The Yates House

Our subject is a quaint little residence, built in the early 1910s and restored to appear much as it did back in the day. We’re in small town Alberta, it’s a gorgeous evening and we’re taking a tour of a nice place owned by a friend. Come join Fraser and the Team for a few minutes of fun taking in the Yates House, named after the original owner.

The namesake…

Yates was a busy person and operated the local drug store, plus for a time owned another in the the next town down the tracks along with a farm across the river. In addition he was mayor of his home community for a stretch and oversaw the the installation of the civic water works (a big deal at the time). A brother at the local Masonic Lodge (aka: the good ol’ boys – no wives allowed – drinking club) he was also a member of the town school board. You might say he was a busy fellow…a big wheel…a mover and shaker.

Early in his tenure in the area, and soon after marrying the Mrs, the house you see here was built. The two Yates’ both hailed from back east, Prince Edward Island (by way of BC) and New Brunswick, incidentally. Retiring in the mid-1940s Yates sold his business and this very home to one Farquharson who earlier operated a competing drug store in town. In the years to follow there were other owners with the current one acquiring the property about a dozen years back. You can see he takes pride in presenting it and we’re thankful for the opportunity.

Welcome to the Yates House!

All fixed up and looking good, the house is of a common design for the time, one and a half stories and with a big front veranda. Wander any 1910s-1920s era neighbourhood and it’s guaranteed you’ll see one similar in design.

Your author lived in more than a few houses of this style as a kid, including one up in Edmonton (the city’s not been the same since) that the Team toured in 2021 and will post photos of soon. Talk about a trip down memory lane – it was a spooky old dump then back then but well-restored today – so stay tuned.

The first question that always comes to mind when touring an old house…is it haunted? Are there strange goings-on at the Yates Place? Tell us!

If a home is of this age, there’s a reasonable chance someone either expired within its walls or fell deathly ill and later passed on somewhere else (at the hospital or on the way to the hospital), if that means anything. By those standards, however, that would mean half the dwellings out there would have a resident spirit. Fraser mentioned the odd door opening by itself, but this could be attributed to settling. The ghost angle is certainly more fun and truth is one bedroom had us a bit creeped out. Was it an overactive imagination that had us uneasy or the bleeding walls? Hard to say.

Putting the Boogie-Man angle aside and ignoring modern accoutrements, exploring the Yates House makes one feel as though they’ve travelled back in time. The crystal doorknobs, the vintage décor, the vintage everything and the illusion is complete. I think we saw a horse and carriage pass in the alley but it may have been a Camry or Oldsmobile or something.

Fraser shows us an vintage booze bottle found hidden between floor joists. Displaying a 1926 tax stamp, there’s still a little swig inside if you’re feeling reckless and adventuresome. We double dare you. We’re shown a curious bunker like room off the basement that was and still could be used for cold storage. It goes right out into the back yard and while it has us thinking Cold War bomb shelter, it’s not of that era. We’re kind of Civil Defence obsessed, so forgive us.

Speaking of basements, these are often avoided by certain Team members when visiting old houses as too creepy, but here it’s been renovated so no problem. It’s common knowledge that’s where demonic beasts dwell, unless of course some new flooring and paint has been put in.

That vintage O-Gauge sure brings back some memories and has thinking we’re kids again.

Shooting at twilight gives us the John Sharpe Blues, not a depressed feeling but instead a colour. A departed friend and pro camera-jockey, he used to join us on many abandoned adventures but his paying job was that of a real estate photographer. By timing his show home photo-shoot visits for late in the day he would get pleasing soft colours in the windows and that adds a wonderful ambience to the scene that realtors just love. That John was a wealth of useful information and sorely missed.

Did those ’50s-’60s era butt-shakers really help one loose weight and get fit? We remain skeptics, but damn, you sure looked comical using one. The thought of all those glutes vibrating furiously has us giggling like a twelve year old. Hey Jello-***, nice backside!

It belongs to a friend and Yates was the original owner.

Out in the garage, it’s a special treat, Fraser’s restored 1929 Essex Super Six. Essex that year was North America’s third largest auto maker in terms of output (although most of that was US sales). Still, their volumes were (relatively) modest compared market leaders Ford and Chevrolet. By the mid-1930s Essex had vanished from the scene and remains little known outside certain car-enthusiast circles.

Maybe one day we we’ll convince him to take us on a ride (wink-wink) and with that we’re done. Nice place, eh?

There’s new content posted regularly at BIGDoer.com, so please drop by often.

They’re saying…

”A great way to spend some spare time…5 stars.” Byron Robb.

More old house tours (both lived-in and abandoned)…
Valley Farm – Empty and forgotten.
Wolseley Places Part One and Wolseley Places Part Two – Some fine homes made of stone!
The Curious Castle House – Red room…red room!

If you feel like chatting or want more information on what you see here feel free to contact us!

Date of Adventure: May, 2021.
Location(s): Small Town, AB.
Article references and thanks: Our friend Fraser and local history books.

Looking good for its age.

A 1950s edition and dibs on the wheelbarrow!

A DeForest Crosley “Dufferin” from the 1930s.

Crystal doorknobs befit any old house.

If not for the modern appliances…

They have the pox!

From 1926, there’s still a little liquor inside.

This vintage Standard Sewing Machine.

For some reason we found this room creepy…

The John Sharpe blues.

Into the bunker.

Shake your way to health.

We’re a kid again.

Pretty as a picture in the twilight.

His 1929 Essex Super Six is a beauty.

Maybe one day…wink-wink…