Town Of Rockglen
We invite you to make Rockglen your home while you explore central Saskatchewan's South Country! Nestled in a broad valley that was once the bed of a prehistoric lake where dinosaurs roamed, the steep clay faces of the surrounding hills still reflect the moulding action of those ancient waters.
Rockglen has a number of vacant lots for sale in Town. For more information, you can contact the Town of Rockglen Office at (306) 476-2144 or email rockglen1@sasktel.net. There is also a list of available houses for sale at the Town Office.
Plan to spend a few days with us. Take the tour of the local area. View the aboriginal hunting grounds, a Buffalo Jump, Meteor Impact Crater, archeological digs, and the Effie Mattson Nature Park. Take in some of the local events and make yourself at home! You will find the local scene beautiful and peaceful. You can hike through unspoiled hills and valleys, indulge yourself in bird-watching, wildlife photography, hiking and exploring native prairie trails. You'll find an abundance of wildlife such as deer, elk and antelope, and in our unspoiled, open spaces you'll be able to view several endangered species as well. Freedom from "people pollution" is part of our everyday life.
Besides all this, Rockglen also offers you year-round access to the South Country Recreation Area,including the Big Muddy Badlands, the St. Victor Petroglyphs, Wood Mountain's Historical Sites, the Killdeer Badlands and the East Block of the Grasslands National Park; all within about half an hour's drive!
Fife Lake
The tree-lined streets of this prairie hamlet are an inviting reprieve from the heat on a summer day. Once a bustling little village located seven kilometres from Fife Lake, it is now home to a tightly knit community that still operates a post office, hotel and bar, the Adrian Langford Jubilee Memorial Rink and the United Church. Residents cooperate to keep the remaining centres active. In winter, the rink is home to many young people whose parents grew up viewing it as a home away from home.
In summer, visitors will find the Fife Lake Hotel and Bar a hospitable stopping place for a meal, a night's lodging, or brief respite and a tall cool one in pleasant company. A stroll around townsoon makes one comfortably aware of the love of gardening shared by many of the town's residents. Enjoy some time away from the bustle of everyday life. Come visit!
Scout Lake
In the center of a small valley, bordered at the last of the eastern portion of the Cypressrange, is a small hamlet with a history of bootlegging, murder and fires.
The first appearance of settlement of the hamlet came in 1925, when an old French settler established a small general store one mile south of the present Scout Lake.
The town was first located on the corners of Ernest Kuebler’s, Stan Hutchinson’s and George Meens’ land.
On the Kuebler corner Scotty Jenkins ran the Citizens Lumberyard. There was also Robinson’s garage, and Scotty Monteith’s Hotel. Mr. Sproule had a real-estate office which he later moved to Rockglen. Durkee’s Cafe was also moved there later. Kim Yee had a laundry; Doc Smith was the doctor and Tom Marum had a livery stable. Kueblers sold milk to the town folk.
On Meens corner was the Coutu Store and the post office which was looked after by Mr. Fenwick. The school was built in 1924 and Mrs. Hutchinson was the first teacher. Then in 1928 a new school was built beside the highway and the old school was owned by the Anglican Church congregation. It was later moved near the eastern outskirts of the new town, beside the highway. It stood there for over forty years, then was sold and moved.
On the Hutchinson corner, Clark and Scott had a store and Baldicks a barber shop. Mr. Dude Siler hauled express and passengers from Assiniboia to Scout Lake and Rockglen
Mail was received in the town, about once every two weeks, when a carrier would bring it from Moose Jaw by horse and buggy.
Shortly after the hamlet began, a rough census taken by a resident showed that ten percent of the population were bootleggers and almost fifty percent of the local buildings were used by them.
The long awaited C.P.R. rail line began in 1926 and the station was built one mile north of the hamlet, so the settlers had to move the hamlet to the station and elevators.
Ed Lumb moved the buildings to the new site by steam engine and a 15-30 McCormick tractor.
The highlight of the week was when the mail came twice a week on the train going south. Everyone went to meet the train to see who and what got off the train. Stores stayed open until nine o’clock at night so when the farmers picked up the mail they could shop and visit one another.
It was about the time that the railroad was being built that Scout Lake had its one and only murder and it still remains a mystery. Old Bill Lindevick was on his way to his feed stack when he noticed a bundle of rags near the stack. It was a young man with the back of his head caved in. No one knew who he was and the police never found out who killed him.
After the railroad came in, the elevators were built. The first agents were Bill Siler, Mac Webb, and Silmer Moe.
The first C.P.R. Agent was Bert Lobb and Mrs. Allingham was the first telephone operator.
Ben and Lightning, two Chinese cooks, ran the restaurant.
The first radio in the district was owned by Matt Lang. Mr. Kuebler was the first J.P. and George Meens owned the first stopping house.
Milk was delivered to the town by Matt Fields, Kueblers, George Parkers. Joe Staubers and finally, Ken Emerys, in 1951.
In 1928 a fire destroyed the Coutu Store and post office, and also the Monteith Hotel. The worst fire that took place was when a rooming house, owned by Mrs. Durkee, burned to the ground overnight.
The two-room school was built in 1926 beside the highway. When the larger school unit grew. the school closed and children were bused to Rockglen.
