Country Canada Census division 12 Incorporated (Village) 1909 Population 187 (2006) Local time Friday 12:17 AM | Region Saskatchewan Rural Municipality Harris Area 72 ha Province Saskatchewan Area code 306 | |
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Post office Founded 1906 (at an outlying location)
1909 (at the village's current site) Weather -1°C, Wind N at 13 km/h, 92% Humidity | ||
Harris is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was named for Richard Elford Harris, an early settler.
Contents
Map of Harris, SK, Canada
History
Richard Elford Harris (1849–1919) was a homesteader who settled two miles north of the current village site in 1904. A small hamlet grew near the farm, and Harris was the first postmaster when the community's post office opened in 1906.
When the railroad was constructed in 1908, it passed to the south of the hamlet. As a result, the community, including the post office, moved the two miles to its current site near the railroad in 1909. Harris was incorporated as a village on August 10, 1909.
In 1914, the village played a key role in the Great Ruby Rush, in which approximately 3,000 prospectors flocked to a location twenty miles northwest of the village due to reports of ruby deposits. The entire event was later determined to be a hoax created by the owners of a hotel in Harris (no longer standing), as a gimmick to get more customers. The so-called rubies were garnets, a common mineral.
St. Brigitte Roman Catholic Church is one of several designated historical building in the town.
The plaque mounted on the large rock next to the Harris Museum reads in part:
Headline. Saskatoon Star Phoenix: July 1914 "Quartz Discovered 20 Miles N.W. of Harris" Suddenly the ruby rush was on! Lasting 10–12 days, at its height 3000 people were involved at the site, staking out claims and digging up stones. Tents housed saloons, restaurants (one egg at 1 dollar), and this rock, guarded by armed guards, containing the so-called rubies. The ruby rush was soon discovered to be a hoax as the rubies were garnets of little value. This ruby rock was moved from its original site in 1990.
Notable people
Harris was the birthplace of National Hockey League player Quintin Laing.
Points of interest
The Harris Museum and associated artifacts:
Other places: