Features Listed by Physical Status: No Remnants

Sites

Lennox-Goodlands School
(1884-1975)
Alcester
(1908 – 1936) Alcester was a stop on the Great Northern Railway line.
American Fur Trading Co. Fort
(1810 – 1828) There were two fur trading posts on the Souris River run by the American Fur Trading Company. The exact location of the other one is unknown.
Argue
(1898 – 1961) Argue was known as "Trackend" for a year as it was the most westerly station on the Winnipeg-Carmen-Hartney Branch of the Canadian National Railway until 1900 when the line continued to Hartney and Virden.
Assiniboine Tents
(1738) La Verendrye was the first European to cross the plains and in 1738 he came across a collection of 101 Assiniboine tents along Cherry Creek.
Dakota – Assiniboine Battle
(1849) A battle between the Dakota and Assiniboine occurred on this site.
Bolton's Sawmill
(1880 – 1881) Mr. Bolton established a sawmill on the north shore of Lake Max. It was bought by George Morton the next year.
Buck's Hill: Dakota-Assiniboine Battle
(1820s and 1830s) The Dakota and Assiniboine met in this region for a battle.
Cadzow
(1886 - ) Cadzow was a stop on the Pembina Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Cameron
(1902 – 1996) Cameron was a stop on the Lyleton Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Coal Discovered-1879
(1879) The first lignite coal to be discovered in Manitoba occurred nearby Wakopa.
Coatstone
(1914 – 1961) Coatstone was a stop on the Wakopa Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway.
Cranmer
(1900 – 1996) Cranmer was a stop on the Lyleton Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Croll
(1914 – 1974) Croll was a station on the “Blue Flea” Line (CPR). Its Manitoba Pool elevator held 77 000 bushels.
Hathaway
(1913 – 1962) Hathaway was the name of a station on the “Blue Flea” Line of the CPR.
Dakota Camp after the Battle of Little Bighorn
(1876) After the Battle of Little Bighorn in South Dakota, the victorious Dakota camped temporarily on the western end of Turtle Mountain in Canada.
Dakota-Assiniboine Battle - Souris River
(1793) The Dakota were opposed to the fur trade in the Souris basin and wanted the Assiniboine to stop trading with the fur traders. During a battle held in this approximate location, the Dakota wiped out an entire Assiniboine village.
Deep Ravine (McLeod) Mine
(1931 – 1933) The Mcleod Coal Mine operated for two years, run by a pair of spirited men from Wales.
Desford
(1908 – 1936) Desford was the name of a station along the Great Northern Railway.
Dodd's Store
(1880) Dodd's Store (operated by Mr. Kingdon in 1885) was the first store on the site of what would become the community of Adelpha. The store was a stopping place along the Boundary Commission Trail.
Fairburn
(1908 – 1936) Fairburn was a stop on the Great Northern Railway line from St. John North Dakota to Brandon, Manitoba.
First Settler Shanty in Southwest Manitoba
(1879) Two brothers, Oliver and Herb Smith, were the first permanent homesteaders in the south-west, before the section, township and range system of surveying the land was implemented.
Fort Desjarlais
(1836 – 1858) The independently run Fort Desjarlais was the largest and most successful of the Souris River Fur Trading Forts.
Fox Sawmill
(1881 – 1884) Thomas L. Fox was an early settler in the Wakopa area. He received a logging licence early in 1881.
Garrioch's Post
(1840 – 1845) Peter Garrioch was an independent fur trader, and a bitter rival to the H.B.C. And N. W. Co. Some of his trade was no doubt illegal.
Grande Clairière Convent
(1898 – 1923) The Grande Clairière Convent was the home of six nuns and about 40 boarding house students at a time.
Grande Clairière Station
(1905 – 1961) When the railroad finally reached Grande Clairière, the station was established north of town.
Gros Ventre Village
(1812) A First Nations village once existed at the intersection of the South Antler and Souris Rivers.
H.B.C. Post
(1880) This Hudson's Bay Company post was managed by Agent C. Burns.
H.B.C. Post - Whitewater
(1802-1805) The Hudson Bay Company operated a winter fur trading post south of Whitewater Lake for a few years. It was not a success and was soon abandoned.
Hainsworth Mine
(1931 – 1933) The Hainsworth Mine was operated by the Deloraine Coal Company for two years.
Hazeldean
(1914 – 1961) Hazeldean was a stop on the Wakopa Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway.
Henderson Mine
(1932 – 1943) The Henderson Coal Mine operated for a solid 11 years and provided coal to locals of the area.
Independent Fur Trading Post - Melita
(1849) The exact location of this fort close to present-day Melita is unknown.
Independent Fur Trading Post - Napinka
(1846) An independent trader who was believed to come from Turtle Mountain set up a post in the Napinka area.
