History
Rockglen is situated in the Wood Mountain Uplands. Because this area was not affected by the last glacial movement, our fossils are often not buried by tons of overburden. Over the years these hills have yielded trilobites from 425 million years ago and brontosaurus skeletons from 100 million years ago. A giant sea turtle from 63 millon years past has been excavated in the Killdeer area, and many fossils of prehistoric mammals including the three-toed horse, squirrels, mice, rabbits, weasels and shrews from 15 millon years ago have been unearthed just a couple of miles west of town.
Petrified wood are readily found, the largest being a four by thirty foot tree which was unearthed a few miles east of Fife Lake Village. Imprints of tropical plants and other plant fossils may be found between layers of sandstone and in the lignite coal seams in our area.
It was only after the last period of glaciation some 18,000 year ago that mankind showed up in Saskatchewan as evidenced by a stone spearhead, estimated at 10,000 years old, found near Mortlach a few miles north of here. The Aboriginal people have left a rich heritage of stone-age culture in our area, with scrapers, stone hammers, grinding tools, teepee rings and arrow heads to be readily found throughout the district. Some of these relics may be seen at the Tourism Information Station.
Our more recent history, the stories of the first white settlers, farmers, ranchers and business men, can be read in Volumes 1 and 2 of our history books "The Rolling Hills of Home" which are available at the Tourism Information Station. Stop in to browse and have a coffee.