Photography
I know nothing about this house. I know that fellow abandoned seekers have been to this location and have done some night shooting.
My shooting partner advises me that years ago a tornado came through this area and there’s a very good chance that this one may have been moved off its foundation.
If I do happen to find out more about this home, I’ll be sure to update my post.
This property has A LOT of history. I’ve done a lot of reading to wrap my head around this one and the different families. I hope I’ve got it right and if I don’t….
The original owners of this land, Mr. & Mrs. M (notice I don’t say home cause I have no clue who built the home, the first family, the second family, a family before both of those families), married in 1919 and moved into the home shortly thereafter. Mr. M’s family originated from Edinburg, Scotland.
The M family raised their children here and in 1947 sold it to the parents of current land owner Mr. & Mrs. P. The M’s moved to Winnipeg. Mr. & Mrs. M are buried in the cemetery in the closest town to the home.
I would say that this was a large home for its time with two entrances, both with covered porches, a large eat-in kitchen with a staircase leading upstairs. The kitchen, at the back entrance was also where you would go down into the basement.
There was a large living room wherein one curtain was still hanging on the rod and the other was hanging in the center of the window like a hanging, ghostly figure. A Hoover vacuum which would have been a good one in its time, stood near the center of the room.
This is also the room where a large staircase led to the second level of the home.
What I am imagining as the dining room, at the front of the home and to the left of this doorway was a floor model television. A good one.
I’m sure if there was still power to the home, if we plugged that TV in, it would have worked. And as per usual, there would be nothing on!
Both families were very active in the community they lived in.
I do know that the wife of the second family, Mr. & Mrs. P moved out of the home in 1976, a year after the death of her husband. It has been vacant ever since, sort of. I would say that there have been some inhabitants of the furry type in this house.
While I did not venture up, Reg did. He didn’t get very far as the home seems to be splitting in half. This is not visible from the outside or main level of the home.
I did also discover while trying to find the door into the home that the upstairs of the home was now the home of A LOT of wasps. While standing in the kitchen on the main level below the window that the wasps were going in and out of I could hear them. I am assuming that they are living in the walls and floors of that second floor room. There was no further investigation for me as I have no intentions of walking into a wasps nest ever again.
The home is nicely treed and secure from the elements. Also on the property was an old barn, some bins, an open cow shelter, a shed and the remnants of something else but only the concrete slab remains.
The original descendants of this family came to Canada in 1855 from Ireland and settled in Ontario. In they moved to Manitoba 1882 he bought the section of land on which this house was built.
This was not the original home. This house was built in approximately 1904 and replaced a log home along the Long River.
Even through hard times Mr. & Mrs. K managed to keep food on the table and keep the house warm, cutting wood from the area and keeping a large family warm, fed and healthy. The land was located on a trail used by travellers and in winter many stopped for directions, weather reports and possibly warmth.
What I found very interesting in this home was the honey comb we found everywhere, right when we came through the back door and further into the house.
I thought it was neat that wild bees had found themselves a place to build a “hive”.
I loved that I could read up and find so much history about this family and the land they lived on. The kids enjoyed the exploring, skating on the river and tobogganing down the hill in the winter. Over the many generations the family was active in their community.
This farm has been in the family for many generations and continues to be owned and farmed by this family.
The father of the current land owner was born in this home. When he was married and started farming on his own. He owned the original homestead of this family for 18 of the 100 plus years its been in the family.
The original descendants of this family George and Maragret immigrated to Canada from Ireland in 1845.
Their son James came to Manitoba from Ontario as he wanted land for his four sons. In 1882 he purchased the land and the next year moved his wife and children to the property.
James & Margaret’s eldest son then married and purchased the section of land on which this house stands. He and his wife were active in their community and is one of the original founders of the Manitoba Co-Operative Wholesale Ltd in 1927 and served as their first President and General Manager.
Egbert and Emily’s had four children, two of which are said to be born in the home. They attended the Sander’s School, now owned by the same family.
The yard site still has a large, healthy raspberry patch and along the back tree line, numerous producing apple trees. The home which faces South is nestled in by a large tree line and a long drive past the home takes you to numerous sheds. Out in the front is a big barn/granary which has started to crumble down.
The home, which I did not enter still shows sign of the once inhabitants. My favorite part of this visit though, was the telephone that still hangs on the wall.
Across the road from this homestead is the marker of this family and a recording of the land being the original homestead of their original descendants back in 1882. In 2001 the family received a Century Farm Award.
We had a great day here exploring around this huge yard. The beautiful old stone home nestled into the trees, almost out of sight.
As far as old stone homes go, this one is in almost impecable condition. The wear and tear comes from where an addition was added on and in a section of the roof that likely started to leak over time and has now leaked onto one wall. From the main floor you’d never know there was anything going on upstairs.
