Kayville Timeline 1910’s

The 1910s for Saskatchewan were characterized by rapid growth and development, as well as significant challenges, particularly marked by the outbreak of World War I. This period shaped much of the province’s early political, economic, and social landscape.

The early 1910s continued the trend of rapid expansion that began when Saskatchewan became a province in 1905. The government encouraged immigration to boost agricultural development, attracting settlers from across Europe and other parts of Canada. This influx led to a population boom, transforming the province into a primarily agrarian society with burgeoning communities. The land was subdivided into numerous new farms, and towns sprang up to serve the growing rural population.

Agriculture drove the province’s economy, with wheat becoming the dominant crop. The expansion of the railway network facilitated the transport of agricultural products to national and international markets, underpinning Saskatchewan’s economic growth during this period. However, the economy was still vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices and local climatic conditions.

The outbreak of World War I in 1914 had profound effects on Saskatchewan. Many men volunteered or were conscripted into military service, leading to labor shortages back home. Women increasingly took on roles traditionally held by men, both in agriculture and in emerging industrial opportunities. The war also stimulated certain sectors of the economy, such as manufacturing related to the war effort.

Politically, the 1910s saw the emergence of progressive and socialist ideas. The Saskatchewan Grain Growers’ Association became politically influential, advocating for farmers’ rights and more equitable economic policies. These movements laid the groundwork for the future rise of cooperative and socialist movements, including the eventual formation of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in the 1930s.

The decade also witnessed significant social changes. The growth in population and economic prosperity led to an increase in institutions such as schools and churches. However, the war and economic fluctuations brought social strain, which was further compounded by the 1918 influenza pandemic. The pandemic had a devastating impact, affecting nearly every community in Saskatchewan and resulting in significant loss of life.

Kayville Timeline (1910 – 1919)

1910

1911

• In June of 1911 the people of Saskatchewan were enumerated for the 1911 Canada Census. Read more in the article 1911 Census: Regina.
• Saskatchewan Cooperative Elevator Company is founded as a farmer-owned grain handling business.¹

1912

• 1912 Regina Warehouse District in Ruins Following Tornado
• On June 30, 1912 an F4 tornado devastated the nearby capital, Regina.  The ‘Regina Cyclone’ killed 28 people and destroyed more than 400 buildings. Many area residents, including people from the Kayville region, participated in the cleanup and reconstruction.  Some enterprising homesteaders salvaged lumber and materials from the wreckage and repurposed it for buildings on their nascent farms. Read more about the event on Wikipedia.
• Mining of clay for making bricks begins in Claybank, Saskatchewan approximately 50km north of Kayville, to the west of Avonlea.  The brick making factory was called Dominion Fire Brick and Pottery Company.  It became Saskatchewan’s largest brick producer and operated for 77 years, closing in 1989.
• William “Bill” McKay had the first area Post Office when he lived on NE-09-09-24-W2 with Julius Martin.  They hauled mail from Truax.  The powers at the Post Office were trying to choose a name for the outlet and sent William a list of ten names.  He chose the name on the list “Kayville” which might have been a nod to his surname ‘McKay’.  On October 1, 1912 Canada Post officially created the Kayville Post Office naming William McKay as the Postmaster.  He would perform the duty until 1914.^2,3
• 
  1921 Dan and Anna Kozack in The Store on the Hill
• (abt 1912) Dan T. Kozak opens ‘The Store on the Hill’ on Estafi Ritco’s land.  The store would be moved into Kayville in 1924 and operate there until 1945.⁴

1913

• August 28, 1913 It was alleged that John Cojocari, his brother Nicolai Cojocari and Mordari Puscar severely beat a known troublemaker, John Paicu, at a party on a farm near Avonlea.  John Paicu died of his injuries two days later.  The accused were arrested and jailed. Read more in Manslaughter in the Death of John Paicu.

1914

• October 5, 1914 William “Bill” McKay resigns as Postmaster after beginning the job two years prior in 1912.²
• Excelsis School opens on the northeast corner of SE-12-9-24-W2 (Karl Jackle Sr. land)which is 1.5 miles east of Kayville.  There were fourteen students that first year. A.D. Donisan the area photographer took photographs.  The school would operate for twenty-three years with more students each year until it burnt down in 1937.^1,5
• August 15, 1914 the Government of Canada issued the Proclamation Respecting Immigrants of German or Austro-Hungarian Nationality. It authorized the arrest and detention of Canadians from Germany or Austria-Hungary if there were “reasonable grounds” to believe they were “engaged or attempting to engage in espionage or acts of a hostile nature, or giving or attempting to give information to the enemy, or assisting or attempting to assist the enemy.” According to official records, 8,579 men were held at 24 internment camps and receiving stations across Canada. This included 5,954 men of Austro-Hungarian origin, the majority of whom were Ukrainian. There were also 2,009 Germans, 205 Turks, and 99 Bulgarians.⁶

