Life On and Off an Acreage

In-sights into moving from an Acreage back to Town, plus a few things I find of interest.

Two things that horses are scared about:


1. Things that move
2. Things that don't move




Old enough to be eccentric, but not rich enough

December 6, 2014

Stuck-In-the-House- Saturday

 Due to a Freezing Rain Alert (and some laziness) I plan on a low profile relaxing day. I was browsing some of my old files and photos going back to the 1890's and found a few of interest.

My home town, Kenora, was originally called Rat Portage, due to the migration of muskrats , or so the story goes. The town fathers decided that this was not a very attractive name and so changes it to Kenora, Taking the first Two letters of Keewatin, a village three miles away, the NO  fron Norman, another village about 1 1/2 miles away and the RA from Rat Portage. My Dad claimed seniority over his friend due to the fact that he was an "original citizen", being born in Rat Portage in 1903, and his friend was born in Kenora, the same year!

 It's hard to believe that my Dad was born the year the Wright Brothers first flew! Look what's happened in 2 generations with flight!

The picture below was of the Rat Portage Fire Department in 1895.My Great-grandfather was A.R Holland and another relative E Donkin



An old obituary
 Now, a picture of cuteness, me, at age 3 in 1947. Did I say I was humble too?
 My Grandfather on my mother's side, James Bruce.
 My Great grand father on my Dad's side who came over from Coventry, England in the 1890's, plus his sons who came with him.Arthur was my Grandfather. They homesteaded near Bird's Hill Park in Manitoba, but their timing was off and the had to leave the land. They almost starved the first winter. Arthur moved to Rat Portage.
Well, I guess that's enough reminiscing for now.

It is a shame though, that a person may know his parents and grand parents, but anything beyond them is largely unknown and forgotten.

4 comments:

  1. didn't even know any of my grandparents.

    sure glad they changed the name of your town. :)

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  2. What a fascinating post, Ian! I love old family pictures and stories. Thanks for sharing these. You were too cute sitting in the driver's seat. It was great to learn the story of Kenora's name. Enjoy your stuck-in-the-house Saturday!

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  3. This is fascinating to me. But I am a genealogist and I love old photos and stories. You were quite the little cutie in that pic! You should go on ancestry and trace back a line or two. Be careful though- it is easy to get addicted to it!

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  4. Ian, those are fantastic photos! And there you are as a wee lad, too! Very cute!
    We have a long-time family friend in Courtenay BC whose name is Harry Holland. Any distant relation? :)321

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