Memorable Manitobans: Ralph Benjamin Pratt (1872-1950)

Ralph Benjamin Pratt Click to enlarge

Architect.

Born at London, England on 9 August 1872, son of Joseph and Jane Pratt, he was educated at London before coming to Canada in 1891 and to Manitoba the next year. He worked as an architectural and engineering draftsman for the Canadian Pacific Railway at Winnipeg from 1895 to 1901, and a railway architect for the Canadian Northern Railway from 1901 to 1906. He formed an architectural partnership with Donald Aynsley Ross in 1906, specializing in structural and civil engineering projects. He served as President of the Manitoba Association of Architects from 1917 to 1919.

On 23 October 1900, he married Euphemia Maude Monnington (1874-1977) at Winnipeg. They had three children: George Ralph Monnington Pratt (1901-1983), Olive Maude Grace Pratt (1904-2004, wife of Herbert Carey), and Camden James Charles Pratt (1915-1984). In 1911, the family lived at 261 Carlton Street, Winnipeg. His recreations included canoeing and skating. He was a member of the Anglican church.

He died at St. Boniface on 14 March 1950 and was buried in the St. John’s Cathedral Cemetery. His pallbearers included architect Donald Aynsley Ross, contractor William Henry Carter, engineer William Hurst, architect George William Northwood, architect John Nelson Semmens, architect Arthur Edward Cubbidge, and architect Edgar Prain.

Some of his sole architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Canadian Pacific Railway Station	Virden	1900
Canadian Northern Railway Station	236 Aubert Street, St. Boniface	1901	Demolished (c1962)
Canadian Pacific Railway Statin	Kenton	1902
Canadian Northern Railway Station	Carberry	1904
Canadian Northern Railway Station	Portage la Prairie	1904
Canadian Pacific Railway Station	Morden	1905	Pembina Threshermen’s Museum

See also:

Manitoba Business: Pratt and Ross

Sources:

Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Local notes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 12 November 1904, page 5.

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, edited by C. W. Parker, Vancouver: Canadian Press Association, 1911.

The Story of Manitoba by F. H. Schofield, Winnipeg: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913.

“Pioneer architect R. B. Pratt dies at age of 78,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 March 1950, page 26.

“Funeral rites Friday for Ralph B. Pratt,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 March 1950, page 36.

“Euphemia Pratt 100-year-old,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 February 1974, page 22.

Obituary [Euphemia Monnington Pratt], Winnipeg Free Press, 21 October 1977, page 71.

Obituary [George Ralph Monnington Pratt], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 December 1983, page 53.

Obituary [Camden James Charles Pratt], Winnipeg Free Press, 3 March 1984, page 59.

Railway Stations of Manitoba: A Building Inventory by Patricia Trainor, Farhad Rahbary, and David Butterfield, Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 1984, 233 pages. [Manitoba Legislative Library]

Grace Carey (Pratt), Geni.

We thank Robert Hill, Leslie Kozma, and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 15 July 2023

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!