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In 1954 the Humboldt Board of Trade erected a marker to mark the site of the Humboldt Telegraph Station.
With the construction of the rail line from Regina to Rosthern, settlers and colonizers started moving in. Much of the area had not been surveyed, so in many cases the settlers were squatters.
One of the first to settle in the Humboldt area was Casper Feltin, who homesteaded near what is now Burton Lake on March 15, 1903. Others following closely were A. Hulz on March 23, Paul Thieman on April 10, John Polries on May 2, E. Lindberg on June 1, and Albert Ecker on June 19, 1903.
Among other settlers in the area south west of present day Humboldt and adjacent to the Humboldt telegraph station were William Dale, William Blair, James Hill, John Hill, Gottfried and John Schaeffer, John Krisenback, Mr. Crook Sr. and sons Bob, Jim, Louis, Elmer and Clarence, Herman Michels, Jake Neubauer, Joe Faul, Peter Poss, Peter Lux, the Borchovas, Mr. Hillman, John Franz, A. Koett, P. Frieburg, Mr. Ehl and sons, Frank and Peter Uns, E. Smith, A. Baker, Wm. Driver, E. Stringer, John Mullee and Mr. Schikowsky.
A little later in the same year saw the arrival of the Kopps, Mycocks, Fords, Florys and others.
The first child born in the Humboldt district is reported to have been Leo Flory on Oct. 27, 1903.
When a group of Benedictine Fathers arrived in 1903 they established St. Bernard's Mission near what is now Dixon siding. Gottleib Schaeffer opened the first commercial venture in the area as a general merchant in the same place. They believed the coming railway would choose the area near the present day Dixon citing as most suitable for a station.
When the railway's intentions became known Schaeffer moved his store to Humboldt and operated for many years as "The Pioneer Store". The post office was operated out of his store with his daughter, Annie, later Mrs. August Lins, being the first postmistress. This store was located on the northwest corner of Franklin Ave. and Livingston St., later to become Bruser's Ltd. and now occupied by the Red Apple Store.
When the Canadian Northern Railway was being surveyed through this area following much the same route as the 1874 Canadian Pacific Railway survey and the original line of the Dominion Telegraph -- it was decided to locate a round house and depot further east at the present location of Humboldt. The railway adopted the name of the telegraph station some seven miles to the south.
The Canadian Northern Railway reached Humboldt in September 1904 with the first passenger train arriving in May of the following year.
The first building was a log restaurant built by Mr. Mathias Rath sometime in 1904. The chief part of the meal served was rabbit, there being no other meat available.
Among other early buildings erected here were the Canadian Northern Railway depot in early 1905 and temporary housing quarters for the railway employees. M.N. Campbell was the first station agent.
John McTaggart, from Winnipeg, who was a relative of Sir William McKenzie, received preference in getting his materials on the ground for his hardware store which was built before the townsite was surveyed. He carried a complete stock of hardware. He later sold out to the Great Northern Lumber Company who became the first general merchants in the community carrying a stock of general merchandise, hardware and lumber.
Another lumber and hardware business was established by a Mr. Henderson, also of Winnipeg. He built in the northwest part of the settlement, also before it was surveyed. This business was later sold to Ritz and Yoerger.
The pioneer merchants and early businessmen of the community were as follows: Andrew George, A.J. Eidelbrock, J.W. Lowes, R.J. Kepkey, E.T. Wallace, Freeman Young, John Cummings, T. McClocklin, John McTaggart, Mr. Henderson, J.H. Lyons, Otto Ritz, George Ritz, J.G. Yoerger, F.K. Wilson, G.B. Richardson, George Bushey, Joe Bushey, A.E. Pike, N.R. Bell, F.B. Davidson, E.G. Walker, Dr. D.B. Neely, O.W. Andreasen, A.J. Kruse, F. Heidgerken, Telfer Bros., J.M. Crerar, A.J. Borget, Hy. Haskamp, John Speak, Hanson Bros., G. Schaeffer, John Schaeffer, A.E. Rouse, Tom Kidd, George Barnes, and Robert Walker.
By the spring of 1905 the citizens realized the necessity of organizing the community immediately.
On March 6, 1905, A.H. George wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of the North West Territories in Regina asking for the necessary papers to organize a village. These were forwarded to Mr. George under date of March 14.
On April 29, 1905, Mr. George wrote as follows:
"Mr. John Hocks, Deputy Commissioner,
Regina.
Dear Sir:
Yours of March 14th ult received enclosing Village ordinance and township plot. I herewith enclose you a diagram of the subdivided townsite of Humboldt showing the occupied dwelling house and attached to same is a declaration (sic). We desire to incorporate the townsite of Humboldt as soon as possible and hope that upon receipt of this you will take the necessary steps in the matter as soon as possible.
Sincerely yours, A.H. George."
The letter was written on stationery of the Great Northern Lumber Co. Ltd. which carried the following information:
"H.J. Haskamp, President.
H.N. Clausen, Treasurer.
A.J. Edelbrock, Secretary.
F. Heidgerken, General Manager.
Incorporated Capital Stock $100,000.00.
Dealers In All Kinds of Building Material, Hardware, General Merchandise and Wholesale Liquors."
The plan showed the proposed village was to occupy the NE 1/4 of Section 19 and the NW 1/4 of Section 20 37 22 W 2nd, the main street being the road allowance between the two above named sections.
"I, F.B. Davidson of Humboldt in the District of Saskatchewan do solemnly declare:
I. That there are not less than 15 dwelling houses within...the area of the proposed Village of Humboldt.
II. That the dwelling houses are owned or occupied by: F. Young, A.B. Bouie, Geo. Bushey, F. Harrison, E.A. Rouse, G. Schaeffer, Otto Ritz, E.J. Wallace, E. Craney, T. McLaughlin, H. Michaels, E. Yoerger, J.W. Crane, H. Ritz, J.W. Lowes, R.J. Kepkey, J.E. Shuttleworth, E. Shuttleworth, F.B. Davidson, A.J. Edlebrock, A.H. George, N. Taylor, Thos. Kidd, John Peters, Robt. Walker, Ross Bell, Math Rath and I make this solemn declaration believing the same to be true and knowing it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath and by virtue of the "The Canada Evidence Act, 1893". "Declared before me at Humboldt, Saskatchewan this 28th day of April 1905".
Mr. Davidson misspelled a number of names and gave wrong initials in several cases. For instance, the E.J. Wallace would be E.T. Wallace, E. Yoerger would be J.G. Yoerger, and T. McLaughlin would be T. McClocklin.
You may wish to see the original hand written version of this letter and the original map.
Eventually, after further exchanges of correspondence, a provincial Order in Council was issued on June 30, 1905 establishing the Village of Humboldt.
Department of Public Works.
NOTICEPublic notice is hereby given that Thirty days after the Tenth day of May, 1905, the Hamlet of HUMBOLDT will be established, by Order of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor in Council, a Village under the provisions of The Village Ordinance, the area of the said Village of HUMBOLDT to consist of the north east quarter of section Nineteen (19) and the north west quarter of section Twenty (20) in township Thirty seven (37) Range Twenty two (22) west of the Second Meridian.
BY ORDER,
G. H. V. BULYEA,
Commissioner of Public Works.
On September 20, 1905, the ratepayers approved the appointment of G.S. Schaeffer as License Commissioner for the Village. On October 30, 1905, at a special taxpayers" meeting, a resolution was passed setting a license fee of $50 per year for all liquor licenses held within the Village. About November 1,1905, ratepayers signed a petition to the Commissioner of Public Works, Regina, asking permission to borrow $1,000 for Village improvements. Permission was granted on November 6, 1905 by order of Hon. Walter Scott, Commissioner of Public Works and Premier of Saskatchewan.
Patent to the east half and the south west quarter of 19 - 37 - 22 W 2nd was granted to the MacKenzie, Mann and Company Limited dated October 23, 1905.
On July 18, 1906 patent to the NW 1/4 of 19 - 37 - 22 W 2nd was granted to the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company Limited.
And so the village of Humboldt was on its way.
While 1904 saw the arrival of the railway line and the actual founding of the town, 1905 was a year of much business expansion, the providing of school facilities, and the setting up, by the various religious bodies, of places of worship. Late in 1904, Mr. George Bushey started construction of the first hotel, which he operated for a short time and sold to A.B. Buie of Grandview, Manitoba, who ran it for a number of years as the Humboldt Hotel.
