The Museums Settlers Village

The Melfort Museum Settler’s Village features 26 buildings with original artifacts. Tour during our summer season

The Bennett House became one of the initial steps toward a permanent museum, in the town of Melfort, when it was donated by Jim Bennett of Pathlow, Saskatchewan, in 1973. Today, the downstairs flooring, the main staircase and several of the interior walls are from the original home, while the upstairs flooring and log walls have all been replaced. The exterior log walls, which were squared at the time of the house's initial construction, were assembled with timber obtained from the land of Dr. Christianson of Love, Saskatchewan, nephew of Emma Whittome.

The Canada Cafe and Laundry - This building was built in 2020. Most towns in the area have had at least one Chinese Cafe and Laundry in the town. The Canada Café was situated on main street of Melfort 1921-1922 owner was Charlie Lee. In 1947-1968 the café was operated by Art Mah. In 1968 Cheung Wing took over management.

The Rothwell School - The Rothwell School District, situated on the 44 Trail approximately one mile east of Clemens the school was initially known as South Melfort School District and was formed in May of 1894. At the formation, the chairman was Benjamin Rothwell and the secretary treasurer was Reginald Beatty. The Rothwell school, over 120 years old, was moved to the museum in 1975. The School’s Flagpole, located on N.E. corner of school, was originally from the new Clapton School (1930).

“The Indigenous Peoples and Archaeology Building Exhibit” AWARD OF MERIT FOR 2021 We acknowledge that we are situated on Treaty 6 territory, the traditional lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Dene, and Nakota peoples and the homeland of the Metis. The building is relatively new and contains many exhibits of Indigenous peoples. We honour and pay our respects to the Elders - past, present and future- who carry forward the rich memories, traditions, cultures, and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples. We are committed to fostering mutual respect and understanding.

The Village Sawmill In 1987, Fred Shawaga of Weekes, Sask. donated to our museum a working sawmill, along with many other smaller items (all 2001-005 items) that were a part of the lumbering industry many years ago. The museum built a shed to house the equipment, along with other similar items, and set it up to be used. Demonstrations have been given periodically, especially during Fair week.

The Dentists Office The dentistry equipment displayed belonged to Melfort and area dentists, including among them Dr. Campion Swartout, Melfort's first female dentist. Dr. Campion Swartout’s maiden name was Helen Campion Klasen. She was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and attended Post-Secondary at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1947. Dr. Campion married Dr. D.B. Swartout, a physician at the Lady Minto Hospital in Melfort. During a time where the medical arts were typically still a “man’s profession,” and women had the role of staying home and raising the children, Dr. Campion efforts were incredibly significant.

The Pioneer General Store The general store is not an original building. It was constructed of old lumber obtained from area buildings. The foundation was poured in 1992 and the structure was completed in 1996. It is not intended to resemble any one business, but aims instead to recreate the atmosphere prevalent in rural communities during the period between the late teens and late 1940’s

The Hardware Building The Hardware Building was constructed in 2018. In 2020 was developed with a sample of the Museum's considerable tool collection. It focuses on carpentry tools, automotive tools, and tools used for farming purposes. Ron Jellicoe contributed a large collection of tools in 1992, providing the museum with a number of diverse artifacts. Many of the tools displayed could still perform their intended tasks today and, in many cases, modern designs vary little from their predecessors.

The Fire Hall The Fire Hall building is not an original building and was built on museum grounds. Its purpose is to display a variety of coal and wood burning stoves, kerosene stoves and heaters and gas stoves. As well, there are photos from the Broadway School fire and many artifacts.

The Milk house Originally part of the Bennett farmstead, the Milk House was moved to the Museum grounds in 1973 - at the same time as the other Bennett structures. The logs of the Milk House remain those originally cut by hand and hauled during the winter months to the farmstead. They were squared off by members of the Bennett family using a broad axe; unlike those of the house, they have been only reassembled onsite, not replaced. Milk houses were built into the ground in order to maintain coolness for the foods stored within and could be found on both farm and town home-sites.

Dr. Shadd’s Doctors Office Dr Shadd building (Doctor’s Office) was built in 2013 by Museum Volunteers to honor Dr Shadd. Medicine in the late 1890s and early 1900s was considerably different than that practiced today. The few doctors within the area were responsible for an area that could span hundreds of miles. House calls were the norm and would frequently involve travelling by horse, cutter or democrat for great distances in a wide variety of weather.

St. Pauls Anglican Church St. Paul's Anglican Church was central to the community of Meskanaw for many years. Its history is closely tied that of the founding families of the area. St. Paul’s Anglican Church was built in 1907 on a site presently occupied by the Meskanaw cemetery. The first church service was held on April 14th 1907 and was conducted by Canon Thomas Clarke. The building was consecrated in the spring of 1909 by Bishop Newnham.

