RAPID CITY, Man. – A sweltering heat has settled over the field where Jamie Frank is scraping dirt from a shallow excavation in the ground.
There’s no breeze to chase the heat away during this hazy summer day, and it’s easy to break into a sweat. But as he scrapes away the soil, Frank seems oblivious to the overwhelming warmth. He has more important things on his mind.
The excavation that he’s working on is part of an archaeological dig. Started earlier this summer, the project has uncovered remnants of Prairie College, the first post-secondary institution in the Canadian northwest.
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Frank, an 11-year-old who lives in the area, volunteered to help with the work. He’s fascinated with archaeology and the chance to unearth pieces of our past.
Prairie College represents a unique part of that past. The college was built in 1879 on a knoll that overlooks Rapid City, a community 40 kilometres north of Brandon. It was built by two Baptist ministers and 15 prospective students.
“At that time, Rapid City was a bit larger than it is now,” said Jill Taylor-Hollings, a site supervisor of the archaeological dig. “It had been intended as the major city in this area.”
Dreams of building a city there were fostered by word that Canadian Pacific planned a rail line from northwest Saskatchewan to southern Manitoba. That line would have linked Rapid City with centres such as Selkirk, Saskatoon and Edmonton.
But the rail line was never built and the dreams for a city withered.
“It sort of nixed that as a city,” said Taylor-Hollings. “Therefore, the college folded at that time.”
Prairie College was closed in 1884, five years after it was built. The building was flattened in 1948 to prevent livestock from falling into the basement. Remnants of the building eventually vanished under the soil of what is now a farmer’s field.
The Baptists looked elsewhere for college sites. In 1899, they established Brandon College, which became Brandon University in 1967.
The approaching centennial of Brandon University served as the catalyst for unearthing the remains of Prairie College. Funding from the Manitoba Heritage Foundation and support from the university’s alumni association made the dig possible. More funding will be needed next year to continue the work.
“This year, we just wanted to hit the foundation and find the actual building,” said Taylor-Hollings. “We knew from the historic records it was there.”
Part of the building’s foundation has now been exposed. Pieces of glass, ceramic and metal have also been unearthed, along with square-headed nails. All artifacts will be cleaned and catalogued. It’s hoped the dig will offer clues about the lifestyle of those who lived at the college more than 100 years ago.
The project was shared with the public this summer. As part of a mini university course in July, students aged 9 to 15 were taken to the site. As well, the public had a chance to help with the dig in mid-August.
“It’s like looking at a time capsule and seeing what people left behind,” said Niki Daniels, an assistant site supervisor who graduated from Brandon University with a major in history. “We’re not finding arrowheads out here, but we are finding pieces of the past.”