Independent Fur Trading Post - Metigoshe
(1818 – 1850) An independent fur trader set up a post south of Lake Metigoshe.
Old Deloraine Land Titles Office
(1880 – 1886) Homesteaders in southwestern Manitoba had to first make their way to the Old Deloraine Land Titles Office, managed by George Newcomb, to register land claims.
Leige
(1914 – 1961) Leige was a stop on the Wakopa Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway Line.
Leighton
(1892 - ?) Leighton was the name of a train station on the Pembina Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railroad.
Lena House: Possible Location
(1801 – 1802) Lena House was one of the only fur trading forts established on Turtle Mountain. Its location has never been conclusively determined.
Lennox Mine
(1883) The Lennox Coal Mine was the first commercial coal mine in Manitoba. It's location is not exact.
Lennox Post Office
(1886 - ?) Lennox Post Office
Magwood Site – Independent Trading Post
The remains of a very old independent trading post were found here in the 1940s. It is unknown when exactly it operated.
Manchester
(1881 – 1890) The town of Manchester moved to the railway when it came through the area and was renamed Melita.
Mandan-Assiniboine Battle
(1780) Spurred on by the Dakota, the Mandans waged several battles against the Assiniboine. This was closely following the dissolution of an alliance between the Mandan and the Assiniboine.
Manitoba Coal Co. Operations
(1889 – 1891) The Manitoba Coal Co. operations were less successful than originally dreamed.
Marsden School No. 1
(1908 – 1966) Marsden No. 1 was attended by children of European settlers living on the farmland to the north, whereas Marsden No. 2 was attended by Métis children living in the bush around Lake Metigoshe.
McArthur Mine
(1893) Mr. Duncan McArthur supplied coal from this mine to a local market for a few years. In the 1930s it was re-opened before being permanently closed.
McKay Mine
(1904) McKay Coal Mine.
Menota Post Office
Métis Bison Hunt - Souris River
(1840) Red River Métis hunted bison along the Souris River south of Melita
Métis Bison Hunt - Chain Lakes
(1850) A bison hunt took place between Whitewater Lake and the Chain Lakes. It involved 1000 Red River Carts. Cutting up the carcasses after the hunt took eight days.
Métis Bison Hunter Stopping Places
(After 1830) The Chain Lakes provided a convenient stopping place for Red River Métis Bison hunters moving between Turtle Mountain, Whitewater and the Lauder Sandhills.
Métis Bison Hunts - Lauder Sandhills
(1837) A group of Métis bison hunters from St. Francois Xavier hunted bison in the Lauder Sandhills for several years.
Métis Settlement
(1860s) A Métis settlement was established on the north shore of Whitewater Lake. It lasted fifteen years before being abandoned.
Métis Trading Post
(1840s) A Métis fur trading post operated here on the Souris River for a short time in the 1840s.
Moberly
(1882 – 1920) The townsite of Moberly on the shore of Whitewater Lake was promoted as a resort town. It turned out to be a giant land swindle and the town never materialized.
Montefiore
(1880 – 1885) Montifiore began as a stopping place on the Boundary Commission Trail. A rural school and gravel road were named after it.
Morton Sawmill
(1882 – 1988) George Morton bought this sawmill from Mr. Bolton. It sat on the shore of Lake Max until a forest fire destroyed much of the available timber. It continued operations to the north.
Naples
(1886 - ?) Naples was a stop on the Pembina Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Ninga Post Office
Began operating in 1884
North West Co. Post
(1802-1805) The North West Fur Trading Company set up a post only a few miles from their rivals, the HBC.
Old Wakopa
(1877 – 1886) The first town in the southwest. Bernard B. LaRiviere established a home and store which serviced the first settlers coming west along the Boundary Commission Trail.
Old Wassewa
(1885) George Morton established a store and stopping place at this location. The store was moved to the present site of Boissevain where it became the town's first building.
Orthez
(1913 – 1962) The McCabe elevator at this CPR station had a 55,000 bushel capacity, the largest on the "Blue Flea" Line.
Powne Mine
(1933 – 1935) The Powne mine had an excellent quality of coal and was mined by the Powne family for at least two seasons.
Regent
(1913 – 1962) The Manitoba Pool elevator at the train station held a 88,200 bushel capacity.
Sam Smith Saw Mill
Sanger
Sanger was a station of the CPR. The “Blue Flea” Line headed north from here.
Schaffner
(1914 – 1962) Shaffner was the name of a station on the “Blue Flea” line of the CPR.
Sourisapolis (Souris City)