1915

• (aft 1914) Earliest grocery store operated in the town by Mr. Lapp. (There was a George Lapp who operated a grocery and dry goods store in Dahinda maybe from 1924 until 1929 when it burned down.  Maybe the store in Kayville was before or after this?) ^1,7
• (aft 1914) Security Lumber Company, Jack Kemp as Agent, open for business in the earliest days.  Later Agents after Jack Kemp were Alex Y. Kinnaird (abt 1929-1936⁸), Alec Ivanoff, Henry Enns, Paul Avram and Cecil Mostel.  The lumber yard closed in 1957.¹
• (aft 1914) First town blacksmith shop is opened by Adam Baumgarten and Sons and operates for three or four years.  The blacksmith shop was initially built on the northwest corner of the main intersection but moved shortly afterward to it’s permanent location on the south side of the main street on the east side of the building on the southeast corner of the main intersection.¹ 
• W. W. Smith becomes the Postmaster on August 31, 1915.  He performs the job until early in the year of 1921.¹⁹
• Saint Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church built six miles northwest of Kayville on land donated by John Ursu Sr. on NW-32-09-24-W2^9,6

1916

• In June 1916 Saskatchewan was enumerated in the 1916 Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
• Saskatchewan implemented a prohibition law. The Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) refused to enforce the law. The government would find a solution in the following year.¹⁰

1917

• Saskatchewan government finds a solution to the Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) refusing to enforce the prohibition law created the previous year (1916). The province formed the Saskatchewan Provincial Police (SPP) out of the “whiskey spotter” which had been created in 1906. The SPP enforced prohibition along with game and fire acts, school attendance, and public entertainment. They would function until prohibition was repealed in 1924 and then were officially abolished in 1928.¹¹

1918

• Saint Peter and Paul Romanian Orthodox Church was rebuilt larger^1,12
• Spanish Influenza epidemic (waves #1 and #2) kills many babies, children and some adults in the area.  See also: Spanish Influenza (1918-1919)
• (abt 1918) Mr. Farley takes over the town blacksmith shop from Adam Baumgarten and Sons and operates it for about 12 years until 1930.¹

1919

• Spanish Influenza epidemic (waves #2 and #3) continues from the previous year, killing more.  See also: Spanish Influenza (1918-1919)

1. Wikipedia contributors. (2024, June 4). ‘Saskatchewan’. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:21, June 12, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saskatchewan&oldid=1227153480 ↩︎
2. “William McKay”, Page 322, “Prairie Grass to Golden Grain:  RM 70 Ogema & Surrounding Areas” (1982), ISBN 0-919-533-10-8, Ogema and District Historical Society ↩︎
3. Library and Archives Canada, Post Offices and Postmasters, Source: PSFDS03-(10149), Item Number: 4680, “Kayville” ↩︎
4. “Dan Kozak”, Pages 320-321, John Kozak, “Prairie Grass to Golden Grain:  RM 70 Ogema & Surrounding Areas” (1982), ISBN 0-919-533-10-8, Ogema and District Historical Society ↩︎
5. “Excelsis S.D. Excelsis School No. 2994”, Pages 308-309, Karl R. Jackle, “Prairie Grass to Golden Grain:  RM 70 Ogema & Surrounding Areas” (1982), ISBN 0-919-533-10-8, Ogema and District Historical Society ↩︎
6. Roy, Patricia E.. “Internment in Canada”.  The Canadian Encyclopedia, 11 June 2020, Historica Canada. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/internment. Accessed 27 June 2024. ↩︎
7. “Dahinda Village”, Pages 22-25, Geoff Bywater, “Prairie Grass to Golden Grain:  RM 70 Ogema & Surrounding Areas” (1982), ISBN 0-919-533-10-8, Ogema and District Historical Society ↩︎
8. “Alex Trofin Family”, Pages 331-332, Conn Trofin, “Prairie Grass to Golden Grain:  RM 70 Ogema & Surrounding Areas” (1982), ISBN 0-919-533-10-8, Ogema and District Historical Society ↩︎
9. “St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Parish Cemetery, Kayville”, Page 92,  “Prairie Grass to Golden Grain:  RM 70 Ogema & Surrounding Areas” (1982), ISBN 0-919-533-10-8, Ogema and District Historical Society ↩︎
10. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, Law and Justice, https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/law_and_justice.jsp, viewed August 9, 2020 ↩︎
11. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, Law and Justice, https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/law_and_justice.jsp, viewed August 9, 2020 ↩︎
12. “Related History” of Saint Peter and Paul Romanian Orthodox Church posted in Bell Tower at original cemetery ↩︎

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