John Campbell Stevenson Family Farms

John Campbell Stevenson Family Farms
by grandson Larry Stevenson

The Stevenson family story begins in Perthshire, Scotland around Stirling Castle. My great grandfather Robert Stevenson was born around 1830. He was married twice and we haven’t recovered any records of his first marriage. His second marriage was to Katherine Paterson of the same area. One of their children, Alexander (A.P.) Stevenson, emigrated to Ontario. Then in 1874, he travelled with other homesteaders to Manitoba, following the Missouri Trail to the area now known as Dunston. Robert and Katherine came to Manitoba shortly after with some of their children — Robert, James, Charles and daughter, Katherine (Mrs. John Mackenzie). Robert and Katherine lived in the Dunston area for a couple of years, returning to Perthshire Scotland, where they are buried.

A.P. Stevenson (Sandy) was instrumental in starting an apple orchard near Dunston. It was called Pine Grove Fruit Farm and more commonly known as “Stevenson Orchard”. His son Ernie, who lived on this farm for 76 years, won the “Best Farm Home Grounds” Trophy for Manitoba in 1965.

John Campbell Stevenson, my grandfather, was born in Stirling, Scotland, on Feb. 17, 1858. He was a game keeper at Stirling Castle for 6 years before immigrating to Canada in September 1890. He came by boat to Montreal, Quebec and then boarded a train to Morden, Manitoba, where he was met by his brother Alexander (A.P.).

John Campbell Stevenson married Margaret Ann MacDonald in Morden, December 27, 1892. Margaret and her twin brother immigrated to Canada from Loch Maddy, North Uist (north-western island off mainland of Scotland) in July of 1890. Their destination was Morden where their uncles Alex and Findlay Macauley lived. She lived with her Uncle Findlay Macauley’s family until she was able to learn Canadian language and ways, as she only spoke Gaelic. John and Margaret took up residency in the Presbyterian Manse at Old Nelson. They lived there for two years, working with his brother in the apple orchard.

John and Margaret were looking for their own land and settled in the south half of 6-6-5w in the RM of Dufferin, where they lived for 9 years. Of their 5 children, 2 died in infancy and a son Roy born in 1897 died at the age of 10 in 1907. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery just south of Carman. On March 10, 1903 their daughter Vera was born. In 1904 they moved to NW 3-7-6w in the Almasippi District (Graysville district) due to lack of water where they had been living. They had built a new frame house but due to spring flooding of the Boyne they were unable to move in until June 1904. In 1949 the house and other buildings were moved to SE 9-7-6w by his son Cecil. The fourth generation, Robert (Bob) Stevenson now lives in this house. It has had several additions but the main part is still lived in.

John and Margaret Stevenson and the house built by John Stevenson in 1904 on NW 3-7-6w

Ravenswood School was close at hand as was the Almasippi Post Office. A son Cecil was born on August 24, 1905. His brother, Roy, who was 8 at the time, was attending Ravenswood School. Several of the teachers boarded at the John Stevenson home.

John Stevenson served on the school board at Ravenswood and when the school closed in 1920 he served on the Graysville consolidated school board. He also served as a Councilor in the RM of Dufferin from 1928–1938.

Their daughter Vera married Harvey Morrison, a veteran of WWI, on February 6, 1930. They lived on 3rd Street N.W. in Carman, until she passed away in March 1969. Harvey passed away in 1970.

Their son Cecil married Ethel Nellie Mae Hamblin November 1, 1932 (photo at left). Nellie hailed from Dominion City, coming to Columbine School to teach in the late 1920s. They lived on NE 3-7-6w, renting the land from Ashley Lee for 6 years. They took over the home farm in 1941, following the death of Margaret Ann Stevenson.

Cecil and Nellie gave birth to me, Larry John, on July 21, 1941. My Grandmother, Margaret, had died and was buried before Nellie brought me home from Carman Hospital. Cecil and Nellie and I moved in with Cecil’s father in 1941 until John’s death February 1944. In 1949, Cecil and Nellie moved these buildings to SE 9-7-6w where their grandson Robert John lives today (2019). Cecil passed away on July 26, 1983 and Nellie February 11, 1997.

I married Ethel Irene Dracass, September 25, 1971. We have 2 sons: William (Bill) Campbell born June 14, 1974, and Robert John (Bob) born June 28, 1976. Bill married Jolene Marie Cairns, on May 17, 1997, the spring of the flood of the century. It was still very cold and no buds on the trees. They have 2 children: Jeremy William, born December 26, 1995, lives with his partner, Tianna Wanders. Emily Marie was born June 26, 2000. She graduated from grade 12 in June of 2018. She is enjoying various jobs, and still searching for a career. Bill and Jolene are now divorced.

Bill worked with the RHA in the Carman area for a number of years. At present, he works on your broken down computer, and is a drummer for Hicktown Band. Bob has always worked with the grain industry, first with Viterra, and at present he is with Cargill Grain in Elm Creek.

Irene’s and my first home was at 79-3rd Street N.W. Carman, renting our home for the first year from Les Dunn. In 1972 we purchased this home for $3700.00 — a lot of money in those days. Our grandson purchased this same home August 31, 2018, for one hundred and seventy some thousand dollars. This home has seen many renovations since its original purchase.

In June 28.1982, our family moved to the home farm, while Cecil and Nellie moved to 79-3rd Street N.W. in Carman. We lived there for 23 years raising our family and small animals. We returned to Carman in April 23, 2005. I have always had an interest in mechanics and electronics, working at the Churchill Research Range in late 60s, and then Carman Radio and TV until its closure. I can pretty much fix anything. Irene worked at Boyne Lodge as a cook and a health care aide for 22 years. At present she is with Visions of Independence, formerly Rainbow Residence in Carman.

We have enjoyed many hours on a dance floor, with me being Carman’s first DJ in the 70s. We have instructed social, pattern, disco and line dancing for many years and were both fully involved with the Carman Fiddle Festival for 25 years.

At present we reside at 126-2nd Street N.W. in Carman, and are enjoying life and good health.

See also:

History of the RM of Dufferin in Manitoba, 1880-1980, p 4 for an excerpt from A.P. Stevenson’s account of travelling the Missouri Trail in 1874.

History of the RM of Dufferin in Manitoba, 1880-1980, pp 746-7, for details and photos of the John Campbell Stevenson family.

Miami and RM of Thompson Chronicles, pp 609-11, for more information on the A.P. Stevenson family.

Farmers’ Advocate, February 2, 1911 p 5, for more on A.P. Stevenson, horticulturalist