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These
gentlemen
were
on
a
scouting
tour,
in
search
of
the
most
likely
spot
for
the
Canadian
Pacific
Rail
lines
(CPR)
divisional
The construction of the CPR with 7,600 men and 1,700 teams of horses proceeded west from the Manitoba border in 1882. They reached the settlement site of Moose Jaw in July of 1882. Once the end of the line was through Moose Jaw, population grew rapidly, and by the fall of 1882 there was a vibrant community with stores and saloons and dozens of shacks and canvass tents.By May of 1883 the population of Moose Jaw fluctuated between 2,000 and 3,000.
The rapid settlement after the turn of the century brought Moose Jaw to prominence in Western Canada and ushered in a commercial and industrial boom period. The Town Council sought and gained City status in November, 1903. As the homesteads spread south and west, Moose Jaw became the wholesale distribution centre for a large trading area and began processing of agricultural products. The railway connections east, west and south drew numerous manufacturing industries and identified Moose Jaw as the leading industrial centre of the province. Moose
Jaw,
which
is
located
in
the
heart
of
the
continents
great
wheat
belt,
was
soon
recognized
as
an
important
business
educational
and
cultural
center
in
1903,
In
fact,
it
paved
the
way
for
a
10
year
population
explosion.
By
1913
the
population
rose
from
2,500
to
14,000. According to fact or fiction, tunnels were built from the former CP Rail station on Manitoba Street to the Cornerstone Inn across the street. A secret above-ground entrance behind the Cornerstone Inn was the hub of a network of tunnels that included one directly across Main Street to the former Exchange Cafe, once one of Saskatchewan's finest dining establishments. Other tunnel links went north up Main Street and west along River Street to the Royal and Brunswick Hotels.
By 1914, Moose Jaw was realizing an unpredictable boom, the city boasted electricity, paved streets, and a street railway. Moose Javians view their history with a mixture of pride, amusement and ambivalence. The Roaring Twenties brought a measure of notoriety to the city, with "celebrities" like Al Capone rumored to have stayed in downtown hotels. Getaway tunnels are said to exist under many of the downtown buildings. While the tunnels, of which only a few have been found, are generally associated with those heady days, they were actually built decades earlier for the Chinese railroad workers avoiding the "head tax" of the time Moose Jaw is an urban center with historic charm in the heart of hard wheat country. This gateway to the Southwest Region of Saskatchewan has a colorful past and a wealth of heritage and culture. Moose
Jaw
is
known
as
the
"Friendly
City"
|
point.
The
Canadian
Pacific
Railway
chose
the
tow
site
adjacent
to
the
Moose
Jaw
River
to
ensure
water
supply
for
their
steam
engines.
Both
industry
and
commercial
trade
expanded
with
agricultural
settlement,
and
Moose
Jaw,
because
it
was
a
CPR
divisional
point,
was
the
chosen
location
for
major
processing.
A
major
fire
in
1891
destroyed
the
first
block
of
Main
Street
however,
this
failed
to
dampen
the
zeal
of
the
early
pioneers.
By
1903,
Moose
Jaw
possessed
all
the
basic
essentials
of
a
city
and
was
incorporated
as
such
November
20,1903.
