The City of Estevan's exact location is recorded on a geodetic survey bench mark located in Churchill Park overlooking the Souris River Valley from its northern bank. It shows that the City is located at latitude 49 degrees, 51 minutes and 30 seconds west. The elevation of the city, at the exact location of the bench mark, is 1863 feet and 1 inch.

Estevan's First Land Boom

"There is a day's work in Estevan for every man, who has a day's work in him; the water is as pure as an angel's tear, and coal can be had for the digging."

This was the slogan used to hasten the development and growth of Estevan in the early days. Many first participants bought lots one day and sold them the next. Anywhere that two railways were situated was a divisional point, and brought in speculators.

It was around 1908, new settlers began to pour into the Canadian West by the thousands, mainly from the Northern States. These new farmers brought cash with them in sizeable amounts, to stimulate businesses of all kinds, wherever they settled. Towns and villages sprang up everywhere as quickly as new lines were built. Farmers produced easily, won wealth from bountiful crops and ready markets. Business was thriving. Monetary loans were freely made. Money was plentiful.

The horizons of the future carried the mirage of new prosperity, and cities began to mushroom, causing new areas to be built up. The business of selling real estate became a gold mine because of the volume and turn over and new development .

Promoters began acquiring blocks of property for sub divisions. The citizens revealed an impatient spirit to build a great city based on industry dependent on lignite.

In a copy of the Estevan Mercury, published in December, 1912, written by its editor, at that time, the late Donald C. Dunbar, revealed a glowing future for the City and area.

No less than ten real estate firms in Estevan, Winnipeg and Moose Jaw, with half page and full page advertisements screamed the profit that could be made through investment in Estevan real estate. Lots were 25 foot frontages; one company announced 33 foot frontages. Victoria Heights went one better. They advertised 40 foot lots.

In those days it was simple to place a sub division on the market. All that was required was the purchase of land, a rapid survey, and plowed furrows to mark the streets. While a great number of Scotsburn lots were purchased, the whole block continued to be pasture land, until the Estevan School Unit built its elementary school on the comer of King Street and Assiniboia Avenue. Some of the old furrows plowed over a half century or more ago, are still to be seen on the slopes of the hills within the sub division.

The older generation will recall the financial loss and disappointment as the real estate boom waned. It was all a bubble blown big, by a fervor planned by greed and fantastic optimism. The era faded out completely with the beginning of the First World War, in 1914.

Today, Estevan participates, prospers and grows through the development of a new natural resource, that was undreamed of half a century ago - black gold flowing from over 3000 wells.

The speculative land boom of 1912 involved 9 quarter sections of land, all, with one exception, bordering on the original town boundaries. Seven still remain as farm land after 55 years. On others, industrial buildings and homes have been gradually encroaching.

Parkdale sub division, which was surveyed on the bottom of the river valley, is now the location of the city sewage lagoons. To the north west of the city was, Royal Heights on the S.W.1/4 of section 27-2-8.

The available portion of this, still being farmed, was taken over by Canarama Ltd. in 1956. At the same time it purchased the east half of the section, which strangely enough had not fallen into the hands of sub dividers in 1912.

To the north of Hillside, was Hillside addition, and to the east of the latter was Maple Grove, both taking up the north half of section 26-2-8. With the exception of quite a few lots, both of these are still cultivated land or pasture. East of Hillside, and south of Maple Grove was the Scotsburn, on the south east of section 26-2-8. This is a sub division that is pretty well built up now. the Estevan School Unit elementary school (Scotsburn) is located on this block. To the east of Maple Grove was Industrial Heights Southward from it and lying against the eastern boundary of the city, lay Victoria Heights, Bellevue and Escana. All of these are still farm lands with the exception of Escana, which is now almost wholly occupied by oil field equipment, supply firms, and offices and buildings of oil field servicing companies. The Co-op Agro Centre, Sask-Tel's new building and a couple of cement mixing plants are located in this area.

