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| Moose Jaw, 1920s. Saskatchewan Archives R-A175 |
Why the name Moose Jaw?
Moose Jaw began as a winter encampment for the Cree and Assiniboine Nations. The narrow crossing at the river and plentiful game made Moose Jaw an ideal place for an early settlement of fur traders.
Warm
breezes often flowed through the valley where the settlement lay. The Cree word
Moosegaw means warm breezes and later the “g” was replaced with a “j” and Moose
Jaw was born.
The city's early beginnings
The first homestead was established by James Hamilton Ross who arrived in Moose
Jaw during dead of winter on January 2, 1882 to become the first permanent
resident to settle there.
Ross
and the four others he was travelling with, including Hector Sutherland, were in
search of the most likely spot for the Canadian Pacific Rail lines (CPR).
Choosing
a site adjacent to the Moose Jaw River to ensure a water supply for their steam
engines, almost 8,000 men and 2,000 horses flooded west from the Manitoba
border to construct the CPR, reaching Moose Jaw in July, 1882.
A growing community
Once
the end of the line was through Moose Jaw, the city’s population grew rapidly,
and by the fall of that same year, there were stores, saloons and dozens of
shacks and canvass tents.
By
May, 1883, the population of Moose Jaw fluctuated between 2,000 and 3,000. The
settlement continued to grow rapidly and was incorporated into a city on
November 20, 1903.
Moose Jaw grew to prominence in Western
Canada as it experienced a commercial and industrial boom. With rail lines going east, west
and south, the city became a hub for industry, agriculture and commercial trade. By 1913, the population grew to
14,000. Moose Jaw’s unpredictable boom allowed the city to boast electricity, paved streets, and a street railway as early as 1914.
Moose Jaw underground
Bootlegging, gambling and
prostitution began to thrive, but these shady industries were literally kept underground
in the basements of hotels and restaurants that were connected by underground
tunnels. These tunnels were built from the
former CP Rail Station on Manitoba Street to the Cornerstone Inn across the
street where there was a secret above-ground entrance behind the Inn.
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| The Moose Jaw Tunnels attraction. Photo: Thomas Bartlett |
The Roaring Twenties brought a
measure of notoriety to the city, with "celebrities," like Al Capone
and Morris “Two-Gun” Cohen, rumored to have stayed in downtown hotels.
Today, Moose Jaw is home to over 30,000 people and is best known as a tourist destination with many attractions like the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, the Temple Garden Mineral Spa Resort, the Moose Jaw Trolley, the Western Development Museum, Casino Moose Jaw and the Murals of Moose Jaw.
Contemporary Moose Jaw
Today, Moose Jaw is home to over 30,000 people and is best known as a tourist destination with many attractions like the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, the Temple Garden Mineral Spa Resort, the Moose Jaw Trolley, the Western Development Museum, Casino Moose Jaw and the Murals of Moose Jaw.
Every July, the Saskatchewan
Festival of Words takes place over a four-day period showcasing top Canadian
writers in a wide variety of genres. The Snowbirds flight demonstration
team is based at Canadian Forces Base, south of Moose Jaw in Bushell Park.
The city is no longer called a 'goddamn virus'. Instead, it is known as the friendly city.
The city is no longer called a 'goddamn virus'. Instead, it is known as the friendly city.