How did Oak Hammock Marsh get its name?
The name “Oak Hammock” dates back to the early 1870’s when settlers from Lower Fort Garry and St. Andrews gathered for community picnics on an oak-covered knoll bordering “The Bog.” Its owner – Adam MacDonald – called the heavily-treed knoll “Oak Hammock”. The name was adopted for the whole area with the opening of the Oak Hammock post office, and used until the early 1900s. It is uncertain if the settlers ever actually relaxed in hammocks between the oak trees during their picnics. However, they may have done so during times of flood if they were forced to camp on these drier oak-covered knolls until the floodwaters receded. A less romantic theory is that the name has nothing to do with hammocks – it simply derives from “Oak Hummock” – a term that is sometimes used to describe a raised stand of trees. Whatever the origin of the name, the area surrounding the Interpretive Centre became known as Oak Hammock.
