A wooden sign alongside an abandoned oxbow of the Assiniboine River, in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie, marks the former site of Pratt’s Landing, named for brothers Reginald Henry Murray Pratt and Walter J. N. Pratt. Near this site, in 1871, the first sawmill in the area was erected by James Cowan and William Lyons. Six years later, the Prince Rupert steamboat delivered the first load of cargo. A wood planing mill was added in 1880. A church and cemetery, along with a school, were built too. As the community of Portage la Prairie developed, this site was eventually vacated.
Sign near the former site of Pratt’s Landing (April 2026)
Source: Rose KuzinaSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.94917, W98.26928
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Reginald Henry Murray Pratt (1854-1925)
Memorable Manitobans: Walter J. N. Pratt (c1852-1924)
The Tread of the Pioneers by Joseph Henry Metcalfe and the Portage la Prairie and District Old Timers’ Association, 1932, pages 14, 15.
Portage la Prairie 1870-1970 by Anne M. Collier, 1970, pages 41, 49, 51.
This page was prepared by Rose Kuzina and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 3 May 2026
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