There is some doubt about how Scout Lake got its name. Here are some of the stories told. When the N.W.M.P. came from Willow Bunch, following the pole trail to WoodMountain, they were scouting and would stop at Baker’s slough to camp. Another story was that the named the station Scout Lake, a name chosen by early settlers after the Custer Massacre, because Scouts were located there to watch Sitting Bull’s Indians.
Still another story was that in 1907, some cowboys from Oxbow came over to catch wild horses, and took them back home. They sold them to the farmers for five hundred dollars a team. At that time, the Cote hill was called Scout Hill because these cowboys used to go up on this hill and scout for wild horses. This is the highest hill in the area and south of the hill the slough was filled with water. They called it Scout Lake.
The town grew steadily. Clark and Scott sold their store to Jack McKibben who later sold to Scout Lake Co-op with Jack Robinson as the manager
Mattson’s pool room was sold to Deshayes for a house in 1929 and they also built a store.
The Chinese restaurant and hotel was sold to Herman Weers but in 1939, he in turn sold it to John Karst. John made a dance hall in the restaurant with a pool room downstairs.
The blacksmith shop, owned by Williams, was sold to Charlie Franks who in turn sold it to Joe Weleisch.
George and Paul Sabourin now owned Dude Siler’s garage and Camby Jenson had the Imperial Oil. Citizens Lumberyard was still owned by Scotty Jenkins.
Deshayes store, sold to Bill Chubey and Peter Sherman, later burned.
Many changes took place and buildings have been moved. Many have deteriorated and been demolished.
Although small, Scout Lake has one of the most active organizations in the country, The Women’s Co-op Club was formed in 1949, having seventeen members with Olga Perrier as secretary and Mrs. Hutchinson as president. They bought the community hall in 1948 and the women have made almost a “clean sweep” of participation in hamlet activities.
In 1952, a new curling rink was built by volunteer local residents and farmers. When curling began there were twenty-two rinks and the president of the club was Peter Lawrick with Gordon Skjerven acting as secretary.
Then the C.P.R. station closed, next the school and the hamlet became, like so many little towns, very quiet.
At present the twenty-three residents arc enjoying the peace and quiet and are proud of their little hamlet.
Scout Lake School district # 3604
In 1926, Scout Lake School was built lust a little south of the town beside the highway. The school was built by J. C. Moen and Brothers from the Assiniboia area. It had two classrooms and a full basement
The first teachers were Miss Bessie Lakken and Miss M. J. Hadder. There were approximately sixty children when the school opened its doors.
Teacher salaries varied from $950- $1050 yearly. The first trustees were Mr. S. W. Hutchinson W. W. Hutchinson and John Baker. Chairman — S. W. Hutchinson and secretary was Mrs. Lillian Hutchinson. The Superintendent was R. D. Coutts.
Then in 1967 the school doors closed and the children were busedto Rockglen. At the time of closing Mrs. Barbara Mogenson taught Division I and had nineteen pupils. Mrs. Thelma Grain taught seventeen pupils in Division II.
The Chairman on the school board was J. Armbruster and Secretary Robert Ager. The Superintendent was Mrs. R. N. Pletch.
(Taken from the “Rolling Hills of Home” First edition 1978)
Stop at the Scout Lake Co-op for directions, and share some of the area's tales of murder, bootlegging and fires with locals who gather there for coffee. You'll find yourself more than welcome.
Lisieux
In 1915 a general store was erected south of the present location of Lisieux, this was to be the beginning of a unique community. Over the next few years more buildings were added and in 1917 the hamlet was named Joeville after Joseph Prefontaine, one of the area homesteaders. By 1925 Joeville was a fair-sized hamlet with a pool hall, 2 drug stores , a lumber yard, a real estate office, a garage, 2 cafe's. a jeweler, a hardware store and a power plant.
When the railway arrived in 1926 a controversy began with one group wanting to move Joeville toward the site where two grain elevators were constructed by the tracks. In the end 26 buildings were moved to Rockglen and the rest to the new site and Joeville was renamed Lisieux after a city in France.
As with many towns and hamlets, Lisieux has declined over the years and now is home to the ST. Theresa Catholic Church and a few residents.
Killdeer
Founded by Russian immigrants, this little hamlet with a big heart has thrived culturally even as it shrank physically. It's located just southeast of the eastern gateway to the Grasslands National Park and the Killdeer Badlands.
A close-knit community, the people of Killdeer maintained links with one another long after the town itself disappeared. Much like the fabled Brigadoon, every five years the community magically comes to life again. The rebirth begins with the pitching of a huge tent that acts as a centre for one of the area's largest recurring reunions. Every five years, former residents of this little town make their way back to their former homes. For one amazing weekend, there is continual music, conversation, dancing and mingling. Old acquaintances are renewed, old tales retold. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the crowd disperses, the tent is struck and silence returns to boundless prairie. Should you choose to attend one of these celebrations, you'll find the local people friendly and welcoming. The last reunion was held in 2003, and already the planning committee is gearing up for 2008.
The town is located just southeast of the eastern gateway to the Grasslands National Park and the Killdeer Badlands. You'll find that folks in the area are more than helpful to eco-tourists and explorers who want to see what the prairies were like before the coming of the settlers in the 1880s. Come prepared to rough it, but rest assured you'll never forget the land, the stars, and the peaceful quiet of its undisturbed nature.