William Ross and Jemima Ross originally built this Red River frame structure on the shores of the Red River at the foot of Market Avenue in Winnipeg. William’s father Alexander had provided the land. In 1855, William was appointed Postmaster by the Council of Assiniboia and he operated the Post Office from his home. It was the first Post Office in Western Canada, other than those run by the Hudson’s Bay Company. Stamps and canceling devices were unavailable so early mail bore only the postmaster’s penned notation “Red River, B.N.A.” The monthly mail was carried by various means of transportation to Pembina, North Dakota, on the US-Canada border. Here it was stamped “Paid 10” and continued to its destination.
Now situated in Joe Zuken Heritage Park, Ross House is owned by the City of Winnipeg and was operated until 2018 by the Manitoba Historical Society. A plaque commemorating fur trader and historian Alexander Ross was unveiled near the entrance to the museum in 1951 by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. The building is a municipally-owned historic site.
Ross House Museum (no date)
Source: Manitoba Historical Society
Ross House Museum (2006)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Ross House Museum (November 2017)
Source: George Penner
Interior of Ross House Museum (August 2021)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.90694, W97.12949
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Red River Frame Buildings
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Plaques for Persons, Events and Sites of National Historic Significance
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites
Historic Sites of Manitoba: William Whyte Park / Fort Douglas Cairn (Higgins Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Joseph Zuken Heritage Park (Sutherland Avenue, Winnipeg)
William Ross House, 140 Meade Street North, Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, no date.
We thank George Penner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 15 April 2024
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