Mortlach came to life in 1904, when the Canadian Pacific Railway's new line became operational. The village grew up on land first homesteaded in 1902 by Khamis Michael, a native of what is now Iraq. The name is generally believed to have been given by George Stephen, the CPR's first president, who chose it for his home parish of Mortlach, Scotland. Parkbeg, Caron and Craigellachie, site of the 'Last Spike', share that same origin.
By spring 1905, earlier homesteaders and newcomers were building. E.B. Tedford owned the first store, post office, and lumber and coal supply, Scribner and Wheeler built the first hotel, and the first school went up that fall. The Royal North-West Mounted Police posted their first members here that year, and the first doctor arrived. A station and elevator followed in 1906, and a Board of Trade was already in place.
Growth continued. In 1907 more hardware, implement, dry goods and general stores opened, and a house under construction became an isolation hospital during a smallpox epidemic. The Bank of Hamilton opened a branch, and Khamis Michael built a rink, where the first exhibition was held in 1908. The Star Theatre was built in 1910. Mortlach became a village in 1906, a town in 1913, and returned to village status in 1949, a path shared in Saskatchewan only with Alsask.
Today the village is known for its community orchard, museum, library, churches and parks, along with the Mortlach Old Time Fiddlers and a community choir. In 2009 it was awarded an artist in residence for a year.
Written from Wikipedia’s article “Mortlach, Saskatchewan” (CC BY-SA 4.0), and shared under the same licence.