History of Saskatoon

The history of Saskatoon began with the first permanent settlement of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1883 when Toronto Methodists, wanting to escape the liquor trade in that city, decided to set up a "dry" community in the rapidly-growing prairie region. As of 1882 this area was a part of the provisional district named Saskatchewan, North-West Territories. Their organization, the Temperance Colonization Society, first examined this area in 1882 and found that it would make an excellent location to found their community based on the ideals of the temperance movement. The settlers, led by John Lake, arrived on the site of what is now Saskatoon by traveling by railway from Ontario to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and then completing the final leg via horse-drawn cart (the railway had yet to be completed to Saskatoon). The plan for the Temperance Colony soon failed as the group was unable to obtain a large block of land within the community. Nonetheless, John Lake is commonly identified as the founder of Saskatoon; a public school, a park and two streets are named after him (Lake Crescent, which was developed in the 1960s, and Eastlake Avenue, originally Lake Avenue (as testified on the first map of Saskatoon from 1883), but later changed for reasons unknown).In 1885, several houses on 11th Street East were used as military hospitals during the North-West Rebellion. One house, the Marr Residence, is currently a heritage site run by the Meewasin Valley Authority. The first school, Victoria School, opened for classes at the corner of 11th Street and Broadway Avenue in 1888. This small school, now called the "Little Stone Schoolhouse", now sits on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan. [http://www.rootsweb.com/~cansk/Saskatchewan/homesteadlocation.html Sask Gen Web Homestead Records Township, Range, Meridian] URL accessed January 19, 2007] [ [http://www.rootsweb.com/~cansk/school/Regional/s.html Saskatchewan Gen Web One Room Schoolhouse Project] URL accessed April 1, 2007]

Currently Saskatoon is considered to be located encompassing townships 36 and 37, range 5 and township 36, range 6, west of the Third Meridian. (See also Dominion Land Survey - Each township is a convert|6|mi|km|0|sing=on square.) [ [http://www.saskatoon.ca/org/quick_facts/index.asp City of Saskatoon · Quick Facts] URL accessed January 19, 2007] [ [http://www.rootsweb.com/~cansk/Saskatchewan/homesteadlocation.html Sask Gen Web Homestead Records Township, Range, Meridian] URL accessed January 19, 2007]

Location relative to other historic communities in Saskatchewan

Garfield	McNab Park Mayfair	North: Martensville Warman Clark's Crossing Brownell North Saskatoon Robert Caswell's homestead	CPR Bridge	Gardenvilla S.D. 963 Sutherland
Smithville	West: Dr. J.H.C. Willoughby's homestead Riversdale	Saskatoon	Qu'Appelle, Long Lake & Saskatchewan RR or CNR Bridge	East: Nutana
Cory Farley	Eaton/Hawker Vanscoy	South: Yorath Maple Grove/Leisureland	Grand Trunk Pacific or C.N.R. Bridge	South SaskatoonNewcross Duro Grasswood Haultain Strehlow Dundurn

External links

* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~sksaskat/Saskatoon/SaskatoonDominionLandGrants.htm Saskatoon Gen Web Project - Saskatoon Dominion Land Grants Original Homesteaders Townships 36, 37. Ranges 5,6. West of the Third Meridian]
* [http://www.saskatoon.ca/org/city_planning/resources/populace_newsletter/Populace_Spring_2006.pdf Populace Spring 2006]
* [http://www.city.saskatoon.sk.ca/org/city_planning/ City of Saskatoon - City Planning]
* [http://www.city.saskatoon.sk.ca/org/city_planning/zam_maps/index.asp City of Saskatoon ; Departments · Community Services · City Planning · ZAM Maps]
* [http://www.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca/arts/heritage/index.html The Saskatoon Heritage Society old site]
* [http://www.saskatoonheritage.ca/ The Saskatoon Heritage Society new website]
* [http://www.city.saskatoon.sk.ca/org/leisure/facilities/heritage/index.htm Saskatoon Heritage Guide] * [http://www.saskatoon.ca/org/development/services/heritage_properties/index.asp City of Saskatoon · Departments · Community Services · Development MUNICIPALLY DESIGNATED HERITAGE PROPERTIES]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~sksaskat/NarrativesOfSaskatoon/index.html Saskatoon Gen Web Project - Narratives of Saskatoon 1882-1912] Commons cat|Heritage of Saskatoon

Footnotes