This monument in the Rural Municipality of Rockwood was unveiled on 19 July 1986 by the Manitoba Department of Natural Resources and Ducks Unlimited Canada to commemorate early settlers from Lower Fort Garry and St. Andrews districts who held a community picnic at this oak-covered knoll bordering the historic St. Andrews Bog 100 years earlier, in 1886. The site was the homestead of Adam McDonald.
The monument repeats a local legend that says some of the picnicers strung hammocks between oak trees to relax in the shade, resulting in the name Oak Hammock being applied to the area. A more probable explanation is that the name acknowledges the fact that the elevation of the site is higher than the surrounding landscape—the word hummock (sometimes spelled hammock) refers to a high point of land—where flood-intolerant tree species such as oaks would naturally grow more profusely.
Oak Hammock Marsh Monument (October 2020)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.15240, W97.10026
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Oak Hammock Marsh Conservation Centre (Oak Hammock Marsh, RM of Rockwood)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Oak Hammock Settlers Monument (RM of Rockwood)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Tall Grass Prairie Monument (Oak Hammock Marsh, RM of Rockwood)
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 12 November 2023
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