The home was full of beautiful woodwork, ornate handles and stuff.
I wonder if they left in a hurry and left this behind?
I don’t know a whole lot about this property so I can’t tell you very much. I am told that the owners of this land moved this house to their property with the hopes of restoring it. They did do that and the home was used as a summer cottage. The husband fell ill and the renovations to the home ceased.
I can say that Reg and I spent the good part of a couple hours here and I’m sure we didn’t see everything it had to offer. Reg knows the lady who owns the property and was gracious enough to let us have a look around.
I have to thank a fellow abandoned seeker for this one. Had I ventured out a little further while scouting out a nearby school, I may have found this one myself but…after a quick phone call to the landowner we were in. Cade, Colton and Makenna joined us on this day.
What a beautiful old home. It is surely showing its age but considering where it is its done amazingly well. This side of the house, which faces North, is pretty secure, except you can see the wear in the far corner. The rocks are starting to fall and tumble down.
The other side tells a much different story.
Imagine the weight of that stone. And not just one layer of stone but two!
I would have loved to explored the inside of this home but it was very unstable and my dear husband was having NO part of that. We did go inside the one entrance and Reg did try to get up the stairs but it just wasn’t safe.
I did find a shoe.
I can’t give a lot of history on this home. I do know that the oldest recorded residents of the home were Lewis & Mabel Kilmury. They purchased the land and lived there until 1952. During their time there they raised one son and four daughters. Lewis was born in the Boissevain area in 1900 and died in 1966. His wife was born in 1907. In 1952 the land was bought from a family and a couple generations later, still farms the land.
I wish I knew more!
I don’t know much about this property either. I am told this land was farmed by two bachelor’s. There is no longer a house, just these couple of bins and sheds and in behind a piece of equipment. The land is rented and farmed by another family from the area. These photos were taken from the road and when I posted this shot on my Instagram account the current renter seen the photo and advised me that once the crop was off the field we could go in and have a look around.
I love the simplicity of this photo.
One of the girls from my work showed me this property so I arranged for permission to take photos and have a further look around.
The land owner thanked me for asking to enter the premises and advised me that we were free to take as many photos as we wanted, we were not allowed inside the house.
He told me that a few years back, the family of the original descendant came from B.C. to see the house as one of them was born there. The family immigrated to Canada in 1926 and moved into the area in 1928. They were born in Russia and lived in Siberia for a period of time as well before coming to the area where they settled down and farmed and raised their family.
You can see from this photo that shows the side of the home that the roof is still relatively intact but the weight is starting to weigh on the walls of the home and it has some funky leans and curves.
The inside of the home is starting to heave inwards and while there is a big staircase up the side of the home that is intact, the floor is not.
Unfortunately the home has been used as a hang out and the kids have graffittied the wall, etc. There is still various pieces of furniture inside and the rooms were painted different colors. I like to assume that like kids these days, they picked the colors they wanted but Reg assured me it was likely that color of paint that was one sale at the time!
Our next stop of the day was another find I discovered. Another one I had been driving by on a regular basis and didn’t even realize was there.
We pull up and what flies out of the window? A turkey vulture. It sat on the barn for a couple minutes and then flew around screaming at us for a few more. When it realized we weren’t leaving anytime soon it disappeared. We did not find any snow white babies in this house.
When I first posted about this home I was not sure about the history. I can now tell you that the first recorded landowner purchased this land from the CPR in 1896. They arrived from LaBeauce, Quebec to the treeless prairies vast with inexpensive land. The father died and is buried in St. Felix Cemetery in 1908. He and his wife raised 6 daughters and two sons, most of which moved away from the Province and two daughters whom stayed and lived in Dunrea. The original home on the property was sold in 1912 and became a convent.
The first ancestor of this family to arrive in North America settled in Quebec in the early 1650’s.
I also do know that a friend of ours has lived in this house at two different times in his life, once as a young adult. He did tell me about some of the things he did in the home which were still visible and he asked if a particular item was still in the kitchen, which is was. My understanding is that the last residence of the home were farm hands of the current land over.
This property was then owned by another big family from Dunrae. I am not able to get an idea of when this house was built or by whom.
This house is SO treed over it is crazy. We walked around the entire home and when we found the door we have to crawl over a tree to get inside. You could not take photos of the front of the house. Nature has worked very hard to take this place over again and has almost succeeded.
The home still had beds inside, a dish towel hanging on the cupboard door, a hat on a hook in the closet. There was a shower curtain still hanging in the bathroom and pictures on the wall in the living room.
The home was beautifully designed. It had a large kitchen with what appeared to be some sort of cooking area in the front. It has fallen apart and we couldn’t access it but from the upstairs looking down you could see cupboards and a sink. There were 2 bedrooms downstairs and then you went up this staircase to this open area. Upstairs were two bedrooms and then this little room with a low ceiling to the back of the house which was likely used as storage. Can you imagine the view out that window?
