Whitewood, Saskatchewan

1,179 miles

poplar grove

Jan 22 – The town of Whitewood was first established by the Canadian Pacific Railway as Whitewood Station, North West Territories, in 1883.  The name was derived from the white poplar trees, known for their white bark, which were plentiful in the area.

flags of immigrant nations

In the 1880s, Dr. Rudolph Meyer led a group of French Counts to the area of Whitewood to develop a community similar to some communities for nobility in Europe.  The area of Whitewood claims that during the late 19th century, there were more aristocrats here than anywhere else in North America.  The Merchant's Bank Heritage Center celebrates the French Count history and displays the welcoming sign "The Most Romantic Settlement in the West."

Settlers from many lands came to the area and the multi-national character of the community is proclaimed by this flag display.  The first Finnish settlement in the west, New Finland, was located here, and Hungarians, Swedes, Germans, Poles, Russians, Czechs, English, Scottish and Irish, also made Whitewood their destination in the new world.  John Hawkes, a prominent writer of that period, said, "Whitewood was in the eighties (1880s) the most cosmopolitan point in the west. It came to be a saying that one should know eleven languages to do business in Whitewood." 

Hidden Village

In the year 2000, an outside mural was painted showing the town in 1890.  Town officials began to restore the old homes built by the French aristocrats and paint more outside murals in Whitewood.  There are about 869 town residents now.

In contrast, Old George’s Museum & Hidden Village seems to be a kind of ramshackle hillbilly village built to attract curiosity seekers.  Perhaps it offers a grungier – but just as quirky – glimpse into local history.

And here's a picture of a pretty A-frame church.  I like the shape of the roof and the door and the simple but pleasing windows.  Note that the sign is the same shape as the building.

info:  Wikipedia.com