Homesteader’s Shack reopening

By Verna Thompson

Many Eston and area residents of all ages enjoyed lunch at the Eston museum on a recent warm Saturday.

Hot dogs and hamburgers with all the trimmings were on the menu; picnic tables were scattered on the grounds for sitting and visiting.

The Eston museum’s acting curator Shari Collinge is pictured above with her two grandsons, Creo Hartsook, left and Rider Hartsook standing with “Henry” the resident “caretaker” in the recently restored homestead shack at the museum. The shack was built in 1910 and contains many of the original furnishings.

The homestead shack at the Prairie West Historical Centre in Eston was recently reopened following a months-long cleaning and restoration project.

The occasion was the reopening of the Prairie West Historical Centre’s homestead shack which has been closed for several months for refurbishing.

The museum’s acting curator, Shari Collinge, greeted visitors to the homestead shack which is more than 100 years old.

Formerly located east and north of Eston on SW18-25-19 W3, it was built in 1910 and was the home of bachelor Jack Giles for more than 50 years.

A plaque on the side of the homestead shack says that it represents the starting home for many of the settlers who came to the area to settle, farm and raise families.

The homestead shack and several of the furnishings in it were donated to the museum several years ago by the Loppacher family.

Collinge said that many volunteers were involved in the homestead shack restoration and cleaning including Cheryl Mullock of Intuitive Interiors of Eston who supplied the stain and other supplies.