Heritage Photos  TM-SPHA Special Places - Abandoned

5. The Two Desfords















In those first days of European settlement, 1878 and 79, settlers came by the Boundary Commission trail from Emerson. By 1880 an alternate route was by way of the Assiniboine River to Millford, then south to Langvale and via the Rowland Trail to the Turtle Mountain area. The first stores in the area were at Desford, Wakopa and Waubeesh. The first general store and post office in "Old Desford" was owned by E. Nichol and Son.

As with so many of the first settlements, the location had to be reconsidered when the railways came. For Desford the change began in 1906. First the CN line was extended through Wakopa, Adelpha and Horton, just narrowly bypassing Desford, That that same year The Great Northern Railway bypassed to the east and a new town started to grow on that line about six kilometres away.

The store at Adelpha, owned by Mr. Crummer, was moved four miles to Desford. In no time a McCabe elevator was built. Next came the section house, a few residences, a station, and a bunkhouse.  The population exploded to near thirty and a community hall was deemed necessary.


http://www.virtualmanitoba.com/FalseStarts/GNR/p8.htm