This quarter was purchased by Dave Dunn, the great grandfather of Ross Dunn, now part owner/operator, in 1900. He purchased it just after his wife died, leaving him with 9 children. His son, Thomas, bought it from his father in 1922, just after he married Peggy Tod of Russell. He built the 2 storey house that is still there in 1920, just before he was married. Peggy and Tim raised their 3 children, Marjorie, Nora and David, in that house. Tim and Peggy lived there until retiring to Russell in 1978.
In 1957 David, Tim's only son, married Donalda Finlay,a school teacher from Winnipeg, and they built a bungalow east of the first house and raised their 3 sons, Ross, Jim and Chris, there. David and Donalda retired to Russell in 1997.
Ross, David's oldest son, moved into the big house when he married Shirley Charles of Hartney in 1981. They have 3 girls, Jennifer, Lindsay, and Stacey.
In 1950, when David finished high school, he stayed at home and farmed with his Dad. In 1959 they formed a partnership and the farm was named "Crescentwood Farm". This name came from the trees which were planted in a crescent around the house when Tim and Peggy were married in 1921. Ross began farming with his Dad in 1979 when he returned from University. In 1987 Ross and David formed a Joint Venture which was dissolved when David retired.
Much of the land was not good for crop, so Tim, as Thomas was known, began raising cattle--both purebred and commercial. In 1948 he had 53 cows and David continued the tradition and had about 125 cows when he retired. Ross is still into cattle and now has 172 females.
There were always hired men around until the early 70's when David's 3 sons became the hired help. Often hired hands came from Waywayseecapo Indian Reserve close to Rossburn. Sometimes they slept in the big house or there was a bunkhouse where they sometimes brought their wives and children and cooked for themselves.
In the early days all the farming was done with horses. Then in the late 30's and early 40's tractor power was used. Tim worked with his brothers and was the man who fixed things. David carried on this tradition as he set up a shop in 1972 and most repairs are still done at the farm. Any new machinery that came along to save labor, the Dunn men were eager to try it out. Tim bought a combine in 1938, David got a bale wagon in 1965 and Ross bought a bale processor in 1996.
