Prior to the arrival of settlers from eastern Canada, the Elgin area was the center of the buffalo hunt between Whitewater Lake and the valley of the Souris River. Some of the first homesteads were taken up on 34-5-21W, the present site of Whitewater Park. As the population grew, the first store was built on 3-6-21W. Around 1 November 1898, the first train arrived in what is now Elgin, in the Municipality of Grassland, a name given to the town by the Northern Pacific Railway Company, probably named after the 8th Earl of Elgin. The first town lot was surveyed 14 November. By 1911, there were five churches and 42 businesses, including five elevators. This plaque was unveiled on 26 June 1999.
Elgin Centennial Plaque (August 2010)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.44427, W100.27048
denoted by symbol on the map above
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 19 February 2021
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