Some years ago the town annexed the north half of sections 15-2-8 in the river valley, just west of Highway 47. Industries have moved on to this property. Further east the north east quarter of 14 and the north west quarter of 13-2-8 were also annexed by the town. Estevan Brick Ltd. plant is located on this property, while on its northern edge along Highway 39, are the head quarters of numerous oil field servicing companies, as well as other lines of business.

The oil development by 1956 had created a situation that urgently called for more houses and more land on which to build them. The first investment of private capital to meet the need was made by W. E Thom and Ed. Hudson of Moose Jaw, operating under the name of Thorn-Hudson Associates. They purchased the south east quarter of section 27-2-8 from Geroge Cundall, the north east quarter from the estate of Major Wellock and the south west quarter from the town of Estevan. The first named quarter was then surveyed and named Pleasantdale. Lots were quickly bought up and whole streets of houses erected during the next two years.

By 1966 lots were being sold on the north east quarter, which is named Wellock Heights, as well as on south west quarter named Royal Heights. New homes are continually being built in both of these sub divisions and extending the outer limits of residence, both westerly and northerly.

Located in Pleasantdale is Sacred Heart Separate School, and Pleasantdale Public School, with a sufficient ground area left to build a high school, if and when needed. Creighton Lodge Senior Citizen's Home and Estevan Regional Nursing Home are also located in this sub division. Tenders have been let for a high rise of 50 suites for a low income Senior Citizen's housing on Cundall Drive. There are two churches in the area, St. Peter's Lutheran Church and the Church of God, along with 0. K. Economy store, and several more business places along Hwy. 47. The rest is taken up with dwellings.

Due to the serious illness of Mr. Thorn in 1957, a new syndicate took over, named Canarama Ltd. with Ed. Hudson as vice-president and general manager. Then in 1959 all the company's holdings in Estevan were transferred to Hudson Agencies with Mr. Hudson as pres] 'dent and general manager. Mr. Hudson passed away in 1979.

Three sub divisions have been opened up by the City itself on property which it owned. The first was the Westview, the area west of the Estevan Collegiate, now the Junior High School. The second was Valley View on property annexed on the southern edge of the city in 1913. These had been surveyed previously, but a new survey was made, with controlled access and some curved streets. In 1967 the city's third subdivision was opened on land acquired from the Estevan Agricultural Society some years ago for $75,000 plus some adjoining acreage owned by the City for a total of 54 acres. All of this property faced on King St. on the southern edge of Hillside. The sale of this land did away with the Agricultural Society's race track and grand stand, but other buildings were moved down to the southern part of its grounds, and in closer proximity of the Civic Arena. The Estevan Mall is located east of the fair grounds, facing King Street, and opposite Scotsbum School.

This sub division is named Centennial Park, and was totally pre-serviced with sewers, water lines and side walks before lots were offered for sale. It contains a total of 100 lots, which are nearly all sold and built on.

In 1966 Jubilee sub division was surveyed east of Valley View and lots offered for sale by Ben. Labenski.

Scotsburn Sub division takes in the area from King Street, north to near the Comprehensive School, and from Bannatyne Avenue to the road running east of the Comprehensive School. Many new and modem homes have been built in this area. All lots were pre-serviced before they were sold.

March 1, 1957 in the office of the Provincial Legislative Buildings. On hand for the ceremony were His Honor, the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan. Hon. W. J. Patterson, Premier T.C. Douglas; Mayor H. Nicholson; Aldermen, Harold Claskey, Frank Marwood, John Sinclair, James Dyer, E. E. Pettigrew and Theo. Brooks, Miss Norah Mather, city clerk; Kim Thorson M.L.A.; Thos McLean, vice-president of the Estevan Board of Trade and about thirty Estevan residents.

The ceremony involved the signing and approving of an Order-In-Council, requiring the issuance of a Proclamation to incorporate the Town of Estevan, as the City of Estevan.

