The majority of Plum Coulee's founding families were Germanic people from Austria and the German colonies in Russia. But Plum Coulee was quite multi-cultural even at this time with a significant group of English, Scots, Irish, and Jewish settlers. In fact at the time Plum Coulee was one of the largest Jewish settlements outside of Europe. Though settlement really began in the 1880's, incorporation of the village didn't take place until 1901.

One hundred years later the village was officially declared the "Town of Plum Coulee".

Plum Coulee's Main Avenue, 1910.  Rosner & Brownstone's store is at the right.  The building on the corner, across the street is the bank where Krafchenko shot and killed Manger John Arnold (read full story at www.winnipeg.ca/police/history/story8.stm). Behind the bank is the Municipal Hall, and at the end of the street is the Baptist church.  The Commercial Hotel sits on the far left of the picture.

This Flour Mill operated in Plum Coulee in the late 1890's until the early 1900's, when it was moved to Arcola, Saskatchewan.

The Lake of the Woods elevator in its glory days of the 1920's

Main Avenue 1920, looking west.  Starting at the right, Rosner & Brownstone, the building with the pillars is the Queen's Hotel, and the building on the left of the picture is the Commercial Hotel.

W.J. Hardware store

William Stewart is on the left.

Wiebe Brothers' Transfer Building 1940-1945.  Note al the empty cream cans lined up in front for customer pick up.

Building is currently the town's Public Works building.

The Meat Market in 1950, owned by D.A. Toews, and later purchased by his son-in-law Henry Banman in 1960.

Plum Coulee Co-op store in 1953 when Jake Penner was the manager

Abram J. Wolfe, the village constable in 1950.

Dr. Hugh McGavin in 1952

Dr. McGavin’s motto was “Do all the good you can for as many people as you can for as long as you can”? He lived it out to the end; that when the young Dr. Hugh McGavin was appointed Health Officer in 1903, he received a stipend of $40 per annum? 

Plum Coulee Heritage & Recreation Development Corporation Executive Committee:

CHAIR - Heather Unger

829-3350 or

VICE-CHAIR - Allen Funk

829-7739 or

TREASURER - Moira Porte

SECRETARY - Nettie Kehler

There are very few older structures left in Plum Coulee, however the stories of evolving homesteads and businesses in this ever adapting community are full of adventure and ingenuity. For example, when Agricore United decided to decommission its local grain elevator, the residents of Plum Coulee lobbied the company to salvage the building. Residents realized the historic significance of this disappearing prairie icon; but more importantly they saw this beautiful structure as an opportunity for change and growth.