to incoming settlers. Other land grants existing in the early survey were of 240 acres each and called Half Breed Script. These large quarters were granted to male settlers who had been born along the Red River before 1870.

Early settlers who arrived in what was to become the RM. of Rockwood, looked for higher land with a good timber supply and water. A furrow was usually plowed to more or less stake a claim after picking a spot and the land was applied for at the Land Titles Ofﬁce in Winnipeg. If the land had already been claimed, or otherwise reserved, the settler had to look again for the next best site. These were the homesteads allotments which cost the settler $10.00 and required him to achieve certain land improve- ments within a speciﬁed time.

It’s interesting to note that the original RM. of Rockwood, which was formed in 1378, was much smaller and consisted of only one township or 6 square miles. This was enlarged in 1880 to its present size.

The first order of business for the new settler was to provide shelter for his family and his animals, a supply of fuel, food for the family and animals and as quickly as possible to break. land for a garden and the production of grain.

The first houses were quite primitive. The walls were usually of logs with a pitch pole roof covered with earth and straw. Lumber was at a premium since it had to be carried from Winnipeg by oxen and wagon. It was not until local sawmills were estab- lished that it became reasonably available. Many settlers walked to Winnipeg to carry back staple foods and other building necessities such as win~ dows, nails, tarpaper etc. A stove occupied a very prominent place in the one or two room house and a bed or a sitting spot by the stove was the favored place.

The magniﬁcent farm houses and barns so com- mon on the Portage Plains were never so evident in Rockwood Municipality. However some big houses did exist ~— for example the lovely stone house just east of Stonewall built in the early l880’s by Thomas Lusted and the big rambling barn on the Mueller farm east of Teulon. Many early houses, in the south ' half of the municipality at least, were built of grout, a mixture of lime, sand and aggregate. The large ma— jority, however, were of frame lumber construction —— little different from today. House styles have changed from the beautiful scrolled eaves and ridges, dormers and verandahs to the often dull box~like efficient houses of today.

A 1904 house plans catalogue illustrates various frame home plans of that period. The price lists for large beautiful country frame homes ran around

56

$3500 complete, without plumbing $3300 and, without the foundation included, about $2800. A large stock barn, complete with side extensions, large drive-in hayloft and topped with a magnifi— cently decorated ventilator could be had for $4655.00. The particular barn shown in the cata- logue had dimensions of 90 by 100 feet and covered nearly one-fourth acre.

A housing catalogue of the 1930’s lists houses from $550 to $2100. Gothic roof barns of that period, with dimensions of 36 by 74 ft. sold for $1690.

House and born construction in the municipality remained fairly static from the middle 20’s until after World War II. Veterans returning to the farm started building a limited number of houses and barns and as economic conditions continued to improve in the late 50's more farm buildings were constructed. It was still possible at that time to build an excellent house for $0,000 or less, however prices have rapidly escalated since that time to the ridiculous prices of today.

The first fields were small and represented ex— hausting work to clear the trees and plow the soil. Power was supplied by a team of oxen, a horse hitched with an ox or, for the lucky starters, a team of horses. The seed, wheat, oats and barley, was expen— sive and had to be hauled or carried from Winnipeg. This early seed was nothing like the varieties in existence today. It did not have the disease resistance and other advance qualities of today’s varieties, however, this was the start of the prairie grain grow— ing business that still produces the highest quality of wheat in the world. The first wheat was shipped from

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DEDICATED 2983

The ﬁrst shipment of Wheat from Western Canada.

Manitoba on October 13, 18% to Ontario where a crop loss had been sustained that year. The order was for 5000 bus. however only 857% bushels were all that could be gathered at that time. The price received by the growers was 85¢ a bushel with the total ship— ment, which left by Red River steamer on Oct. 21, valued at $728. It is significant that a Mr. John