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There are two Alcesters. The first consistered of a Post Office established in 1884 and a school built in 1887.
Notable People
In 1897, D.L. Embree from Alcester was a delgate to the Patron's of Industry convention in Brandon.
(Brandon Sun Jan. 21, 1897)
In 1884 Jas. Johnson was postmaster.
Among the teachers who worked at Alcester School was James E. Scarrow.
Historic Sites
Alcester School No. 380 – The Alcester School District was organized formally in February 1887 and a school building operated at SE18-5-19W and NE15-5-19W. After the school closed in 1954, its building was moved to the village of Minto, where it was used as the local Legion Hall
Origins
Alcester was originally a community of homesteads located in south-west Manitoba. The Post Office was opened by James Johnston in 1884.
At that time weekly Postal Route from Brandon included Sourisburg, Langvale, Alcester, Rayfield, Rowland, Ninga Fairburn and Killarney.
However, in 1906, due to a new railway from North Dakota stretching to Brandon, the name was used for a village created some distance to the west in the form of a railway station and grain collecting centre.
Alcester Elevator
Photo courtesy Charlie Baldock
On Orthez Road (#21N) just past Road 114 W the GN Railbed from Boissevain is quite visible.
Looking north from that point the trees mark the site of Alcester.
By the late 1920s, freight and passenger income declined , there was a drought on the prairies, and in 1929 the stock market collapsed. The Depression meant that the railway was losing money and in 1936 the company closed the line and dismantled the stations. This proved to be the end and unfortunate fate of many of the new towns during this time, including Alcester.
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