Farm Life in the Selkirk Colony 



The colonists brought out from Scotland by Lord Selkirk 

 chose to settle along the banks of the Red River on narrow 

 farms (the general width being ten chains frontage on the 

 river) running back at right angles from it on the prairie. 

 These farms extended back two miles as a freehold with an 

 additional two miles as a hay privilege. Ultimately these 

 outer two miles were given in fee simple to the owner of the 

 frontage except in cases where others by actual occupation 

 had secured possession of them in part, in which case the 

 frontage owner got an equivalent elsewhere. These ten 

 chain lots owned by the head of the family were frequently 

 subdivided amongst the sons, so that when the Ontario people, 

 accustomed to square farms, began to come amongst us, they 

 were greatly amused at " our farming on lanes," and pointed 

 out the disadvantages of having to go a distance of two miles 

 or more to the cultivated plots at the outlying ends of these 

 river strips. But there was much method in the madness 

 of long, narrow farms ; or, to be plainer, there were many good 

 reasons to justify that plan of settlement. To begin with, the 

 settlers built along the river banks for convenience in obtain- 

 ing water. Outside the swamps and sloughs, the river was 

 practically the only source of water supply. Wells were little 

 known, suction pumps were unheard of, and I remember that 

 a " chain and wheel " pump which my father imported from 

 " the States " was looked upon as one of the seven wonders 

 of the time. Then again settlement by the river bank had 

 food as well as water supply in view, for fish, from " gold 

 eyes" to sturgeon, were then plentiful in the unpolluted stream, 

 and afforded a provision by no means to be despised. As to 

 the narrow lots, it can be readily seen that the colonists 

 settled together for mutual defence and the advantages of 

 social life as well as for church and school facilities, and if the 



