Born on July 1, 1867, AM came to Manitoba at the age of 26 years of age. He arrived in Hartney on August 13, 1895 on a harvest excursion train. In the spring of 1897 he bought his first section of land and broke 60 acres using 3 horses and a walking plow. Two years later, he bought this homestead. He worked summers in the fields and winters at his camp in the Turtle Mountains. One winter fire took out his camp. He lost everything, including his horses.
In 1909 he built this big, beautiful brick house.
In 1912 he purchased an E.M.F. car, one of the first in the area. And on January 1, 1914 he married Grace, a registered nurse. They had three children, 2 boys and a girl.
The same year this big barn was built and has been a familiar landmark since. In 1932 the original barn burnt but another was built on the same foundation that same year.
He 1916 they built a large granary with horsepower installed to elevate grain. The same year they had a 16 volt lighting plant installed in the home. There was a building there, close to the house that I assumed was the granery. Unfortunately I did not take a photograph of the building. Dang.
I have to admit that driving out to these properties, I was a little annoyed the that sky got clearer and clearer as we got closer. Not the skies I was hoping for. I don’t typically research the property before I photograph it with the hope that I can pick up all the key parts I sometimes find in the history with the naked eye. Guess I missed this one.
Mr & Mrs. passed in 1962 and 1965, in their nineties. Their son took over the farm where he farmed the land many years with his wife J, who married in 1957. R & J had 4 children. J was married previously and lost her husband at a young age to diabetes. She was a teacher in the area and remained with her two children. She took great comfort in having her in-laws living on the farm in a separate house. She eventually met and married R and her and the children moved to this farm. J stopped teaching to raise her two youngest children.
R & J were both active in their community playing sports, hosting 4H Rally’s and club events. When farm work was caught up the couple enjoyed travelling. They travelled to western USA, Hawaii, Europe, Ireland, England and across Canada.
The diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease forced R to quit farming in 1996 where him and J built a retirement home in town.
CRUMBLING MEMORIES 