Introduction

 

The settlers who came to the area where Brooking was to be located, followed the Willowbunch Trail from southwest Weyburn. The Mounted Police had patrolled this area since 1900 on a regular basis and increased their patrols as the country became settled. One of the first settlers in the immediate area was O. A. Johnson who took up his homestead in 1904. By 1905, a steady stream of new settlers were flocking to the area. They settled on every half section available until they could file on their land. Some came without their families to build a house or sod shack. Some built temporary housing for their livestock. By 1906, most of the homestead land was taken up.

At first it was a 35 mile trip to the nearest town, Weyburn, to haul supplies, lumber, coal, etc. This meant a two to three day trip (winter or summer). Their grain had to be hauled to Weyburn, where the closest elevator was located. Most times there was inadequate elevator space and the grain had to be brought home again. There it was dumped on the ground to await a further trip.

When the new government of Saskatchewan convened after the formation of the Province in 1905, one of its first projects undertaken was the cement bridge over the creek a short distance from where the town of Brooking would be located. The project, considering the long winter of 1906, involved a large work-gang which was employed throughout the winter. Hauling gravel from a hill-top nearby to use in the pouring of the cement was no small task. The site had to be covered and fires had to be kept burning to prevent the freezing of the newly poured cement. As a testimony to their work, that same lovely little cement bridge over that picturesque little brook is still used today, 77 years later. It has been the subject of more than one artist's painting.

Buffalo Valley School District #1788 was formed on the second application in the spring of 1906. The school was built in 1907 and opened in the late summer of that year. Roads in the early days were well-worn trails. Generally following the geographical features and the old cart trails of the early traders angled across the country. One of the well-worn trails followed the north bank of the creek in a north westerly direction to the Gibson Creek area. Many students attending Buffalo Valley school came on this trail, including the children of J. S. Bulloch.

By the turn of the century, baseball had already achieved a major place in the sporting life of the American public and it was only natural that the settlers from that country would bring this game with them. Many of the settlers in the area surrounding Buffalo Valley School came from South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. In 1906, the Buffalo Valley Ball Club was organized in the district. For a number of years they played at all the picnics and sports days in the country. In 19O7 they travelled as far as Yellow Grass. A two-day trip by fast team.

In 1908, with the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway from Weyburn to Assiniboia, little towns sprang up along the track. Two points, Trossachs and Forward were built overnight, with elevators, lumber yards, grocery stores and post offices. Travelling distances for supplies were shortened considerably for the people in the Buffalo Valley district to about twelve miles.

In the summer and fall of 1908, petitions were taken around to the settlers by petitioners on horse back, covering a large territory of the province between Moose Jaw and the boundary of the United States to the south. As a direct result of a petition signed by 2,250 settlers, a bill was passed in the Saskatchewan Legislation guaranteeing the payment of interest on the bond of the Canadian Northern Railway for the Maryfield-Lethbridge extension.

With the news of the proposed railway line, and the advent of survey crews, land speculators and promoters arrived on the scene, and on good authority, it was learned that the railway line passing through the Buffalo Valley district was a possible location for a divisional point. Settlers arrived over night and built their homes and businesses, naming the new little settlement "Stowe".

Correspondence between the Canadian Northern Railway and the Minister of Railwayon September 26, 1910 shows that a letter from Mr. R. M. Mitchell, M L A for the Weyburn Constituency was received with a petition "for an extension of rails on the CNR this fall. It seems that the company only intend to go to mileage l50 and as that is three miles beyond Buffalo Valley, our friends would like it extended into the next town. They also want the townsite sold! So that they can put up permanent buildings. The town has no name, and they would like it called Ceylon."

Further correspondence of November 29, 1910 refers to a letter of the 2lst, in which "Buffalo Valley" the suggested name change for Stowe was too long for the townsite on mileage 146 on the Maryfield Extension. That the second choice, "Brooking" was acceptable.

Among the homesteaders was a group of pioneers who came from Brookings, South Dakota. One of these settlers, Lawrence Haden, suggested the name, partly because along the border of the tracks was a very picturesque little brook.

Businesses were quickly established. The first store was operated by the Lewerton Brothers, Edgar and Percy, who supplied all of the needs of the early settlers. The first Post Office opened on March 1, l9ll with E. C. Lewerton as first Post Master. One of the first settlers, Bob Keyes, was a carpenter and was much in demand to build many buildings for businesses and homes. One of the first such buildings was a three story hotel owned and operated by Mr. Stevenson and Mr. MacPherson. Two restaurants, "The Horse Shoe Restaurant", owned and managed by Mrs. Fred Leaf, and a restaurant and bakery operated by the Siljenberg sisters were opened in 1910 in time to feed two crews of men who were employed to build two elevators. A machine shop and implement business was opened by Mr. Ben Swanson and Mr. Ingness. A blacksmith shop run by Mr. William Leonard. Lindsay's Flour and Feed Store, a barber shop and poolroom owned by Mr. Black and managed by Mr. Hutchinson. A lumber yard managed by Mr. Fitzpatrick. A livery barn owned by Ivan and Percy Armstrong. A dance hall located over the machine shop, and a branch of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, were all built within a year or two, as well as an additional store by Mr. Vernon.

Within the next year a decision was made to locate the divisional point at the little village of Radville a few miles downstream. Upon receipt of this news the hopes and dreams of many of the business men who had spent their savings to establish themselves, received a resounding blow. Growth of the little town halted The prospects for business opportunities lured some of the businesses to Radville. Other businesses mysteriously burned down, including the hotel in 1914. Mr. Vernon rented his store to Tom Neily And Fred Miles, and opened a store in Radville. Tom Neily and Fred Miles bought out Lewerton's in 1915 and operated it until 1920, when it was sold to Freddie Nelson. Later, Jack Mitchell took it over and he sold it to Evert Josephson in the early 1920's, who then operated it until it became a Co-op in 1945 .It was then managed by a succession of mangers: D.J. Harold Hammond, Victor Keep, Don Webb, Archie Westling, Roy Fleming, Willian Bleakly and Royden Wallin.

One very important name in the history of this hamlet was Bert Henner. J.P. and town constable, who did his utmost to provide law and order in this frontier town.

The Post Office at Stowe opened on March 1, l9ll, with E. C. Lewarton as Postmaster. It became Brooking Post Office on May 11, l9ll. The postmasters at Brooking were:

1911-1913 E. C. Lewarton

1913-1914 G.E. Johnson

1914-1915 Pred Miles

1916-1921 A. Nelson

1921-1922 John L. Nelson

1923-1929 Evert Josephson

1929-1930 M . E Sullivan

1930-1945 Mrs. Josephson

1945 D. I Jones

1945 Harold Hammond

1945-1947 Victor Keep

1947-1950 Don Webb

1950-1957 Archie Westling

1957-1959 Ray Fleming

1959-1960 Mrs. Shirley Bleackley

1960-1961 Royden Wallin

The Brooking Post Office closed on May 17, 1961 and the Brooking Co-op Association was dissolved at that time. One by one the businesses closed down. The Pool Elevator stayed open until 1968, the last agent being Mel King, from 1993 to 1997, followed by Brian Melchert, for a short while. The Brooking Station was bought by George Crone in 1965 and torn down.

Today, all that is left of what was once a thriving community is the old Pool elevator and office building, the old Buffalo Valley school which was sold to the Brooking Community Club in l912 and has been used as a community hall since that time, and a couple of empty houses and a few granaries. The spot where the hotel once was located, marked by a slight depression where the basement once was, remains a silent testimony and a vague memory of a little town that had so much promise, but like so many other frontier towns, has disappeared from the scene.