manitoba – Page 5 – CRUMBLING MEMORIES

August 30, 2018September 8, 2018

BUTTRUM SCHOOL

This school in the RM of Prairie Lakes opened its doors in 1982 and closed permanently in June of 1972.

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This is what the building looks like now in 2018.

The school is nestled on a little hill in the middle of a farmer’s field. If your looking far and wide and in the right area, you will see it.

Miss A.L. MacLachlan was the first teacher at this school was paid $35.00 a month for her term position. She was given 5 months training to become a teacher.

History surrounding the story of this school tells that the schools first concert was a huge success and in fact, so many people attended the concert that there was no room inside the building and parents and town people watched the concert through the windows from their horse carriages up against the side of the building.

Due to a drop in students registered at the school, the school closed for a period of time from Fall of 1939 to 1943.

The school held district social events, dances, card parties and concerts.

Unfortunately we were denied permission to enter this property so road shots it is. I’m sure I’ll be back as the backdrop is spectacular.

August 30, 2018September 8, 2018

SAND & GRAVEL

I am told that this old home, built of concrete and standing up to the elements was built with local sand & gravel, then mixed to make concrete and poured by hand. Here is a photo of the house taken in 1882.

This huge home, I am told, was the home of a large family whom had their help live inside with them. The family came from Ontario and Mr. moved to this property in February, 1882 and started to build the home. In August of that year Mrs. and 3 of their children joined him. The boys took over the farm after their parents died in 1920 and 1926. The farm was then sold to another family that still remains in the area.

The inside tells a very different story of its ability to hold its own against the harsh elements of the prairies. The roof is gone, the walls are coming down and the floor doesn’t exist in some places. Really, anything that is wood is gone. There was no evidence of the once wrap around porch.

The best picture I could get of the home was from the back. The one side is almost completely treed in, so much so that the trees are growing through the windows. The front was no different.

There were a lot of outbuildings and spectacular prairie views where ever you looked. On this particular day a storm was brewing in the area and off in the distance, Reg and I could hear the thunder. It was hot too!

I wish I had found this yard years ago. I wonder if there would have been more there than what is now.

Most abandoned seekers will tell you about there dislike for caragana’s. They will literally take over and provide a shield around an old abandoned home.

August 10, 2018

COMING OR GOING?

So, like the old blue truck, on this particular day in a place Reg would call his picture Heaven, I found one car that I loved.

Maybe it was because until you go close, you couldn’t tell if it were coming or going.

This neat old car wasn’t rusted like many of the others we’ve seen. Just like the blue Chevy truck.

And the chrome!

What a beauty.

August 10, 2018August 10, 2018

THERE’S NEVER ANYTHING ON TV

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.

August 9, 2018August 10, 2018

WILD BEES

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.

August 9, 2018August 9, 2018

LONG TIME HOMESTEADERS

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.

August 9, 2018August 9, 2018

NEW WHEELS

I’ll be the very first to admit that the old vehicles and equipment don’t usually interest me that much. Sometimes, depending on their placement but for the most part that is really Reg’s department and his passion.

One day we came across this and I have to say, I was enthralled!

No words are really necessary for this post.

August 9, 2018August 10, 2018

TIMELESS (STONE) TREASURE

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.

August 8, 2018

STONE BEAUTY

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!

August 8, 2018August 8, 2018

MAKE A WISH

In the back field where we walk our dog its pasture land so there are all sorts of wild flowers out there and every once and a while the dandelions go to seed. So I thought I’d take the camera out there one evening and play around with the exposure. Easy, complacent test subject.

Well, Mr. Jealous aka Bauer decided the camera was getting more attention than he was on this walk and started running through the field eating all the dandelion puffs he could see, including this great big one the size of a softball! Dang dog.

It was fun while it lasted and next time, I’ll leave the dog at home.

I tell people all the time, the best way to start getting used to your camera is to take it off auto and start playing with your exposure. Its amazing how brave you become after you’ve done this.

August 6, 2018August 6, 2018

NORTHFIELD SCHOOL

Settlers in the area east of Wawanesa established a school district in the spring of 1882 and, by June, a one-room school had been erected.

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An early student of the school was Nellie McClung.

Nellie Letitia McClung (born Helen Letitia Mooney was born October 20, 1873 and died September 1, 1951. Nellie was a Canadian suffragette, politician, author, and social activist. She was a part of the social and moral reform movements prevalent in Western Canada in the early 1900s. In 1927, McClung and four other women, who together came to be known as “The Famous Five” (also called “The Valiant Five”),^[2] launched the Persons Case contending that women could be “qualified persons” eligible to sit in the Senate. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the current law did not recognize women as such. However, the case was won upon appeal.

Nellie also taught at the school briefly, in 1896. The first Northfield School was destroyed by fire on February 16, 1933 was rebuilt according to the original design, this time with a basement.

In 1960, the school closed and the sold to the town and was designated as a municipal heritage site in May 1995.

My co-worker is a history major and LOVES this sort of stuff. When I got home and realized this little bit of history, I wished that I had paid more detail to all the finer details of the building.

The building is well cared for and holds some neat artifacts inside. I’m glad we ventured off the highway to see what the little roof in the distance was.