(1882 – 1916) A few real estate agents sold lots trying to promote the town of Sourisapolis, but a town was never built here.
Tipi Rings and Crossing
Early cultures used this place as a stopping place and ceremonial center. It was a convenient place to cross the Long River.
Turtle Mountain City
(1882) Turtle Mountain City existed for not even a year before the town of Waubeesh appeared not a mile to the north.
Turtle Mountain Post
(1845, 1848 – 1855) For the latter years of its operation, this fur trading post was operated by the HBC's Antoine Desjarlais. The exact location of the post is unknown, though it may have replaced Lena House on the slope of Turtle Mountain.
Vodon Mine
(1885 – 1887) The Vodon Coal Mine was the first large-scale mining attempt.
Waubeesh
(1883 – 1887) Waubeesh flourished where Turtle Mountain City did not, but only for a few years before being bypassed by the railroad.
X.Y. Fort
(1795) The X.Y. Company was made up of disgruntled North West Co. Workers. This post was managed by Mr. Peter Grant and operated in opposition to the nearby N.W. Co. Ash Fort.
Wassewa
(1914 – 1961) Wassewa became the name of a train station on the Canadian National Railway, located nearby the Wassewa stopping place established by George Morton.
Feland Site
(~1370AD) A Northeastern Plains village is thought to have been located here.
McBurney Site – Trading Post
The site of an old trading post. Artifacts such as musket balls, trading beads, broken dishware, a rusty knife and some native artifacts were turned up here as a result of cultivation.
Adelpha
The Wakopa Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway reached Adelpha in 1905 and went no further until 1914. Adelpha was a hub of commercial activity during this time.
Louis McLeod Homestead
(1908) Louis McLeod's log home was probably the first permanent Metis settlement on Turtle Mountain.
Yellow Quill Trail Continues
Yellowquill Trail continues west from this point. It meets up with the Carleton Trail at present-day Portage la Prairie.
Melgund Post Office
(1884 - 1899) The first post office in the area. Prior to its existence mail was brought from Brandon or Souris by anyone who happened to go there.
Fletcher Store
A small general store existed here for some time, it was owned by Fletcher Shillington, a bachelor.
Hunter Blacksmith Shop
A small blacksmith shop, perhaps 10’ by 10’ was opened by Archie Hunter who came from Ontario in 1890. He moved his business into Lauder when the railway was built.
Lime Kiln
(1890 - 1892) Lime Kiln. Not much is known about this site, other than that it existed. It is unknown whether it produced lime for local markets or for export.
Cheese Factory
(1895 - 1897) A Cheese Factory existed on this site for a short time. Milk was gathered from surrounding farms and made into cheese.
Lauder Ferry
(1892 – 1895) A raft made of trees and timbers served as a ferry across the Souris R. in the early days of settlement. It was operated by a pulley system and usually only in the spring when waters were high.
Dand Stone Features
A collection of puzzling stone features found at this site defy easy definition.
Prairie View Cemetery
(1901-1910) A small cemetery once existed on this site.
Sourisford
A long history surrounds this Souris River crossing place. Where the Boundary Commission Trail crossed the river is still visible.
First Oil Well
(1949) The first oil well of the region was drilled here.
Butterfield
(1880-1906) Butterfield served as a stopping place along the Boundary Commission Trail and later (1884) as the area's first post office. The building for the office was the home of Dr. Dann, a veterinarian.
CNR Continues
The Canadian National Railway continued east, linking the communities along the CNR Wakopa Subdivision with Greenway and eventually Winnipeg.
Dakota – Assiniboine Battle: Napinka
(1830) A battle between the Dakota and Assiniboine occurred northeast of present-day Napinka in 1830.
American Fur Co. Company Fort
(1808-1828) The American Fur Company traded on the Souris River until their operations were shut down by Cuthbert Grant. The exact location of this fort is unknown.
First Nations Occupation
The remains of a large First Nations occupation were found here, including human bones and flint artifacts. Date unknown.

Routes

Boiler Trail
(1880 – 1885) The Boiler Trail provided a detour around the muddiest section of the Boundary Commission Trail.
Mandan Trail
The Mandan Trail was a primary artery of travel and trade between the Assiniboine River Forts and the Missouri River where the Mandan First Nations lived.

Areas

George Morton's Cheese Project
(1882 – 1883) George Morton launched a cheese-making project west of Whitewater Lake. He may have been successful if he hadn't overlooked a couple key factors . . .