Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 17, 1963, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press saturday August 17, 1963 con Willem Prins present owner of the old Fraser Home holds a red River cart wheel. Original window panes help set its age. Secret behind Lilac hedge Leila Avenue in West Kil Donan looks much like any other residential Street in Winnipeg with its sidewalks and boulevards and Bunga lows neat with Flower Borders and clipped lawns. But Leila Avenue has a secret hidden from the passer by. Those who know it can slip through a narrow Gap in a thick Lilac hedge take a few magic Steps Down a Garden path and walk right into the Middle of the last Century. For there shaded by tall Trees whose interlacing branches create a perpetual Green Twilight stands a Little old Homestead its hand Hen Oak logs As Square and sturdy As the Day it was built Well Over a Century ago. Number 117 Leila does t face the Street like its newer neighbors it faces East toward the red River As did the other Homes of Early settlers on their narrow River lots. Oldest Home that fact is an indication of the age of the House believed by some local historians to be the oldest Home still standing in greater Winnipeg and one of the last of the original homesteads. The present owner Willem Prins an artist who came from his native Holland in 1927, and has been interested in Winnipeg history Ever since feels sure it was built in the 1830s, Basing his As sumption on the Tongue and Groove construction and the materials used. Investigation into Early records would seem to support his claim. Perhaps the earliest Avail Able reference to the House is in a newspaper obituary of Hon. William. Fraser. The notice now in the Manitoba archives states that William lived for some years in the original Home of lot 15 built by his father James Fraser As a Pioneer settler and later known As Rose cottage. Pioneer settler James Fraser was not a Selkirk settler but came around the same time As they did to work at Hayfield farm Point Douglas a Model farm operated by the lord Selkirk organization. In 1818 he was married by contract in the absence of a to Anne ban Nerman daughter of a Sel Kirk settler. They were re with banns in de Cember 1822, by Rev. Thom As West at St. John s Church where both Are buried. A similar reference is found in a Book owned by mrs. J. B. Henderson Roslyn Road whose Mother the former Barbara Fraser was a grand daughter of Jamas and a Niece of William. Her copy of the Manitoba pictorial and biographical supplement published in 1913 by s. J. Clarke publishing co. Says too that William lived on the old some farm where his father had pioneered. It adds that William was a member of the Assiniboia Council for 22 years and both or. And mrs. Fraser were Active helpful and prominent members of Kil Donan presbyterian Church which or. Fraser aided in family of eight pioneers James and Anne Fraser had four sons and four daughters. Their son James died in 1852 and Don Ald died while attending col lege in Eastern Canada. The other son John is listed in an 1873 Manitoba Survey also in the Manitoba As living next to William on River Tot 15. John who was 14 years pre Centor of the presbyterian Church had moved a House believed built in 1839 on the Bannerman property to the site beside the family Home in 1860. For Many years he presided Over choir practices there aided by his tuning Fork. His House still stands too at 160 Newton Avenue. He was mrs. Henderson s Grandfather. Mrs. Henderson believes the sturdy old Leila Avenue House stood firm during the disastrous flood of 1852. "1 remember Mother saying they had to do something to the plaster and they made some changes then or. Prins the present owner also believes the House survived the flood. It is on fairly High ground. I know it Story by Edith Paterson pictures by Jack Ablett is standing where it was built because when i dug under it to put in a foundation the chips and shavings were still he has re chunked the House with Cement replacing the original mud and Moss and finds the logs As hard As miss Agnes Sev Erin of o Meara Street who lived there from 1909 to 1913, remembers that when the Telephone was installed it was necessary to use drills such As used for Granite. Or. Prins an assistant at seven Oaks House saved the Home from demolition when he bought it ten years ago. He has rebuilt it and strengthened it and Hopes eventually to see it moved up be Side seven Oaks House. He is responsible too for the restoration of Many of the articles in the museum there including the piano and through years of search ing through second hand stores has saved for posterity Many mementos of earlier times not Only in Winnipeg but around the world. The visitor to 117 Leila will see a Sampler made in 1874 by Margaret Macnabb a family Bible dated 1812 a commentary on the Bible in four languages dated 1750 a miniature painted in 1887 by Elizabeth Joinville a Boston newspaper telling of the death of Nelson inlaid Cherrywood furniture Lea ther upholstered old fire arms swords and other Wea Pons Indian relics and hundreds of other articles of value in the preservation of Manitoba s history. The House museum is literally overflowing with relics of Winnipeg s Early Days. A collection of antique cooking utensils adorns the Kitchen of the eld Home. Or Prins moved the Ber from the forme r Bannatyne family Home into his parlor ;