whitewater lake – CRUMBLING MEMORIES

For the last 5 days I have been lucky enough to be able to tour around with my family and today, my husband. Of course they don’t have the enthusiasm that I do when it comes to an old house but they sure do like the wildlife that we come upon every once and again.

Today while we were going from one house to another we spotted an eagle. As we drove a little further ahead I spotted a nest and for some dumb reason decided that I needed a photo of it. Well all I would have shot, picture wise, was a mass of twigs. Well when I zoomed in, which Cade figures was about 50 yards, was a white head with an orange beak.

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I didn’t get out of the car as we didn’t want to distrub this family any more than we already had and we certainly didn’t stay long. This family has taken over an abandonded yard, the yard we were heading to. When we left, Mr. was sitting in the tree making his odd little noise, I’m assuming he was telling us to get lost.

I’d like to go back in a couple weeks with a better lens, which I plan on purchasing tonight, to see if I can see any little eaglettes.

I was lucky enough to be told the location of this home from a fellow abandon seeker in the area whom I believe’s great grandmother or grandmother once lived in the home.

The original owner of this land came to Manitoba in 1885 from Quebec. He married in 1894 and then bought this land. The first buildings on the land were a low frame house a log barn and a shop. The two latter were sod covered.

In 1918 Mr. decided it was time for a new house and planned for a two and a half storey home that was 25 by 32 feet. The materials were purchased from G.B. Robinson, a lumber dealer in Elgin, Manitoba. Recorded total cost for the materials and labor to build the home was $4,448.53.

Mr was an avid goose hunter and I would imagine the hunting was very good off the Whitewater Lake. It is said that many loads of geese were shipped to Winnipeg via rail and served as a delicacy in posh hotels.

Mr. & Mrs. had five children.

The home was a stop over for men hauling wood from the Turtle Mountains across the Whitewater Lake who would warm up and have refreshments before carrying on to the Elgin District.

The youngest son farmed the land until 1966 when they moved to a nearby town.

Tag: whitewater lake

THE EAGLES HAVE TAKEN OVER

HAUTE