Michelsen Farmstead

Michelsen Farmstead
The restored Michelsen Farmstead.
General information
Architectural style	Victorian
Town or city	2nd Ave. & 6th St. Stirling, Alberta
Country	Canada
Coordinates	49°29′53″N 112°31′30″W / 49.498°N 112.525°W / 49.498; -112.525
Construction started	1904
Completed	1912
Demolished	Provincial Historic Site Museum
Technical details
Structural system	Wood
Design and construction
Client	Stirling Historical Society

The Andreas Michelsen Farmstead, originally built in 1902 by Andreas himself as a two room house. In 1912 the house was added onto, to make 7 rooms in total, little has changed since. The homestead consists of a 1.5 storey Victorian style farmhouse with wraparound porch, various outbuildings; including a barn, granary, calving shed, coal shed, machine shed, corrals and pens, and an outhouse; and landscape elements such as a dugout, cistern and filter, storage cellar, and garden. Located at the corner of 2nd Ave. & 6th Street, on the west half of four blocks in the northwest corner of the National Historic Site of Stirling, Alberta.^[1]

The home remained in the Michelsen family until 1995 when the village in partnership with the Stirling Historical Society bought the homestead to turn into an interpretative center. In 2001 the homestead was registered as a Provincial Historic Resource and added to the Alberta Register of Historic Places.^[2] The Stirling Historical Society has since restored the property back to its original 19th century style and the farmstead is now a museum, depicting life as it was from 1900-1930s. Each summer the Historical Society holds day-camps for children and an old fashioned harvest dance which is held on the grounds of the Michelsen Farmstead every October.

The Michelsens' Family

Andreas Michelsen was born in Sleth, Denmark September 20, 1857, and his wife Kirsten Marie, born in Aarhus, Denmark April 3, 1854. They had a large family of four boys and four girls. The oldest daughter, Lena, born October 8, 1880 in Denmark.

The Michelsens' joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Around 1882, as was common at the time, in order to be closer to the Church, Andreas, Kirsten, and Lena immigrated to Monroe, Utah. They had seven more children in Monroe.

In 1900 the Church of Latter Day Saints called on its people to move to Alberta, where land was sparse but arid and dry. Andreas and Kirstin took their two oldest children by train to Stirling, Alberta. Andreas was at first hesitant about permanently moving to Stirling but his four sons saw the opportunities the area had to offer. It was than decided that Stirling was a good choice for the family so the four of them headed back to Utah to gathered the rest of their family and belongings. In 1901 Stirling was now called their new home.

Shortly after arriving, Andreas and his sons were hired by the LDS Church on the construction of the canal from Kimball, Alberta to the Stirling Siding. The family first lived in a small tent between Cardston and Magrath called Pot Hole Coulee, once the canal was finished the family moved to their land in Stirling. The Michelsens' officially acquired their land in and around Stirling from the Church in 1904 for the work done on the Canal. In 1902 a small two room house was built on this parcel of land which was later added onto by a local carpenter, George Oler in 1912. Andreas was very active in church and community affairs and was a part of the Stirling Town Council for a year in 1909, and than again in 1913-1914.

Andreas and his four sons; Niels, Sirn, Dan, and Drace farmed and raised cattle around the Stirling district as well as Wrentham by horses until tractors were invented. By than they had their very own Threshing machine.

Andreas (Drace) Niels, and Dan played basketball in Stirling and won champions for several years. Lena had married James Austin and had a son living in Cardston, then Kalispell, Montana. She married for a second time to Sam Lessard. Andreas (Drace) was never married, Annie got married to Urbann Young and had two boys. Hulda died as a child.

Carrie married Alfred Hirsche, and had five boys and one girl. Niels married Verda Spackman, and had two boys and a girl. Daniel married Lulu Barton, and had four boys and two girls. Soren (Sirn) married Elva Lybbert, and had three girls and two boys. Sirn passed away in 1978.

Events

May;

• Historic Lethbridge Week ^[3]

October;

• Harvest Dance

See also

• List of provincial historic sites of Alberta
• List of attractions and landmarks in Stirling
• Stirling, Alberta
• List of museums
• Farmsteads

External links

• Village of Stirling
• Stirling Historical Society
• Historic Resources Designated in 2001
• Alberta Register of Historic Places

References

1. ^ Parks Canada Stirling Agricultural Village
2. ^ Michelsen Farmstead - Alberta Register of Historical Places
3. ^ Historic Lethbridge Week 2008 Tours