SPECIAL PLACES

Historic Sites in Grassland






**Download the Complete Project




General Introduction to the Region


The Story Told by Maps

Historic Sites Maps



View Highlights...

Town of Hartney
Hartney Rural Sites
Elgin & Area
Minto & Area
Grand Clairiere & Area
Lauder & Area
Fairfax & Area
Underhill Region

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About the project...

The 3-part project has documented heritage sites in the Municipality of Grassland.

For each site we have taken photos and attempted to determine the origins and significance of the site, as well as noting,
for the record, architectural, material and design details.

Each site has been placed on a map and any old photos or other documentation unearthed is included in the file.

In some cases other resources have been identified.



The Special Places Concept...

Special Places Projects were developed by the Historic Resources Branch as a method of creating Community Inventories of Heritage Resources and subjecting the sites to an analysis process that will help communties protect and use their heritage resources  to best advantage. 

The project helps communities develop the necessary processes, protocols and products that will lead to a deeper appreciation and celebration of local heritage. It will also put in place the messages and frameworks that will initiate the community into the kind of sophisticated dialogue that defines heritage activity in the 21st century.



Introduction

The Municipality of Grassland includes the former Municipalities of Cameron and Whitewater as well as the Town of Hartney. It contains an impressive collection of historic sites, which have been documented through The Hartney Special Places Project, The R.M. of Cameron Special Places Project and the Grassland Community Heritage Site Inventory (Part II) 

The projects were directed by the Grassland Heritage Advisory Group. The actual work for the project was undertaken by Ken Storie, a consultant hired through the Historic Resources Branch of Manitoba Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport (with funding from the department’s Heritage Grants Program).

This document is a summary of those projects. Sites have been grouped based on the community and building type and each site has been assigned an identification code.

Many residents of Grassland have participated in the project by contributing information in the form of corrections and additions to the inventory pages. In this way, the final project will incorporate and preserve the collective knowledge of the town for present and future generations.



The Story Told by Maps

Postal Routes - 1884




Before there were towns and railways (which) created the towns, there were communities, as identified by post offices. When the number of settlers arrived in a region, someone would apply to the Federal Government for a post office.

With the arrival of railway lines, towns were formed, but these towns were put where the railway wanted them. Most of the post office moved to the new towns or were closed.

Notice the empty space between Melgund and Heaslip?  Much of that land is thre Municipality of Grassland today. A Post Office named Fairfax did open in the mid 80’s between Melgund and Heaslip. 





Railway Routes


After the Railway reached Hartney and Lauder.


 

Note the Post Offices at Waneche and Fairfax.

After the Railway came through Minto and Elgin

 

The railway only went as far as Trackend (Argue) for a few years until it pushed on through Hartney and Grand Clairiere.
 
Rails & Roads


 

In 1926 the main road from Brandon to Bpissevain passed through Bunclody and ran just west of Minto. Highway 21 was in place.

 

By 1929 the new Riverside Bridge was in place and Highway 25 (Later #10) took a more westerly route.

 

By 1956 the transition from a rail-based transportation to road was complete. Rail service would soon begin to disappear.





Historic Sites in Grassland



Grassland East






Grassland West






 



The James Innes Milling Co. 1e Municipality of Grassland Collection