fBI HISTORY or SASIATOOI 1'0 191_ . A \b••i. Subm1\te4 t.o t.he Oomrdtwe' oA chadua\. Studt.. ill Partial Fult1lm.en\ ot the lequll'_enw tor the . of Ma.tel' ot Arts Degr.. _.- 1. the ot . "_.-_ Department Hi.torT. � Un1.er.1tJ' .f Sa.leatchewaJb Joha Ball Archer ;. - . Saeb.t.oon. ,Suka.tcbenn Jul.,-. 1948. , ' . , : , • I I \ ·------------------------------------------------------- •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 umoooctICN It �....... • • .. • ••• '19' · CHAf>TER I. r� FaE-SE'TTLE.ll.i:!iT t::iA••••• •• ". "' " ••••••• �........ 1" � I CHAPT!! II. TH3 BElnnr.ofl••• �............................................. 11 ' CHAPTER III. �m y-�� OF ?a! BEnZLLIOI.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ,a CBAPTZ!l ,. YlLLAa! 1901. 100"7...);.90'_ CIT! 1906.... •••• 72 · CBl.P'r'Eft VI. �!B PCR.l!ATIY! r�."' •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 106 CBAPTm fII. T:i! rO:r.IDL"D 0' 'T33 trnlft.�lTt or SJ.SltA'1'Ca!�.u••••• � ••••••• �. 1" . CHAPTER 'III. 1BE .!� '3.�lon ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1�6 CttlP� U. COSCLU.3IUJ "'c 11' APPDDICSS App�+x 1 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 180 Appendlx 11•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 161 · Appmdlx 111 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 191 Appe..a.d1a IV........ ••••• ••• ••••••••• 191 SIBLIO�.Jl1rr 9 · 196 °Map II.Sa.a..tcon 1D. nelatloa to the tiprt.tng ot 1i�8' ro8 °Ap IU. SaekatooA at the. ilelg;h\ of the: °1ie,llWily..a.11dlng Zr �l?06. 209 r..a, A. Aerial '1&\1 0: Saakatoea Area.. (l94Ii1 9....... 210 or Sat5k.. ltap 8. Survey Cl"7 ot i.ocm•.158'••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 211 Jfap C. ,Uap sbowing area. ot' taekatooA il11-se. town. C'". al80 area of �tanaVl11ag. and I1varadal. '111&6•••••••••• 212 .:l. , M«1p PlLII ot C1t,. -ot SfuiV.atmm. (l94a) ••••••••••••• 21,. 1 PREFACE The writing ot a local history 1s a fascinating undertaking in itselt. Well dorte, each study adds another block to the building of knowledge concerning the province, the nation, and indeed, possibly society generally. The research necessary to the writing of a local history frequen)ly , stimulates an interest in the preservation ot recorda whiah will benefit fUture 'historians. A great deal of legend gathers around the founding and growth of every community. It 1s impossible to ignore such local legend , though sagas and folk impressions need not be taken at face value. A local history il not a bare recital of faots, written with due regard to local oral tradition it bringe a fUller understanding of the "genius" of the community. In the writing ·of this history of Saskatoon primary and secondary, ollicial and unofficial sources of information were used. TPe chief pr1mary sources are the official publicatione and records of federal, provincial and municipal authorities. The Department of the Interior, Ottawa, has a complete .et of filel on the business relations of �he Temperance Coloniz- , ation Society with the Dominion Government. Considerable information on the early progress of the community fr9m origin up until the winding up of the Temperance Society's affaire is to be found in t�e annual reports' of the Inspector of Colonization Companies appearing in the Canadian Sessional Paper.. The North-West Territory Gazette and its successor, the Saskatchewan Gazette, give essential inro�tion concerning the appOintment of officials, the erection ot school districts and.the rise'in municipal stat�s. The information contained the of Saskatoon ot in City File, Departmen� Municipal Affairs, Regina is disapPOintingly meagre prior to 1914. The municipal records are fragmentary-for the period 1901 to 1906 but have been well maintained since the chartering of Saskatoon as a city in 1906. 11 In}addition to official sources there are the records of semi-otficial bodies, which are in part supported financially by the community. The Board ot Trade is one such body. The Minutes ot this organization are complete from its inception 1n 190,. The Records of the Saskatoon Industrial Exhibition, succe.lor to the Central Saskatchewan Agricultural Society, are not complete. The best acc�t of the development ot tairs in Saskatoon is contained in The Saskatoon Phenix. The Exhibition-Haryest Edition. August. 19141 Much ot the early story ot the community ha� been recorded 1n unotficia1 I • memoirs ot ·old.timer•• Personal interviews with otfioials and private citizens aotive in civic attair. contributed both tact and colour. The Records ot such unofficial bodies a8 the Saskatoon Trades and Labor Council, the various church bodies, and the local fraternal aesociations,'while incomplete, add further to the pool of information. The various newspapers pUblished in the city constitute a special aource. There 1s a continuous press record since 1902. Periodically, special editions have been devot ad to local history and to the atories of early settlers. The secondary �ources are not numerous. Little has been published on Saskatoon as a unit though there are some printed sources on various aspeots of Saskatoon history. The University has contributed to the knowledge of the geologic formations, the types of land, th& farming practices in the area. There are studies available on wild life in the district,. In addition· to these there are published articles on some institutions in the city and on personalities ot the city. This thesis was written as a general history of Saskatoon. Such a study • .. 