Several copies of the Order were signed by the Premier, who then rose from his chair, and asked the Lieutenant-Governor to approve the Order. Hon. Mr. Patterson (a former premier) signed the documents, then Deputy Provincial Secretary, Leo. J. Beaudry and Deputy Attorney-General J. L. Saiterio.

The Proclamation declaring Estevan to be a City of the Province of Saskatchewan was presented to the Lieutenant-Govenor, who signed two copies. One of these copies was then presented to His Worship, Mayor Harry Nicholson, for the city of Estevan. As the Lieutenant-Govenor presented the copy of the Proclamation to Mayor Nicholson he said, "At this exact moment the City of Estevan comes into existence". It was 11:30 A.M. MST.

Following the official ceremonies the entire contingent were guests of Kim Thorson, MLA, and the Department of Municipal Affairs at a luncheon served in the Legislative buildings.

A few hours after Estevan had become a city, Kim Thorson, MLA, made special mention of the event in a speech in the Legislative Assembly. In part, he said, "There are vast deposits of lignite coal in the Souris River valley, and the Bienfait-Estevan coal fields produce annually about two million tons of that coal. To feed the new power plant under construction, such production during the next four years will increase from two million to three million tons per year. These resources of coal, plus clay deposits and agricultural land, have made possible a fairly strong and vigorous economy."

The economic life of the area began to move forward at a headlong and spectacular rate, when light gravity oil was discovered just 18 miles east of Estevan in 1954. Estevan is located in the so-called

Estevan was raised to the status of a City on Williston basin, which holds a vast reservoir of petroleum and natural gas.

By a coincidence, Estevan became a City exactly 51 years after it had been incorporated as a town. Glen Allan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Weinrauch of Estevan, and Kim, son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Quinn, now living in Leduc, Alberta were born on this day.

Estevan was Saskatchewan's ninth City with a population of 5230, according to the census of June, 1966, though nine months later, it was estimated to be 50% higher.

Following the incorporation, letters of congratulations were received from the mayors of the other eight cities, Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Yorkton, Swift Current and Weyburn.

On the first City Council were Mayor H. Nicholson, Aldermen, H. Claskey, Jas. Dyer, Frank Marwood, Ed. Pettigrew, C. T. Brooks,. and John Sinclair. Those filling aldermanic chairs since the first Council have been: J. Moss, R. Walker, H. Van Dam, 1. McDougall, S. Henders, W. Outhwaite, P. J. Attrill, J. M. Mack, D. English, Mrs. 1. Petterson, W. Wilkowich, J. 0. Chapman, R. A. Larter, N. Morsky, G. F. Fordyce, E. Jellinek, J. Barabash, R. Brown, D. A. Perry, C. Hawkes, G. Gelmich, G. Wahlmeler, Glen Peterson, J. Deadlock, J. Melynk, J. M. Wanner, R. Houde, G. Breckenridge, L. Watson, Ernie Dahl, Bernie Collins.

John Barabash was elected mayor in 1966 for a two year term 1967-68, defeating H. Nicholson, who had a record of 28 years as a mayor of a town and city.

Jos. Locke was City Commissioner from its incorporation till 1960, when he was succeeded by W. A. Bilawich followed by Marcel Hoste, who is the present clerk.

The old City Hall was built in 1910. It was felt by the City Fathers that after 55 years the building was outdated, and no longer adequate to provide the best service to the rate payers, with crowded office conditions. The adjoining police station was even more inadequate. Tentative plans for a new city hall were made. The proposed building was to contain all city departments, including police, together with a recreation hall. It was anticipated that this would serve the city's need for the next 60 years.

A vote, taken on the issue on September 8, 1965, resulted in the defeat of the proposal with 392 votes for and 1090 against, and 7 rejected ballots.

When Estevan was incorporated as a City, the land area comprised North West quarter of Section 14, all of sections 22 and 23, the west half of section 24 and 25, all of sections 26 and 27, all in township 2, range 8, west of 2nd Meridian.