McConnell / Viola Dale
includes Ellenville and Watson schools.
Updated 02 June 2006

Township 15 - Range 23 - McConnell, Viola Dale area

Map of R.M. Hamiota

Hamiota Hustler Report "Our Municipality [Oak River]"
June 29, 1894, page 1
"Tp 15, Rg 23, has 2,451 acres under cultivation.  The assessed value of real property amounts to $85,760 and personal property $19,514.  A population of 109, with 39 children of school age.  96 horses, 1 mule, 432 head of cattle, 37 sheep and 61 pigs.  The assessed value of livestock is $14,927."

The village was named after A.D. (Andrew) McConnell who sold the north half of 12-15-23 - 40 acres to the Canadian National Railways for a town in 1910. McConnell was not listed in the 1891 Henderson Directory.

J.H. McConnell had the first business as he built the first elevator in town.

Post Office
Mail was originally received at Viola Dale until it closed and then mail came to McConnell [? ca 1910].  The McConnell post office closed in 1970, Bill Thompson being the last postmaster.

List of Postmasters: Viola Dale and  McConnell

School
The McConnell school opened on January 26, 1914 in the hall, the actual school building was ready for the fall of 1914.  This was the centre of the consolidation in 1920 with Ellenville, Viola Dale students being moved to McConnell.  Students also came from Holylea school in 1956 and Marland school in 1947 when they closed.  The McConnell school was closed in 1967 with further consolidation of the area the students going to Hamiota.  Even though the school closed the building had remained standing and was the centre of activities for the McConnell community.

Church
Starting in 1910 church services were held in the manse.  In 1918 the Viola Dale church was moved to McConnell – this building was destroyed by fire in 1954.  The community believes in recycling so in 1955 the Chumah church was moved to McConnell.  This church was closed on August 20, 1972.  The McConnell congregation spread out to Hamiota, Strathclair and Cardale.

2000 view of downtown McConnell taken from the McConnell Cairn - Church, and two elevators.  None of these buildings are in use now.

Elevator
J.H. McConnell built the first elevator ca 1910, closed in 1978 when the railway line was close.

McConnell Railway Station moved to the Hamiota Fairgrounds to be used as a Museum.

Ellenville
The Ellenville area named for Ellen Leif wife of Robert McConnell.  The church and school were located 8 miles north of Hamiota on what is now Highway 21.

School:
Ellenville School No. 871 was built in 1896 on NW ¼ 21-15-23 across the road from the Presbyterian Church.  It closed ca 1920 when the area consolidated with Hamiota Schools.  The school building was moved to McConnell.

Ellenville School Marker ca 2000 Located: NW 21-15-23 On Fence line - East side of Hwy 21

Churches:
In 1894 Presbyterian church was built on NE 20-15-23.  This land was owned by Robert McConnell.  The church building was used as a school until school built in 1896.  This church has long since closed.  It was moved to Shoal Lake and used as a class room but has since been dismantled.

At one point there was also a Methodist church built (?year) on SE 20-15-23.  It as well has been closed and a distant memory.  But the building was also moved to Shoal Lake and used as an office for the Shoal Lake Star.

Watson School No. 1327
The Watson school was built in 1905 on SE 6-15-23 on land donated by William J. Stevens and named after his wife’s maiden name.  It closed on June 30, 1920 with the consolidation of schools, students went to Hamiota.  The school building was moved to Lavinia.

Community Histories: 
McConnell Women Institute and History Committee, McConnell, Little Town Lost. [McConnell]; The Institute, 1979. (out of print)

Sources:
Hamiota Centennial History Committee. Hamiota, Grains of the Century, 1884-1984. Altona, Manitoba: Friesen Printers, 1984. 741 pages (available from R.M. of Hamiota, Hamiota, Manitoba, ROM OTO - $35 +postage) - pages 90-91, 94-100, 111-112.

Hamiota Women's Institute. A History of Hamiota Village and Municipality. Hamiota, Manitoba: Hamiota Echo, 1956. (out of print)

Henderson’s Directory of the City of Winnipeg and Town of St. Boniface, Winnipeg: Winnipeg Directory Publishing Co. 1884. (Manitoba Legislative Library – (dH) Reel #4)

Henderson’s Directory of the City of Winnipeg and Town of St. Boniface, Winnipeg: Winnipeg Directory Publishing Co. 1885. (Manitoba Legislative Library – (dH) Reel #4)

Henderson’s Manitoba and North-Western Ontario and Northwest Towns and City of Winnipeg Directory, Winnipeg: Winnipeg Directory Publishing Co. 1886-1887. (Manitoba Legislative Library – (dH) Reel #4) It is billed as "The Only Directory of the NorthWest published".

Henderson’s Manitoba and Northwest Territories and British Columbia Gazetteer and Directory, Winnipeg: The Henderson Directory. 1891. (Manitoba Legislative Library – (dH) Reel #9)

McConnell Women Institute and History Committee, McConnell, Little Town Lost. [McConnell]; The Institute, 1979. (out of print)

National Archives of Canada, Archivia Net - Post Office DataBase, 2001

"Our Municipality [Oak River]", [Hamiota: Hamiota Hustler], June 29, 1894, page 1 – ( Reel 1 (NH2), June 23, 1893 – August 8, 1899, Manitoba Legislative Library)