GEORGE
ARTHUR DULMAGE
FARMER AUCTIONEER ENTREPRENEUR FAMILY MAN
POLITICIAN INVENTOR MANUFACTURER GOOD NEIGHBOUR |
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FROM AN ONTARIO FARMING
BACKGROUND, 17 YEAR OLD GEORGE CAME WEST IN 1901 ON A
HARVEST EXCURSION TRAIN. AT NINETTE, MANITOBA, HE ENGAGED IN
CATTLE BUYING AND AUCTIONEERING. WHEN HE MOVED TO YORKTON IN
1908, HE CONTINUED IN THIS WORK WHILE ALSO FARMING. GEORGE
MARRIED HARRIETT McPHEE IN 1916. IN 1924, WITH THEIR
CHILDREN, JAMES AND RUTH, THEY MOVED TO MELFORT.
THE DULMAGE FAMILY RETURNED TO YORKTON IN 1929 AND
ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES ON THIS FARMSTEAD. GEORGE STILL A
CATTLE BUYER AND AUCTIONEER BUILT A LOG STACKWALL HOUSE. A
DAIRY CATTLE AND HOG BARN, A CATTLE SHIPPING BARN, A CHICKEN
RAISING COOP, A SECOND COOP, A SHOP AND A HOUSE FOR THE
HIRED MAN.
DURING WORLD WAR II, HE RAISED HOGS ON HIS FARM FOR A WAR
EFFORT PROGRAM CALLED “BACON FOR BRITAIN”. THE MEAT WAS
PROCESSED HERE AND SHIPPED TO ENGLAND.
IN THOSE YEARS, GEORGE FOUND TIME TO SERVE AS COUNCILLOR AND
THEN REEVE FOR THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF ORKNEY.
EVER THE ENTREPRENEUR, GEORGE AT AGE 75 FOUNDED THE DULTON
MANUFACTURING COMPANY. HE DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED A GRAIN
BLOWER, A BALE LIFTER, A PULL SCOOP AND LADDERS.
THIS FARM SITE WAS A PLACE OF RENDEZ-VOUS FOR SKATING
PARTIES AND PICNICS. PEOPLE WERE WELCOMED TO CUT ICE BLOCKS,
CUT DOWN TREES FOR FIREWOOD AND DRAW WATER FROM THE FLOWING
SPRING.
IN 1963, GEORGE AND HARRIET RETIRED TO KELOWAN, B.C. HE DIED
IN FEBRUARY 1966 AND WAS BURIED IN VICTORIA, B.C. |
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THE LAND
THE LAKE – PART OF THE ASSINIBOINE RIVER
BASIN |
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ASSINIBOINE, CREE AND
SAULTEAUX ONCE OCCUPIED THIS WOODLAND PLAIN. DURING THE
1700s AND 1800s, EXPLORERS, VOYAGEURS, TRADERS. HUNTERS AND
SURVEYING PARTIES ENTERED THE REGION WHICH WAS KNOWN AS THE
NORTHWEST.
WITH THE OPENING OF LAND SETTLEMENT IN 1882, SOME TORONTO
BUSINESSMEN FOUNDED YORK FARMERS’ COLONIZATION COMPANY,
PURCHASING TOWNSHIPS IN THE PROVISIONAL DISTRICT OF
ASSINIBOIA. THIS PORTION OF A QUARTER, SW ¼ OF THE W ½
SECTION 3, TOWNSHIP 26, RANGE 4, WEST OF THE SECOND MERIDIAN
WAS A PART OF THE COMPANY’S LAND.
THE ORIGINAL TITLE WAS GRANTED TO THE COMPANY BY THE
DOMINION OF CANADA ON MARCH 15, 1888. A MR. LARMER FIRST
RENTED THE LAND, FOLLOWED BY DOBKO AND STUPAK, WHO HAD AN
AGREEMENT FOR SALE. THEY CUT WOOD, SELLING ABOUT 70 CORDS IN
YORKTON.
AFTER DOBKO DIED, GEORGE DULMAGE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT
FOR SALE IN 1929, AND SET UP HIS FARMING OPERATION. HE HIRED
A NEIGHBOUR, FRANK VIDOMSKY, TO BREAK THE SOIL WITH AN
OLIVER 3 DISC PLOUGH, WHICH IS ON DISPLAY AT THESE GROUNDS.
TWO WINNIPEG LAWYERS, E.H. BENNEST AND W. S. McEWEN HAD
ACQUIRED THE QUARTER ON JUNE 24, 1946. IT WAS ONE OF THE
LAST HOLDINGS OF THE YORK FARMERS’ COLONIZATION COMPANY. THE
LAND WAS THEN TRANSFERRED TO GEORGE DULMAGE ON JANUARY 27,
1948.
NORMAN ROEBUCK PURCHASED THE PROPERTY ON DECEMBER 3, 1963.
IN JUNE 1967, THE CITY OF YORKTON BOUGHT AND ANNEXED THE
LAND TO THE CITY LIMITS AND DEMOLISHED THE BUILDINGS. THE
AREA BECAME A LAND FILL SITE.
VOLUNTEERS MET IN 1982 AND BEGAN TO TRANSFORM THIS AREA IN A
NATURAL PARK AND HERITAGE SITE.
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