.

Some of them were the traditional stone and there were a couple made of iron.

Others were just wood crosses that may have been marked with a name but has weathered over time.

Some of these graves have been here before the 1900’s.

September 15, 2018

BELL PIANOS

A Canadian company started in approximately 1865 making organs. When the popularity of pianos started to surge they changed their focus to pianos.

September 14, 2018

RUSTY NAILS

No story here, just rusty nails and old barn wood.

September 12, 2018

BERETUN

This old beretun, although I’m pretty sure was not used to store barley or any other grain for that matter is a magnificent sight.

The photo opportunities were endless as there was sky and crops as far as the eye could see.

This old barn had a widows peak or what they really called it, hay hood. I couldn’t get a decent shot of it.

I’m assuming this barn once held cattle, their names still in the barn.

The rustic old wood and the prairie views from every corner of this barn were worth the wait to see it.

September 8, 2018September 10, 2018

A SCOURCHER

Hot, humid, thundering. On this day, Prairie Lakes had lots to offer and when you have permission to explore, you take advantage. And the skies were perfect.

September 7, 2018

NIGHT SHOOTING ATTEMPT 2

So I’m a glutton for punishment and self criticism!

I took the family out armed with glow sticks, tripod, camera and Uno.

The boys set the lights, I picked my spot, focused and started to wait.

Well wouldn’t your know it, a grain truck is coming right for my camera in the middle of the field. So much for focused to perfection!! Ah.

So I set back up and try my best to focus back in with the headlights of the truck and 3 inpatient family members. Little do they know, we’ve got a long wait cause it’s not dark enough yet.

So we wait, I kick some ass at UNO – no I didn’t, Cade actually won the first game.

So I get out and take a couple test shots, check the focus, which is virtually pointless in the dark and wait.

After all that, this…

I realize now, fast moving grain trucks in fields are not ideal and I need a little more moon on my night shooting expeditions.

By the way, my kid has crappy aim cause I didn’t want a glow stick in the eavestrough!

September 7, 2018

OLD POSTS AND OLD HOUSES

I actually have no words for this post. It’s just a photo I like, taken at one of my favourite houses.

September 6, 2018September 6, 2018

SNAKE ROAD

Cruising along the backroads with Reg heading to an abandoned property we headed down the very scenic “Snake Road”. Wow.

September 4, 2018September 4, 2018

NEELIN UNITED CHURCH

As any church in a small community, Neelin United Church played a large role in both the religious and social life of the area.

In 1923 families from the district were holding church services in a nearby school and a Ladies Aid Group was formed to fund raise having Fall suppers, bazaars and lunches. By 1936 the ladies raised $1,000 to build a new church. The land was donated by Mr. W. Henwood.