August 5, 2018

INTRIGUED

I found this one driving around the back roads. I know who I need to contact but haven’t yet. So for now I have to settle with a road shot.

The sky was perfect on this day!

August 5, 2018

HENDERSON SCHOOL

The Henderson School District was established formally in August 1904. During the 1940’s, the building was used for services of the Bannerman Church of Christ. The school closed in 1968.

Among the teachers of Henderson School were John Nay (1904), W. W. Metcalfe (1914-1915), Katie McLeod (1915), Lottie Porter (1919), D. Finnen (1919-1920), Bertha Barsky (1923-1924), F. M Bissett (1926-1927), P. McNevin (1928-1929), Louise McPhedran (1930-1931), Edith Elizabeth Nicol (1932-1933), Carl Bjarnason (1938-1939), Freda Miller (1939-1940), Richard Neilson (1940-1941), Franklin Stuart “Frank” Presunka (1941-1943), Miss Luella F. Glock (1943-1944), Harold Wilfred Walker (1944-1946), Miss Annie Neufeld (1946-1947), Angela May Shirtliff (1947-1948), Isabel Jeanette Allison (1948-1949), Esther Kettner (1950-1951), Ruth Elizabeth Rempel (1951-1953), Glen J. Hammond (1953-1954), Mrs. Jean Margaret Jaques (1954-1955), Viola Mae Neufeld (1955-1956), Mrs. Mabel I. Agar (1956-1957), Mrs. Devona Doreen Kenter (1957-1964), and Nellie Irene Friesen (1964-1967).

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For some reason I just love this old school. Nestled safely into the trees and protected but a shelter belt of tall, strong trees, this school is holding its own against the elements. After the school closed I am told it was owned by a women’s group. The ladies group later relinquished the property to the RM.

Friends of ours that told me about the school told me that his Dad attended this school until it closed when he was in grade 9 and then finished his schooling at the Killarney School.

While we were there some other explorers stopped by. A lady and two gentlemen. She was very friendly and she told me that they all went to school at this location as kids. I offered to take their picture in front of the school.

This board has the names of many people who have visited the property over the years, some even noting the years that they attended. I love that this place is still open and hasn’t been vandalized and that people of the area can still enjoy the history of the building.

August 4, 2018August 5, 2018

NOT FORGOTTEN

We didn’t plan this stop for the day but when we realized the landowner was home we figured we’d stop and see if they would allow us to visit the property. We were lucky enough to get a tour and the history of this old farm. The current owners of this property helped and cared for the gentleman that owned this land and when he passed they bought the property and since then have done much to maintain and preserve as many of the buildings as they can. The Mrs. is also a photography buff and attended the same Chris Atrell course as I did. We talked about going out together and sharing in this passion.

As many people have trespassed on this property before and at one point even left a gate open with horses in the yard, I will not post a lot of pictures so that I don’t give to much away. I can’t stress enough how important it is not to trespass onto these properties and when you ask, most of the time the owners will allow you to enter. If we aren’t respectful, we’ll ruin it for each other. That and heaven forbid that someone gets hurt in the process.

I will tell you that at one point lightning struck this beautiful old barn and horses that were tied up in stalls were killed as a result.

This is a gorgeous property and the sense of pride you get from the owners is amazing.

August 4, 2018August 5, 2018

FIELD STONE WONDER

Wow. I think those might have been the exact words out of my mouth. We were granted permission onto this property but were not allowed entry into the home.

The land was purchased by ancestors in the late 1880’s and is still farmed by the family. I will also mention that the property is surrounded by a hot fence. We were also told that many years ago a tornado came through this property and the roof sustained some damage.

This home is built a little differently then the other stone field homes that we have been to. This one has the stone made into a block and then the blocks are stacked one upon another. The corners had different color bricks around them as well as over the window. There was no significant damage or wear to the home except the usual crack of mortar between some of the stones which would be normal. The home had a beautiful old door on it with a wood door handle. What a sight.

It was a scorching hot day the day we were invited to this place but that didn’t stop Reg and I from exploring all around the land.

August 4, 2018August 5, 2018

KINLEY FARM ROAD

I cannot tell you anything about this one but its a neat old house nonetheless. This is a road side shot as I did not have permission to enter the property.

August 4, 2018August 5, 2018

OLD DELORAINE SCHOOL

A couple things I can tell you about this school is that it is on private property. I do not believe that it is the original school on this property but I am pretty sure that this particular school was built in 1913 and remained open until 1966. When the kids were moved to another, larger school this building was used as a community hall. The school served as an educational center for the district, and also hosted concerts, church services, dances, and youth group meetings.

The land for this school was donated by early school trustee J.P. Morgan and the school was later named after the small town himself and his wife came from in Ottawa, Ontario.

I loved all the little handles and window closures in this building.

My favorite photo of the day though has nothing to do with an old building. Reg’s wife joined us on this excursion even though she is not feeling well. I got this picture of Reg’s two favorite girls.

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August 4, 2018August 4, 2018

LITTLE RED BARN

Nothing catches your eye in the wide open prairie like a little red barn, like this one. This one wasn’t so little but fascinating nonetheless.

August 4, 2018August 5, 2018

NICHOLSON FARM

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.

August 4, 2018August 5, 2018

TUCKED AWAY

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!