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The History of Yorkton

The story of Yorkton and the city around it.

Yorkton is a city located in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is about 300 kilometres (190 mi) southeast of Saskatoon and 450 kilometres (280 mi) northwest of Winnipeg, Manitoba and is the sixth-largest city in the province. Yorkton was founded in 1882 and incorporated as a city in 1928. The city is bordered by the rural municipalities of Orkney to the north, west, and south, and Wallace on the east.

Bell Homestead National Historic Site

Alexander Graham Bell made the world's first long-distance telephone call from his father's homestead in Tutela Heights, just minutes from West Brant. The Bell Homestead National Historic Site preserves the farmhouse and coach house where Bell conducted his early telephone experiments in the 1870s. Open seasonally for tours.

Timeline

1882
In 1882, a group of businessmen and investors formed the York Farmers Colonization Company.
1889
The colony remained at its site until 1889.

Photos

Full History

In 1882, a group of businessmen and investors formed the York Farmers Colonization Company. Authorized to issue up to $300,000 in debentures and lenient government credit terms on land purchases encouraged company representatives to visit the District of Assiniboia of the North-West Territories with the intent to view some crown land available near the Manitoba border. They were impressed with what they saw and the group purchased portions of six townships near the Little Whitesand River (now Yorkton Creek) for the purpose of settlement and to establish a centre for trade there. This centre would become known as York Colony. The company founded the settlers' colony on the banks of the Little Whitesand River where lots were given freely to settlers who purchased land from them. The colony remained at its site until 1889. It was originally located at PT SE 1/4 13-26-4 W2M. In 1889, the rail line was extended to the Yorkton area. It was at this time the colony townsite relocated alongside the new rail line.

Source: Wikipedia