Historic Sites of Manitoba: Atkinson House (Municipality of Hamiota)

This once-grand house in the Municipality of Hamiota was constructed around 1913 for local farmer Arthur Atkinson (1872-1924). The house had a commanding view of the surrounding countryside, being situated on top of a small hill, with features uncommon even to urban residences of the time.

Arthur Atkinson immigrated to Canada from England in the 1890s and worked in Ontario, later moving to the Hamiota area where he worked as a hired hand until he had saved enough to buy his own homestead. On 5 August 1898, he married Ida May Levins (?-1929) whose family had settled in the Viola Dale district a few years earlier. They subsequently had six children: Ethel Hope Atkinson (1900-1942), Ernest Lionel Atkinson (1902-?), Orlson Kermit Atkinson (1904-1922), Ellen Grace Atkinson (1905-1999, wife of Norman Turnbull), and two who died in infancy.

After Arthur Atkinson died suddenly at the farm, the Turnbull family lived there for a time. Later residents were the Strachans, Hodgsons, and Grays. The building was vacant from many years and was badly degraded but was still owned by the Gray family. It was destroyed by a grass fire on 7 May 2019.

Atkinson House (no date) Source: Norman and Grace Turnbull, by permission of Rhonda McDougal Atkinson House (August 2014) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Atkinson House on fire (May 2019) Source: Bill Elliott Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.15520, W100.56123 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Norman Leslie Turnbull (1900-1986)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Abandoned Manitoba

Sources:

Death registration [Arthur Atkinson], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Hamiota, Grains of the Century: 1884-1984 by Hamiota Centennial History Committee, 1984. [Legislative Library of Manitoba, F5648.H34 Ham]

We thank Jay Jackson, Ken Smith, Rhonda McDougal, and Bill Elliott for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 20 April 2021

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