Link to:
Presidents | Collections | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
Located on a 160-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, bisected by the historic Fort Ellice Trail, the museum has grown to become a major tourist attraction in 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.
Period
President
1952-1955
Harold Lloyd Henderson (1907-1993)
1955-1956
George Henry Hambley (1896-1983)
1956-1957
Charles Arthur Sear (1894-1965)
1957-1965
David “Dave” McKeand (1894-1979)
1965-1966
William Frank Sims (1920-1990)
1966-1970
David “Dave” McKeand (1894-1979)
1970-1971
Gordon Macdonald Hay (1917-1984)
1971-1975
Tom Scott
1975-1977
William Frank Sims (1920-1990)
1977-1978
Clifford Wesley Carrothers (1914-2010)
1978-?
Bob Anderson
?-?
Ray Tolton
?-?
Bill McCreery
?-2007
John Helmut Neufeld (1948-2023)
2007-2010
Gerald Dueck
2010-2012
Chad Bodnarchuk
2012-2015
Gloria Sims
2015-2017
Robert Beamish
2017-?
Angie Klym
A feature of the museum is its Homesteaders Village, a collection of original and replica buildings situated along a portion of the old Fort Ellice Trail. Intended to illustrate the early farming experience in Manitoba, the village includes the following 20 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.
2018
This original log school building, used from 1883 to 1908, was brought to the museum in 1968.
2018
Believed to be the only grain storage warehouse (predecessor to the grain elevator) left in western Canada, this building was moved to the museum in October 2021.
2022
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.
2018
Canadian National Railway Station
This building, a Class 4 station building, was constructed at Baldur in 1893 by the CNR. It was moved to the museum grounds in 1975.
2018
Canadian Pacific Railway Toolshed
This simple CNR maintenance building, once located at Austin, was moved to the museum in 1995.
2018
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
This building was a former barn used by museum founder Thomas James Carrothers.
2018
Carrothers House
This building was the former residence of museum founder Thomas James Carrothers and his family.
2018
This wood frame schoolhouse, built in 1890 and closed in January 1959, was moved to the museum in March 1960.
2018
Manitoba Telephone System Building
This telecommunications building was moved from Tilston to the museum in June 1988.
2018
Mekiwin Manor
This two-storey residence, built in 1918 by the Hutchison family south of Gladstone, was moved to the museum in 1974.
2018
Muir Cabin
The oldest structure in the Homesteaders Village, dating from 1879, this log structure was moved from its original location southeast of MacGregor to the museum in 1972.
2018
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.
2018
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 surviving bridge in Manitoba.
2018
This church was moved from its original site west of Minnedosa to the museum in 1972. Restoration was completed the following year.
2018
Tree Planting Car
For over 50 years, from 1920 to 1973, this specially-designed railway car travelled the prairie provinces. A rolling classroom, it advocated for the planting of trees. After several decades at the Sandilands Forest Discovery Centre, it was moved to the museum in November 2022.
2024
Union No. 108 Masonic Lodge
This two-storey wood frame building once stood at Brookdale. Originally a bake shop, then a harness shop, the building was bought in 1916 by the local lodge of the Masonic fraternity. It was moved to the museum in 1986.
2018
Westbourne Post Office
This building, originally built at Westbourne in 1902, was moved to the museum in 1972.
2018
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 moved to the museum in 1976. It is the oldest surviving grain elevator in Manitoba.
2013
Aerial view of the Manitoba Agricultural Museum (July 2020)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Steam locomotive on display (2003)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Sheds with vintage farm machinery (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
St. Saviour's Anglican Church (June 2023)
Source: Glen Toews
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
Fort Ellice Trail monument unveiled in 1973 (July 2017)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Memorial Wall at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum (July 2023)
Source: George Penner
Small gauge steam locomotive from Port Nelson (August 2022)
Source: David Ford
Tree Planting Car (June 2023)
Source: Glen Toews
Brookdale Grain Warehouse undergoing restoration (July 2023)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Brookdale Grain Warehouse (July 2023)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.92567, W98.94781
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 (Hudson Bay, Northern Manitoba)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Sandilands Forest Discovery Centre (Sandilands Provincial Forest, RM of Reynolds)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Prairie Churches Project / Manitoba Prairie Icons Project
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Railway Stations
Manitoba Business: Oak Lake News
Obituary [Gordon Hay], Winnipeg Free Press, 7 June 1984, page 56.
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, David Ford, and Elliot Sims for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 5 November 2024
Historic Sites of Manitoba
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