Saturday, May 7, 2011

April Road Trip #1

As part of my Easter break I headed southwest of Moose Jaw towards Swift Current on a ghost town photo shoot. On the first day I followed highway 363. Here are some of the highlights:

Old Wives - There is not much left in Old Wives save for a couple houses, a collapsed barn, a few sheds, and a wooden quonset.











Courval - has what once was a beautiful Roman Catholic Church. Built in 1928 the church is in relatively sound shape considering it has been dormant since 1981. A bird happened to perch itself on the cross of the church while I was there. My novice bird identification skills tell me that it is a shorebird. I thought maybe a sandpiper or dowitcher. Besides the church, Courval has an abandoned house, business, and a few sheds.












Coderre - still has a fair number of residents. Hidden in brushes is an old United Church moved in from St. Boswell's in 1939 and built in 1925. It closed in 1990.


Shamrock - is still home to a few families. In the school yard is an old wooden swing set and water pump. Downtown Shamrock consists of a few closed businesses. However the RM office and a Co-op are still in operation.
Kelstern - There is very little left of Kelstern. A house and the red garage are all that are standing today.





St. Boswells - A commemorative sign marks the site of St. Boswells. An abandoned old house, sidewalks, and water pump are all that remain. It was a booming town of 300 in the 1920s. By the 1960s the last business had closed.











Bateman - Just southeast of St. Boswells is Bateman. The old brick United Church still stands out remarkable for its age. Construction began in 1919 and was completed in 1926. Although no masses are held the church is still used for weddings and funerals. Bateman's red brick school was demolished in 2008. There are a few empty houses, a Lutheran church, a rink, and a couple old shops left standing in the hamlet. The yellow and white house is on the Bateman grid from highway 19.
Hodgeville - Despite the desolate picture of the garage, Hodgeville is actually a town of some 200 people. It was the only building I photographed in that town.







Hallonquist - was the next stop on my trip. It consists of a neglected church, school, sheds, hall, and an old barn.











Neidpath - I loved visiting Neidpath. It was my favourite place to photograph. When you descend into the valley of the hamlet from the south (highway 363) you get a great view of the elevators and town site. Neidpath is most famous for its two remaining elevators. There is also a church moved into town in 1954, a community hall, a couple houses, foundations, and sheds.
McMahon - was the last ghost town on my trip towards Swift Current. It has a school, three closed businesses on main street, and a house. There looks to be a Co-op still in operation and maybe a farm shop or two. McMahon's three elevators were demolished in 1985, 1996, and 1997.









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