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I have tried to track down some information on the house in its early years but I only have a sketchy outline of that time period. This home was built likely in the mid to late 1800's by Jim McTavish, Ravine Jim as he was called, because of the ravine that flowed through the property. The house was located on the Ellice/Carlton Trail. This is only assumption as there is no one left that I can confirm the information from. Very close to the house was a ravine with a troll-bridge across it. The folks that use the trail, has as I understand, had very little money at the time and could not afford to pay the toll. I do not know who imposed the toll. They were forced to get across the ravine with whatever means they could. The ruts left by the wheels were still evident when I was little as were the ruts up the hill on the other side of the ravine. Part of the bridge was still there when I was young. I really wish I had paid more attention to the stories that my family told.

The house was divided in two parts, with seperate stairways. The one stairway was in the kitchen that led to a very large room that I believe was used as a place to sleep by weary travellers. The other stairway was located in the front entrance and was used by the family of the house. The front entrance of the house faced south and it had veranda on both the main floor and the second floor. The second floor veranda was all screened in and even had blinds on the windows. In the spring, Mom would do the spring cleaning and all the cloths etc., were hung out there to air out for a day. This was also a great place to sleep on those warm summer nights. I can remember in the fall of the year we would go out on the veranda and see the combines working in the field. The weight of the verandas on the house began to take its toll and was doing structural damage to the house so they were removed and a small veranda was built on the main floor. I think this was about 1976 or 1977. There was also an open veranda on the east side of the house. On the north end of the house there was what we called the back kitchen. This is where the cooking and canning were done to keep the house cool. The house was always cool in the summer and warm in the winter as it seemed to me. The cellar and the foundation were built of field stone as was the foundation of the bank barn west of the house. The house also had an outside entrance to the cellar.

My Great Uncle Cam Robertson came to Manitoba in 1922 and in 1924 he went home to Ontario and returned with his new bride Agnes Stewart. They had two daughters, Helen and Pat. In talking to Helen and Pat they say they remember Jim and Mary McTavish very well and were close enough to them that they referred to them as Uncle Jim and Aunt Mary. The girls can recall that at the top of the kitchen stairway, was a book case and they were allowed to go up the stairs and get a book to read. When Pat was 6 or 7 years old she was so facinated with the rows and rows of Delco batteries lined up downstairs in the basement that supplied all the lights in the house. She was so intrigued with the push button on and off light switches, which she had never seen before or since! In 1943, hearing that the Ravine Jim McTavish farm was up for sale my Great Uncle got in touch with my Grandfather in Ontario. In 1944 Grandpa, Grandma (Jack and Nellie Elliott), Mom and Dad (Allister and Kay Elliott) came to Manitoba. This is a quote from my Grandmother's diary.

"Arrived in Winnipeg February 16th by train and on to Strathclair Feb 17, 1944 3:30 am. McTavish sale March 8, in house March 9, 1944 p.m. and got together with Uncle Cam and Aunt Agnes and girls had first meal in our new home."

From the stories I remember they arrived in a Manitoba blizzard. Uncle Cam met them at the train station and took them to his place, where Aunt Agnes was standing at the end of the lane swining a coal oil lamp so they could find their way. They rented the McTavish place in 1944 and in 1947 they purchased the land. During that time my sister Barbara (1944) and brother Bruce (1946) were born. After the war Dad's brother Murray Elliott and new bride came to live in Manitoba. They stayed on the farm until such time as they had a place of their own in Strathclair. In 1950 my brother Brian was born and in 1955 my brother Barry and I were born. Somewhere around this time my grandparents moved to Strathclair. I think looking at some of Grandma's old diaries, the moved to Strathclair in 1952.

At some point the large room at the top of the kitchen stairway was opened to another part of the house and the room was divided in to bedrooms. I can remember that we had a hired man and he stayed in that room at the top of the kitchen stairs.

I remember very well in 1967 we got waterworks. Until this time the water, as well as the milk was carried from the barn to the house. At this time the backstairs in the kitchen were taken out.

(Beth Elliott-McPhaden)

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The Elliott home that was located on the Fort Ellice Trail.
1925
Strathclair, Manitoba