Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Agricultural Museum (Austin, Municipality of North Norfolk)

Link to:
Presidents | Collections | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

Located on a 50-acre site three kilometers south of the junction of #1 and #34 highways, near Austin in the Municipality of North Norfolk, the Manitoba Agricultural Museum features Canada’s largest collection of operating vintage farm machinery. Situated on a parcel of land donated in 1954 by local farmer Thomas James Carrothers, the museum has grown to become a major tourist attraction in western Manitoba and is designated by the provincial government as one of its Signature Museums.

The museum is the site of the Manitoba Amateur Radio Museum and the annual Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede.

Presidents

Period	President
1952-1955	Harold Lloyd Henderson (1907-1993)
1955-1956	George Henry Hambley (1896-1983)
1956-1957	Charles Sear
1957-1965	D. McKeand
1965-1966	Frank Sims
1966-1970	D. McKeand
1970-1971	G. Hay
1971-1975	T. Scott
1975-1977	Frank Sims
1977-1978	Clifford Wesley Carrothers (1914-2010)
1978-?	?
?-2017	Robert Beamish
2017-?	Angie Klym

Collections

A notable feature of the museum is its Homesteaders Village, a collection of over twenty original and replica buildings situated along a portion of the old Fort Ellice Trail. Intended to illustrate the early pioneer experience in Manitoba, the village includes the following 19 municipally-designated heritage buildings:

Building	Description	Designation Year
Arizona United Church	This church, that served the community of Arizona from 1898 to 1974, was moved to the museum in 1975
Ayr School No. 150	This original log school building was used from 1883 to 1908, brought to the museum in 1968
Brookdale Grain Warehouse		2022
Canadian National Railway Freight and Passenger Shelter	This small railway building, constructed at Katrime in 1919, was moved to a farm near MacGregor after it was no longer used by the railway then moved to the museum in 2002
Canadian National Railway Station	This CNR building was moved from Baldur in 1975
Canadian Pacific Railway Toolshed	This simple CNR maintenance building, once located at Austin, was moved to the museum in 1995
Canadian Pacific Railway Water Tower	This 1900 CPR structure, similar to the former Glenboro Railway Water Tower and the Clearwater Water Tower, was moved from MacGregor in 1987	2013
Carrothers Barn
Carrothers House	This building was the former residence of museum founder Thomas James Carrothers and his family
Centreville School No. 606	This wood frame schoolhouse was moved to the museum in 1960
Union No. 108 Masonic Lodge
Manitoba Telephone System Building
Mekiwin Manor	This residence, built in 1918 by the Hutchison family south of Gladstone, was moved to the museum in 1976
Muir Cabin	The oldest structure in the village, dating from 1879, this log structure was moved from its original location southeast of MacGregor to the museum in 1972
Muirhead House	This house, built of squared poplar logs by the Muirhead family near Carberry in the 1880s, was moved to the museum in 1973
Pembina Bridge	A steel pony truss bridge, built over the Pembina River in 1893 (about N49.14829, W98.56401), is believed to be the oldest extant bridge in Manitoba
St. Saviour’s Anglican Church	This church was moved here from its original site west of Minnedosa to the museum in 1972
Westbourne Post Office	This building, originally built at Westbourne in 1902, was moved to the museum in 1972
Western Canada Flour Mills Grain Elevator	This “standard plan” grain elevator was built in 1901 at Austin for the Western Canada Flour Mills, later sold to Manitoba Pool Elevators, and was moved to the museum in 1976	2013

Photos & Coordinates

Aerial view of the Manitoba Agricultural Museum (July 2020) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Steam locomotive on display (2003) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Sheds with threshing machines (2003) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Former Centreville School building (July 2017) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Muirhead House (July 2017) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Homesteaders Village (July 2017) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Former Western Canada Flour Mills grain elevator from Austin (July 2017) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Former Western Canada Flour Mills grain elevator from Austin (July 2022) Source: George Penner Engine from the former Glenwood Roller Mills (May 2018) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Pembina Bridge (May 2018) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Former Canadian National Railway freight and passenger shelter from Katrime (July 2008) Source: George Penner Former Canadian National Railway station from Baldur (April 1997) Source: George Penner Small gauge steam locomotive from Port Nelson (August 2022) Source: David Ford Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.92428, W98.94632 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Thomas James Carrothers (1880-1967)

Memorable Manitobans: Donald Ephriam Carrothers (1910-1988)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Brookdale Grain Warehouse (Brookdale, Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Steam Tractor Monument (Austin, Municipality of North Norfolk)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Fort Ellice Trail Crossing (RM of Wallace-Woodworth)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Amateur Radio Museum (Austin, Municipality of North Norfolk)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Pembina Threshermen’s Museum (RM of Stanley)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Port Nelson Bridge and Island (Hudson Bay, Northern Manitoba)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Prairie Churches Project / Manitoba Prairie Icons Project

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Railway Stations

Manitoba Business: Oak Lake News

Sources:

Manitoba Agricultural Museum

Pioneering in Highway Bridges for the Province of Manitoba and the Engineering Profession by George A. DePauw, 1993, page 28.

We thank Georgette Hutlet, David Ennis, George Penner, and David Ford for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 1 January 2023

Historic Sites of Manitoba This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only. SEARCH the collection Browse lists of: Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | Other Inclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner. Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes. Send corrections and additions to this page to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca. Search Tips | Suggest an Historic Site | FAQ Help us keep history alive!