Plum Coulee is home to a unique way to connect with history that is also emblematic of the region it represents — the Plum Coulee Elevator Museum, which is housed in a grain elevator in the town.
The museum offers a glimpse into the rich and variegated history of the people who have inhabited the region, and this summer, one tourist visiting from out of town encountered a surprise that hit closer to home than she expected.
A historic change of plans
Volunteer Dorothy Unrau Derksen said that the unique museum began as a “little shack” on Main Street, to which residents donated collections of artifacts from the past.
When the town purchased a grain elevator and its original plans for it fell through, the elevator became the new location for the museum and has been growing ever since.
The elevator, built in 1975, is as much a piece of history as the items it holds inside it — it’s one of the last elevators in the region to be constructed from wood by the now-defunct Pool company, according to Derksen.
She said the hand-built elevator required “8 tonnes of nails” to build.
The tides of time
On the inside of the elevator, one will find countless pieces that reflect days gone by. Visitors can enjoy items from Jewish, Ukrainian, and German settlers, as well as Indigenous displays.
Derksen said that the museum has a great deal of donated items because, as she puts it, “people are retiring and they want to have it [all] preserved.”
A happy (and rare) coincidence
The volunteer said that when visitors come through the door, what meets them is sometimes a bit of a shock.
“People are very surprised at how big the space is,” she said, adding that people interested in farming are also captivated by seeing how the inside of a grain elevator operates.
For one group that recently visited the elevator museum, there was an even bigger shock in store than the size of the building.
“We had a very interesting group of ladies that came,” said Derksen. “They went to the University of Manitoba from 1963 to 1966 to get their degree in home economics, and most of them knew each other from before because they had been in the 4-H program.”
During its visit, one of the visitors, Judy Raine Morning Star, discovered a book that was especially familiar to her — it was one that she wrote.
“She had written and published [it] when she was at university,” said Derksen. “It was in their sewing section, and she had done that in her home economics courses.”
Related stories:
- Over 600 plant categories to grace Miami’s 135-year-old horticulture show
- Wanted: Face painter for kitten gender reveal party
Derksen said the group was “so excited” to make the discovery that provided a full-circle moment for the group.
Visitors from all over
Beyond group from the University of Manitoba, Plum Coulee’s historical collection has also attracted people from across the globe this summer.
Derksen said that it has received visitors from Italy, Brazil, and Austria so far. She said that the groups were journalists, a tour group, and farmers, respectively.
The Plum Coulee Elevator Museum is only open to the public in July and August, so to catch a glimpse of local history, visit from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
With files from Ty Hildebrand