The Aldous house, also known as the "blue kitchen house" is a gorgeous 2 story home built from cement blocks in rural Saskatchewan.
Robert Benjamin, son of Benjamin and Catherine Aldous, came west from Ontario in 1883. He spent some time working on the construction of the C.P.R. railroad west of Brandon. He arrived in Wolseley and started to check out the area. He obtained entry for his homestead in August of 1883.
Robert lived in a tent from April 1, 1884, until July of that year, when his log house was built. In the winter of 1884, he spent in Regina, and in 1885 he married Hannah Elizabeth Morton. They were absent from the farm the following winter when he operated an engine in a mill at Fort Qu'Appelle. R.B. Aldous operated a steam-powered engine for custom threshing and breaking of the sod in the surrounding area.
In 1904, they took over the operation of the Lorlie post office. They built a large cement block house in their home quarter in 1905. The concrete blocks were constructed on site. The post office was located in their home for a while before being moved to the village of Lorlie. The family operated a general store in Lorlie from 1904 to 1912. It was later sold to the Lorlie CO-OP.
Robert was a man of many interests, such as agriculture, horses, people, and family. He was also the proud owner of one of the first cars in the community. Hannah passed away in 1930. Robert died in 1946. They were both buried in the Abernethy Cemetery.
They had a family of eight, Lillie, Harry, Lottie, George, Levi, Edith, Robert, and Albert. Most of the family members were in the area for a while but eventually moved away to BC and Ontario.
Information sourced from history books and thanks to local area resident Charly for reaching out and sharing history with me!
