Behind the farmstead's house and attached to the barn is an implement shed in which this old manually driven washer stands. A pretty simple machine, to wash the clothes one simply fills the tub with water, puts in the cloths and some homemade lye soap then rocks the tub for what will doubtless seem like forever. It appears as though there were originally two lids, the outside one now missing. What appears to be an inner lid opens to the inside, making it usable as a scrub board for scrubbing heavily soiled clothes. It appears that there was once a wringer at the back of the tub and, too, there must have been a handle of some sort with which to rock, or agitate, the tub.
We found no maker's name or mark on the washer, nor any model numbers, making it difficult to make a guess as to its age. The first house was built here in 1902, so it could have been bought at that time, sometime after or even brought with them when the Michelsens arrived in Stirling.
In 1900, Andreas and Kirsten Michelsen and family, originally from Denmark, immigrated from Monroe, Utah to what was then known as
Pothole Coulee in southwestern Alberta, taking work on the railroad and the canal project which was underway. The family soon moved to the newly incorporated village of Stirling, he and his elder sons filing for homesteads there. In 1902 he began construction of the house on the Michelsen Farmstead, enlarging it in 1912 as the family grew. The large barn on the property, as well as other outbuildings, soon followed, the farmstead eventually becoming what we see today. In all, eight buildings survive, together comprising one of the most complete turn of the century farmsteads to be found in Alberta. In fact, the village of Stirling has been designated a
National Historic Site, being the best surviving example of a Mormon agricultural village in Canada.
In the early twentieth century travel was both slow and difficult, resulting in small town residents having to create their own entertainment. This consisted largely of gatherings in resident's houses to play games, play cards, sing or dance. Given that both the Michelsen home and the family were larger than the norm, the Michelsen home became a popular gathering place. In the summer, when gatherings became too large for the house, the hayloft of the large Michelsen barn became a favourite site for barn dances. In fact, it hosted barn dances for 75 years or more.
Now an Alberta Provincial Historic Resource, the farmstead is managed and maintained as a museum by the Stirling Historical Society. The house and outbuildings are furnished with artefacts depicting typical living conditions in Southern Alberta from the 1900s through the 1930s. As well, several appliances and pieces of farm machinery complete the image of a homestead. Buildings on the site include the 1912 house, which incorporates the original 1902 house in the rear, the large barn, blacksmith shop, coal shed/summer kitchen and a two story granary which doubled as a summer bedroom for the boys, as well as some smaller storage buildings.
The museum is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10 am-12 noon and 1 pm-5 pm from late June to early September and by appointment during other times of the year. The homestead is a fine place for an afternoon picnic, too, with several picnic tables arrayed under the mature trees beside the Michelsen house.