Inside the Abandoned Oldenhof House, Once Loved and Built in 1916 for a Family of 8.

Gerrit Jan Oldenhof was a prosperous shoe maker from the Netherlands. He sold is business and travelled to Alberta, Canada with his wife Lamberta and their 3 sons and 3 daughters. He looked to his children's future, the vast farmland and the opportunities the new 'Money-Making' country could offer. Arriving in 1910, they endured hard times for the first 6 years on the bald prairies. They battled prairie fires, grasshoppers, drought and mosquitoes. Long wagon rides for coal to warm their one-room shack, and many hours picking rocks and breaking the land. Blessed with good crops, Gerrit eventually built a large house for his hard working family in 1916. The Oldenhof boys farmed and ran a threshing crew. Many good years were lived in the house. Gerrit and Lamberta lived on the farm the rest of their lives. In 1936 Lamberta passed away followed by Gerrit 8 years later in 1944. George Oldenhof took over the farm, was married and had 2 sons. They lived in the house until the late 1960's. They sold the land and moved to Abbotsford B.C. The house was rented out a couple of times. Once to a mormon school teacher and finally to a labourer with a few children. The house has been vacant since the early 1970's. Unfortunately, the house was victim to a 'Dump and Run'. The main floor and basement were filled boxes, appliances and furniture. The current landowner tracked the culprits down via credit card statements. They returned and cleared out much of the junk from the basement. But sill much of it was left behind. Luckily the upstairs was untouched. There is no intention of demolishing the house by the current owner. It will collapse into the earth as an icon on the prairie landscape and is a reminder of the hardworking pioneers who helped build this country. FAQ: Why doesn't anyone restore it? Simple answer is time, effort and cost. Many of these places don't have running water, sewage or electricity. The cost would be too great to update new lines and pipes, not to mention a new roof, foundation repairs and hazardous material disposal. Where are all the trees? There are some but they are spars in the southern part of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The land is used for crops and grazing cattle. Many times trees were planted around the homes as windbreaks, but those trees have long since died or been cut down. Why don't you talk or add music? There are plenty of channels that narrate and provide background music. I personally feel that my talking and selection of music will take away from the atmosphere of the story telling. The experience is presented as if you were walking the corridors yourself. I know it's not for everyone but it will remain this way for the time being. Aren't you trespassing? No. I obtain permission from the landowners. They know what I'm doing and they have been a big help in providing much of the history. Why do you touch everything? I touch things respectfully and do so to provide the viewer a detailed and up-close view of an object to satisfy curiosity, specifically my own. Sorry if it bothers you but I won't stop. Time Codes: 00:00 - Intro and Drone Footage 01:26 - Winter Walk to the House 02:44 - Modern Crib 03:37 - Odd Ceramic Kitten 04:35 - Entrance to the House 04:51 - Kitchen 05:43 - Cellar Entrance (No Stairs) 06:19 - Bathroom 07:24 - Creep Doll 07:42 - Mary Jane Carr - The Feather of the Northman 07:56 - Mud Room, Laundry Room 08:30 - Kitchen Cabinets 09:16 - Dead Porcupine Skull 09:47 - Main Floor Hall Way 10:22 - Living Room #1 11:07 - Front Porch and Appliances 11:43 - Living Room #2 12:09 - Old TV 12:40 - Closet Under the Stairs 12:52 - Main Floor Window NNW View 13:25 - Stairwell Going Up 14:05 - Upstairs Landing and Bannister 14:23 - School Teachers Bedroom 14:36 - Colourful Linoleum Flooring 14:53 - Upstairs Window NNW View 15:27 - Attic 16:05 - Master Bedroom 16:34 - Walkin Closet 16:48 - Upstairs Window West View 17:33 - Crawlspace 18:22 - Ladder to Attic 18:51 - Bedroom #3 19:03 - Rusty Latch Hook 19:16 - Lightbulb 19:33 - Upstairs Porch Door, Landing and East View 20:20 - Bedroom #4 20:42 - Bedroom #5 21:34 - Upstairs Window South View 22:35 - Well Worn Bannister Column 23:00 - Stairwell Going Down 24:20 - Outside of House 24:36 - Workshed 24:55 - Fridge with Mice Nest 25:21 - Flathead 6 26:00 - Booker Coal Stove Dominion Foundry Company Winnipeg 26:35 - Overturned Impala 27:10 - Chicken Coop and Farmhand Shack 28:41 - Collapsed Barn 28:54 - Old Photograph of the Oldenhof Family 29:01 - Outro Drone Footage of the House 29:07 - Highfield Cemetery Drone Footage 29:27 - Highfield Cemetery Gates 29:58 - Headstones for Gerrit and Lamberta 30:25 - Outro Drone Footage