In 1882, a siding of the Canadian Pacific Railway was established at NW2-3-5W in what is now the Rural Municipality of Stanley and named Stephen in commemoration of CPR President George Stephen. Some 1,300 lots were surveyed for what was anticipated would grow into a prosperous town, and marketed to investors throughout Canada and the United States by Emerson businessman George Walton. Three stores and a hotel were hastily constructed at Stephen, and local Mennonite farmers began to ship their grain from a 400-foot storage shed built in 1883. However, Walton’s grandiose plans ultimately did not materialize because Stephen lacked two resources essential to the railway, water and wood. These materials could be found in abundance at a nearby site that would soon become the village of Morden. By 1884, Stephen was abandoned and, five years later, its plan was cancelled by a municipal bylaw.
Approximate Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.18891, W98.04216
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: George Walton (1854-1925)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Nelson / Nelsonville Town Site (RM of Stanley)
Geographic Names of Manitoba, Manitoba Conservation, 2000.
“Abandoned railway town-sites or stations in, or near, the Mennonite West Reserve” by Bruce Wiebe, Preservings, No. 31, pp. 34-40, 2011.
We thank Bruce Wiebe for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 4 April 2021
Historic Sites of Manitoba
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