The Exhibit Hall The Exhibit Hall was originally built on the Agricultural Society grounds in 1906 and was used by the society as its first display hall. In the early 1970's, the structure served as a forerunner of Melfort’s current museum. For a number of summers, during the Exhibition, the Exhibit Hall was used to display a harness shop and a blacksmith shop, as well as a number of antique travel vehicles and household appliances. The structure was moved to its present location in 1980. The upper level houses a portion of the Melfort and District Museum’s artifact collection in storage, while the lower level serves as a display area. The Exhibit hall underwent a transformation in 2019 the transportation area remained. A Telephone, Bank, Radio/record player, bike display as well as many other fascinating artifacts are presented.

The Melfort Post Office Both the general store (which began in 1902) and the post office (which followed in 1903) were an important part of the South Melfort district (now Resource) in the early 1900s. Although small in size, the post office and general store were significant in servicing the pioneers living in the area. In the building, friends and neighbours gathered, warming themselves around the tall Quebec heater in the winter months.

The Fairy Glen Co-op The Fairy Glen Co-op Bulk Fuel was opened about 1940. This small office building was used, along with a larger warehouse, for the sale of oils, lubricants, and other bulk products. In the beginning, gasoline was transported in 45-gallon drums from the Regina refinery by local farmers. It was then either picked up by area farmers or delivered to them in the same drums. There were also underground tanks with hand operated pumps for the retail trade, which were filled from the barrels. A few years later the switch was made from 45-gallon drums to bulk fuel tankers and tanks.

The Bunk House - Cook House The threshing crew normally moved from farm to farm, since only the largest and best equipped farms would own such equipment. The cook house and bunk house, pulled by horses or a tractor, would be moved to new locations when the threshing machine was moved to a new field. It was a very demanding but also exciting time for everyone involved. Many pies were baked, the chickens worked overtime supplying eggs, and gallons of tea and coffee were consumed. The horses and crew worked long hours hoping to get the threshing done before winter set in.

The Barber Shop Frank Dean was a barber for sixty years of his life, thirty-seven of which were spent in the barbershop in Melfort. He was an expert at his job and few complained of a poor cut or shave from this master barber. Even those with the toughest of beards, which were known as squirrels received a smooth shave from Frank Dean. Dean (1876-1961) started barbering in Souris, Manitoba in 1898. From there he spent three years in Brandon, Manitoba. In 1907, he traveled to Hanley, set up a barbershop and at the same time took out homestead papers on a quarter section of land near Outlook, Saskatchewan. In 1922 he moved to Melfort, traveling with his family in their Overland touring car.

The Blacksmith Shop The Melfort and District Museum's Blacksmith Shop was originally located across from the United Church at 209 Burrows Avenue West and had been previously used as a barn by John Halvorson. The structure was moved to the Museum grounds in 1973. Initially a two storey building, the second level was removed upon its relocation. The style of the structure is similar to that of the blacksmith shop originally found on the Bennett farm.

The Real Estate Building The Real Estate and Land Claims Office was originally run by Reginald Beatty and Robert Wood as a Land Titles and Insurance Office and was located on the south end of Main Street. Reginald Beatty was the areas first white settler and a founder of the Stoney Creek Settlement. When the town moved, he set up his business just north east of the Rail Road Station on the south side of Saskatchewan Ave. The two men, both of whom played prominent roles in the development of Melfort, formed a partnership in 1906 with Wood as public notary - a public official or solicitor who is legally authorized to witness the signing of documents and to perform other formal transactions - and Beatty as commissionaire.

The Machinery Shed The Machinery Shed was built in 2007, after a fire destroyed the previous shed housing machinery artifacts at the Museum. Some of the artifacts were lost in the fire, but several were salvageable, including the Whittome Snowplows. This shed holds tractors that have been restored or are slated for restoration. As well in the Machinery shed, we have a large display of licence plates and motor engines.

The Grist Mill The North shed, situated between the Milk House and Blacksmith Shop, shelters a number of grinding implements (grist mills) that were used to grind grain into flour. Mills were often community owned and used. Key to the success of a good millstone was its dressing. The cut stone faces turned against each other, crushing the grain and pushing it outward to spill off the edges of the stones. Patterns generally consisted of grooved lines, the "furrows," alternated with flat plains, the "field." Because newly milled flour did not make bread as good as that which was aged, it was important that one lay in a good stock that could sit approximately ten months before use. Modern millers are permitted to use improvers/oxidants to age flour rapidly, but little was known of cereal chemistry during the late 19th century.

The Caboose The Melfort & District Museum is home to a fully restored 1912 Canadian Pacific Railway caboose. Originally used on routes between Prince Albert and Nipawin, the caboose was later used as a yard caboose before being donated by the Western Development Museum and acquired by the museum in 2019. Museum volunteers completed extensive restoration work on the exterior, interior, and surrounding grounds, finishing the project in late summer 2026. The restoration used wood and materials consistent with the caboose’s original construction, helping preserve this important piece of railway history for visitors to enjoy.