The town's first celebration was held on July 1, 1905, with floats, horse racing, baseball and football. The town was nicely decorated for the occasion with flags and bunting and Dorothea Kepkey was Miss Humboldt. (Dorothea was the first child born in the village of Humboldt).
"The first fire was the Windsor Hotel which was burned while under construction. The building was up and a stairway in it was partly lathed. A strong wind was blowing, and it was thought that coal oil had been accidentally spilled which in some way became lighted. The flames and sparks and flaming shingles were carried south a distance of three miles. Several men escaping in their night clothes were quite badly burned and were given medical attention at Wallace's drug store by Dr. Neely and Mr. and Mrs. Wallace. One man and his dog were burned to death. Mr. Tom Kidd, who was working on his engine in the railway yards, was the first to discover the fire and give the alarm. The people of the South side, in the track of the wind, spent the night on their roofs, extinguishing sparks as they landed." The village was organized into a school district in 1905, the first trustees being George Ritz, E.G. Walker and J.G. Yoerger. The first school teachers were Miss Alma Lyons and Miss Scanlan. There being no school building, classes were held in the Presbyterian church.
"The Presbyterian church was the first church established here in 1905 with Reverend Jos. Hunter as the missionary who came direct from Scotland. This church was later sold to the Salvation Army.
"The next church to be established here was the Anglican, which was built close to where the old Post Office now stands. This building was later moved to their own property.
"The Roman Catholic Church held their services in the Old Great Northern Store on the south side of the track. This building was later torn down and rebuilt near their present church on First Avenue (now 8th Avenue) and later used as a school.
A business venture of considerable importance to the community was the establishment by R.A. Telfer of a printing business and the publishing of a newspaper, The Humboldt Journal, the first issue bearing the date of the 19th of October, 1905. W.B. Telfer joined his brother in the firm in 1907. The policy of the publisher, as announced in the first issue, was the furthering of the interests of the town and district at all times, and this policy has been consistently followed during the long life of the Journal which continued, under the same management, for 77 years. This must be close to a record in the provincial newspaper field, of which the Telfers may be justly proud. W.B. Telfer, better known as Bill, the junior of the original Telfer Bros., severed his connection with the business in the early 1940's and Mr. Walter Telfer, a son of R.A., joined the firm in 1946. R.A. Telfer passed away in 1953, his wife Alice in 1956, and W.P. Telfer in 1981. The latter's son Donald then became editor and publisher.
In October, 1905, just one year after the arrival of the railway line, business and professional interests, in most lines, were fairly well represented as shown by the following which is a business directory of the town at that time:
Great Northern Lumber Co...............................General Merchandise, Hardware and Lumber
Ritz and Yoerger.............................................Hardware and Lumber
J.H. Lyons.......................................................Lumber and Coal
Lowes and Kepkey.......................................General Store
McClocklin and Co..........................................General Store
Gottlieb Schaeffer............................................General Store
E.T. Wallace...................................................Drugs and accessories
George Ritz.....................................................Furniture
Alfred Rouse...................................................General Merchant
J. Speak..........................................................Harness Maker
Humboldt Liquor Store.....................................Whole Sale Liquors
John Schaffer..................................................Meat Market
J.P.Esaw.........................................................Photographer
F.Young..........................................................Baker
J.H. Thiemann.................................................Blacksmith
Howson Brothers.............................................Livery and Feed Stable
Johnston and Taylor.........................................Real Estate
John Jansen.....................................................Real Estate
H.W. Taylor....................................................Undertaking
Joe Gabel........................................................Barber
A.E. Buie........................................................Humboldt Hotel
Low Lee..........................................................Laundry
A.J. Atlas.........................................................Restaurant
Mrs. Jarvis.......................................................Restaurant
Union Bank of Canada......................................Banking
H.D. Pickett.....................................................Barrister
Dr. D.B. Neely.................................................Medical Doctor
In 1906 Mr. Lyons was succeeded as overseer by J.W. Lowes, co partner of Lowes and Kepkey General Store.
You may also be interested in reading Through The Years, which is a brief summary of the years 1907 - 1981.
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