There were a couple of outbuildings and a large barn which I will assume was for dairy cows as well as other outbuildings and sheds.
Anything I tell you about this house is hearsay. What I can tell you is that this was worth the wait. I have passed this house a thousand times and one day I finally made the necessary arrangements to get inside.
My understanding is that a large family by the name of Gutrie lived in this tiny little home. Jill and Reg recall going to school with a tall, quiet boy that lived in this house.
I think Reg and Colton thought that this stop was going to be short-lived and dull and the two of them reluctantly stopped for my benefit. I can safely say that this would surely be in the top 5 of houses we have shot.
This is where I also developed my fear of open wells and long grass! I think what is scariest for me is the fact that Colton was with us and wandered through the area before me. I can not stress enough to be careful. Reg says to me after we discovered it, “I guess we should carry a rope with us too!”
This truly was a diamond in the rough. The home is tiny and didn’t appear to have any indoor plumbing. The doorways were very low, the home consisted of two rooms on the lower level, an awkward staircase ran up the one side of the house right along the window to an area that appeared to be a large open space which I am assuming was more like a sleeping loft. There were remnants of a smoke stack in the ceiling which would have heated the small home.
Of course Colton and Reg ventured up to the loft and discovered a small white bird and a “dead” mother bird in the corner of the house. Of course, animal lover that I am advised them to gather up the babies. Reg found a stick and turned the mother over to discover a few more snow white babies under her except the “dead” mother bird rolled herself back over the babies to protect them. She was playing possum. At first the thought was that this was a family of hawks. The boys came down so that they wouldn’t disturb her anymore but I had to go up and get a photo of this up close. I have seen birds sitting on top of this house on many occasions when I have driven past it so no one was surprised to find one in there. When I popped my head up to floor level and got a look at her she had switched her game from playing dead to regurgitating which we later discovered are two of the common defense mechanisms of a turkey vulture. This was no hawk.
Not a great photo of her but I didn’t want to disturb her anymore than we already had. You can see her snow white baby with her.
At the entrance of this home, just inside the doorway was a small stove which I am assuming the family used for cooking. Maybe at one point this was the stove that was in the center of the home and heated it as well.
The yard had what I am assuming was a small granary, a concrete pad which was likely some sort of garage and a building that had collapsed, just the roof was visible.
A few weeks later on my way to Brandon, Momma vulture was sitting on the house when I drove by. She didn’t stay long and wasn’t thrilled about me and my camera again but I did happen to get a couple shots of her.
Our day started out at the old homestead of one of Reg’s friends. The family still farm’s in the area but no longer reside in this home. The ancestors of this family are from Scotland and have farmed this land for 4 generations.
I absolutely love their driveway.
I also found the most interesting gate on their property.
This place was also full of something I truly enjoyed, old ornate door knobs. Lots of them.
In 1897, the Harrison’s built a flour mill to process grain into flour for local farmers. A year after opening, they added a large stone warehouse. The mill was operated by three generations of the Harrison family.
Originally powered by steam, the mill was converted to diesel engines in the 1930’s and then electrical current in 1947. An associated workshop enabled the Harrison’s to make repairs on site. As well, they did mechanical work for others until dismantling the shop in 1955.
In the 1940’s the family purchased a lumber business and built a new lumber yard adjacent to the mill in 1962. They phased out the lumber business in 1972 but continued to mill grain until the late 1990’s.
The two grain elevators were built in 1928 by Federal Grain Limited. They were moved to this location late 1940s.
The facility is believed to be the oldest mill in Western Canada.
Information obtained through the Manitoba Historical Society.
This old store was opened in 1886 by businessman Frank J. Messner. In addition to selling merchandise to the surrounding community, he also served as the local postmaster from 1901 to 1919. When Mr. Messner retired in 1919, he sold the store to William Collis who operated it for the next 57 years. In 1976, Mr. Collis sold the store’s contents at auction. It was later restored to the way it looked originally and is now used as a museum.
On this day we were lucky enough to get a personal tour of the building.
This was a real experience and a whole lot of nostaglia for my shooting partner. As a boy he remembers coming to this store with his Dad to purchase supplies for his family farm. What a treat to be able to go back in time with him and listen to his stories about this store, being in the building, standing at the counter, sitting at the little bench drinking a Coke and being there with his brother and his Dad. It was neat to know that some of those things have always been in the building. That some things never change. I know that he won’t like that I’ve posted a photo of him, but being inside these buildings with someone who has experienced what is inside first hand is part of the excitement.
Thank you Reg, for taking me back in time with you and sharing this with me. This was special.
If this building is ever open for a tour, I recommend you go.