1 well be the for fUrther 8tudi�s of may starting point particular lnstltutl�na or association. within the community. A general local history cannot include all the detailed story ot the city. It does,. however, set up a iil tramework of development within which may be traced in broad outline the growth ot government, some problems ot urban expansion, the increasing dynamio ot business, the integration of population and the rise ot a civic senae ot aocial responsibility. The gathering of materials tor this work was expedited by the ready co-operation of civic offic�als, particularly Andrew Leslie, Cit, Commissioner, James Ander.on, City Clerk, and John C. Oliver, City Treasurer, by the aid given by the statfs ot the university and City Libraries, and assietanoe . Alex Cameron the and other given by �t Star-Phoenlx.Statt many private. individuals. Mr. Bruce Peel, Shortt Librari�n, Miss Ruth Murray, Univer8ity Lititary, Mi.s Audrey Dave, City Library, Mi•• Marion Hagerman, Provincial . Archiv.� Otfice and M�. w. W. Ashley, Prssident of the Saskatoon Old Timers' Aesociation, were particularly helpful. Special thanks are due Profeslor G. W. Simpson, Head, Department" ot Hi.tory, University of Saskatchewan, for hi. guidance and helpful advice. 1v The oity ot Saekatoon, SaSkatchewan, 1& aituated on the South Saakatchewan riyer .ome one hundred miles up-stream from the junction of that river with the North Saskatchewan. The city 11 •• between the l06th and 107th degreeslon,ltude welt, j�lt north or the ,2nd parallel, It 1, thul in the mixed pralri. belt, where tbe ahort gr••• vegetation ot the typical plalns givss way to the grove. and prairie,ot the park belt. The neare.t ••aport ls'Port Churchill, the ocean terminus ot the Hudson Bay railway, on Hudaon B_y, same 1100 .11•• to the north-east. In relation to other Canadian clt1•• Sa.k_toon 1s pralrie , c.n�rall1 located. Edmonton 11 .ituat.d 80me ,00 milea to the ,we.t and north. Winnipeg li.. some 450 mli.. to the eaa\ and south. To the louth and east, approximately 220 mllea di.tant 1, Regina. � the north and eaat, 90 mil•• di.tant 1. Prince Albert. Good rail and air ••rvlce �onn.ot Saakatoon with each ot thea. centre., The history ot Saakatoon aa a ••ttl.d community date. trom 188,. The original ••ttlemen' va. tound.d on the ea.t bank ot the Saekatchewan rlver, With the coming or the railway•••ttlement on the weat bank out.tripped that or the early .1t.. ey 1901 the population of the Yi11age Qr Saskatpon, lying wholly on the we.t slde of the river; vaa .et at 11, people. Saskatoon was ••• c1t1 within ita defined limit. 1906 incorporated , including Nutana, the original Bettlement on the eaat bank, and Riveredale, a .ettle. ment which bad grown up on 'the weBt bank immediately Bouth or Salkatoon. Sy 1914 the population ot the c1ty had roached the 17,000 mark. In 188, Sa.katoon was tar out on the frontier, known only aa the centre ot a temperance colony. thirty yeare later Saskatoon vaa recognizod aa an �portan\ railwa, centre and the ••cond large.' distributing centre iB the W.lt. The bi.tor, or the oommunity durln& th1. period reye.l. & Y�r, rapid phYIleal growth, a continuoul,advance 1n governmental atatul _ hamlet, yl11age, town, c1ty. - and thl ba,innlng of elole community lnt8�ration wbicb make. tor a city culture. I "j 1 CHAPTER I THE PRE-SETTLh.'MENT ERA I The history ot Saskatoon cannot b. fully understood without reference I to ,the geography and geologY',tlora and fauna, of the district. �ite I apart from a natural curiosity evinced by resi'ent and visitor alike in I 'the geologic hi8tory ot the South Saskatchewan river, the physical geography 0' the,area in general has direotly influenced the history of this community. Saskatoon was eetabl1ahed a,8 the administrative centre of a temperance , colony which depended tor auccess on the productivity ot the soil in the access to outaide markets. The SIlskatchewan rher waa area and easy Souyh expected to provide a natural highway tor freight, the aite ot Saskatoon was chosen on this river, with an eye to future railway development. The failure of the "natural highway- retarded the early growth of the colony. The railway reached Saskatoon in 1890 during a drought cycle. The abundance ot water and native gra88 in the district made Saekatoon the logical ship­ ping centre for a ranching industry. The development of dry-farming technlqu�1 made the centre well known a.