Near this site in the Rural Municipality of Oakview, about a mile north of Rapid City, was the location of Prairie College. It was the first post-secondary educational institution in western Canada, west of the 1870 “postage stamp” boundary of Manitoba. It trained Baptist ministers for service on the western agricultural frontier and provided general literary instruction to the rapidly growing population of the area. In 1883, Prairie College became part of McKee Academy at Rapid City, which was later relocated to Brandon in 1899 and became Brandon College, forerunner of today’s Brandon University. A cairn in front of Clark Hall at Brandon University is constructed from stones of the original Prairie College building.
Sketch of Prairie College
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Schools 5, Prairie Baptist College, c1884.Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.13843, W100.03806
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Brandon College and Clark Hall Buildings (270 Eighteenth Street, Brandon)
MHS Centennial Organization: Brandon University
Memorable Manitobans: Samuel James McKee (1849-1937)
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 12 February 2021
Historic Sites of Manitoba
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