In 1888, John Menarey (1850-1928) moved to Manitoba from Seaforth, Ontario. Arriving with his wife and four daughters, they settled on a farm near Holmfield, Manitoba. He broke land for growing crops and built a log house and barn on a small hill with a prominent view in all directions. A son and four more daughters were born there, and all would eventually attend school in the area. In 1910, this house, constructed by a local mason was built. It featured field stone walls and a metal mansard-shaped roof. Menarey sold the farm in 1920 and went to live with one of his daughters in Winnipeg whee he died on January 20th, 1928.
The former Menarey residence now sits abandoned. It is a designated historic site and is listed on the Manitoba Historical Site.
I can tell you that the current owner of this property is not a fan of trespassers. We were granted permission onto the property and entrance into the home. When we went back about a week or two later, he would not allow us to go inside a second time.
This is also where I found my second purse of the day.
This is also where I found out what a terrified baby raccoon sounds like when its calling for its mother!!! I can tell you that I navigated the steep narrow staircase like a ninja. I didn’t think I could move that fast on a dirty, narrow staircase.
This is a beautiful old home which is structurally sound considering it is standing out in the wide open of the harsh elements of prairie weather. Heat, rain, wind and bitterly cold winters. The metal roof has maple leafs imprinted on each panel. The detail is amazing. Each room was painted in a different color. It had a spacious upstairs and out the windows you could see for miles over the flat prairies.
If you find this home, please do not enter the property without permission. It is surrounded by a “hot” fence.
This is probably the house that truly started my obsession. This was Reg & I’s first outing together and I really had no idea what to expect. Reg says my expression was priceless as we rounded the driveway and I finally spotted the house through the trees. For days afterwards I went back to this property just to look at it. We had permission to enter the property & home. I was surprised that homes like these are still out there. That they are being preserved. That land isn’t been broken from corner to corner for fields.
For the sake of keeping this property secure and free of further unwelcomed visitors, I won’t reveal the name of the property owners or the ancestors who lived there. I was lucky enough to get a bit of the history on this place and even know of some of the later renters of this home.
I will mention that the home is now occupied by raccoons who do not appreciate unannounced company or company at all.
After parking and taking some shots from the outside I make my way toward the front door. To my surprise, I see this old player piano!! Not long after we visited this old beauty, someone was there, moved the cover on the keys back and didn’t move it back. The keys were exposed to the elements even more than they already were and the keys were ruined. So very sad.
I then made my way, hesitantly I must say, because I truly am a bit of a chicken shit, through the door. This was a whole new experience too! I had only ever taken photos from the road. Now I had permission to enter!! I didn’t know where to look or what to take photos of. I was in awe. The first thing I see is this staircase. I wanted to see the railings that were attached. You instantly start to picture how you think this house looked before everyone left. Before the windows broke, before the masked bandits took over.
I take another step in and around the corner to what was what left of a stone fireplace across from a bay window. I start to imagine the furniture that may have been inside, where they put the Christmas tree.
As my make my way around from the fireplace and the living room I step into what I imagine was the dining room. This leads into the kitchen and in this kitchen is an old stove.
We make our way up the stairs, I’m hesitant of what critter will greet me as my head pops up above floor level. We come up to the bathroom, the tub and toilet are still there. And a shower curtain! The upstairs is where the new tenants spend most of their time.
This was also where I found my first purse. Every house I stepped foot into that day, I found a purse. Being respectful, I didn’t open them to see if there was anything inside.
From upstairs I can look outside the 3 big windows out of the front of the house, in the area that hangs over the veranda where the old piano now stands. What a beautiful yard this would have been.
This was the homestead of a family that still farms in the area. The home was later rented out and is used by the local kids to hang out and party.
I love, love, love this old house. I think its still one of my very favorites.
On Mother’s Day my family wanted to fish! Works for me, I guess. I just take a book and my camera.
On this day as my husband drives around searching for the perfect fishing spot, I search the area for roofs and old buildings. On our travels through the back roads I spotted this old house. Not familiar with the area, no maps in hand and no neighboring houses around, all I could get were some road shots.
Its a lovely stone home nestled up against a tree line. A big brown barn stands out in front.
It wasn’t your standard home. Rectangular, one-storey. You can see the bay window on the side and the way the home changes direction off the front entrance. Lots of corners, windows and doors. And bricks, not stone. I imagine it was a beautiful home in its glory.
In 2016 we drove by this house on the way back from Swift Current to Regina. This past December, the 28th (2017) to be exact, during a wicked cold snap, I insisted that we stop. I wasn’t out there very long because it was -47 with the windchill and this house is right on the highway. I snapped a few quick shots.
I would have loved to have seen the inside. There was no evidence of a driveway or anything and there wasn’t a lot of snow but it was just t0o cold to stand at the side of the road for to long.
If I ever find out more, I’ll post. And maybe one day I’ll get out that way when its not freezing cold out.
CRUMBLING MEMORIES 