In
those first days of European settlement, 1878 and 79, settlers
came by the Boundary Commission trail from Emerson. By 1880 an
alternate route was by way of the Assiniboine River to Millford, then
south to Langvale and via the Rowland Trail to the Turtle Mountain
area. The first stores in the area were at Desford, Wakopa and
Waubeesh. The first general store and post office in "Old Desford" was
owned by E. Nichol and Son.
As with so many of the first settlements, the location had to be
reconsidered when the railways came. For Desford the change began in
1906. First the CN line was extended through Wakopa, Adelpha and
Horton, just narrowly bypassing Desford, That that same year The Great
Northern Railway bypassed to the east and a new town started to grow on
that line about six kilometres away.
The store at Adelpha, owned by Mr. Crummer, was moved four miles to
Desford. In no time a McCabe elevator was built. Next came the section
house, a few residences, a station, and a bunkhouse. The
population exploded to near thirty and a community hall was deemed
necessary.
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