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  The Wakopa Story
Tom Wlikins
A report from "Reflections - Turtle Mountain Municipality and Killarney, 1882- 1982."

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Grain is growing where once the buildings of Old Wakopa stood and nothing remains of the town except memories among the older residents. A few years ago this was the area visited by such famous men as La Verendrye, David Thompson and Alexander Henry. It was on the route of the fur traders, the Missouri Fur Trail and the Boundary Commission Trail. It was one of the anchor points of civilization in this area and its memory should be honored. Alexander Henry visited the area in 1809 finding between eight and ten thousand Assiniboines living in the district, although two major smallpox epidemics had reduced the population considerably. Henry mentions visiting Lena's House on the slopes of Turtle Mountain which could possibly have been the Hudson Bay Post west of Wakopa, there to halt the flow of furs to the U.S.A. by way of the Missouri Fur Trail. Pioneers in Canada have always sought new lands to conquer and new homesites. Knowing this, B.B. LaRivere left his home near Morden to look over possibilities of Turtle Mountain in 1876. Locating an old Indian campground in the elbow of Long River, he decided on this site for his store. In the spring of 1877 he loaded several wagons, rounded up 20 cattle and returned to build a store and a home ready to supply the settlers. The little settlement that sprang up was naturally named LaRiviere until renamed Wakopa or "White Father" by an old Indian chief who respected the trader. In 1878 settlement began, justifying LaRiviere's decision. Finlay Young, John, Henry and Tom Coulter, William Henderson, Robert Cowan and Weir settled in th area.   In 1880 Williams opened a store and post office; Harrison and Williams erected a boarding house and livery stable. In 1881 Coulter Brothers brought in the first horse-powered thresher. In the winter of 1879-80 Harrison Brothers and Williams built a sawmill and grist mill powered by water wheels and using grinding stones brought from France. Billy Weir opened the first blacksmith shop and Bob Tyler another. Such was the beginning of Wakopa, little of which remains. In fact the original site of the village is off the present day road and a cairn now marks the site, but not in its proper place. It is marked to indicate the section on which the village was located. With the coming of the railway in the early years of the century, the village was moved a mile or so north. For many years the only establishments were the elevator and Morgan's store. With the end of the railway line, the elevator ceased to operate and only Morgan's store remained for a time. The history of Wakopa would not be complete without reference to the Strangler. It was here that ErIe Nelson was spotted by Mr. Les Morgan who notified the provincial police in Killarney. Albert Dingwall, operator of the elevator, also assisted in the capture of this man wanted in both Canada and the US for several sex-related murders he had committed. The only resident of Wakopa today is Bill Cullen and his wife and family. In order to keep the name on the maps, Mr. Cullen has retained the property in lots as they were first surveyed, rather than returning it as an agricultural survey. Wakopa still appears on today's maps and road signs.