Census division 7 Post office founded August 1, 1909 Area 561.5 km² Area code 306 Waterway Highfield Reservoir | Rural Municipality Coulee Incorporated (Village) 1920s Population 9 (2001) | |
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Weather -2°C, Wind E at 8 km/h, 96% Humidity | ||
Neidpath saskatchewan
Neidpath, is a hamlet in Coulee Rural Municipality No. 136, Saskatchewan, Canada. The hamlet is located on Highway 363 and Highway 720 about 25 km east of the city of Swift Current.
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Demographics
In an era where homesteaders arrived in the early 1900s and communities were situated much closer together to accommodate a day's horse ride between neighbours, many of these communities have now disappeared firstly with the advent of rail, then auto and highway which makes transportation much easier, and larger centres further apart have arisen. This has caused many small rural communities throughout the Canadian Prairies to dwindle in size or to completely disappear, such as Neidpath which has declined to a population of just 9 residents.
History
Neidpath was named after Neidpath Castle, near Peebles, Scotland. The name was suggested by the first postmaster, John Mitchell, whose family emigrated from Peebles. The town was located on a branch line of the Canadian Northern Railway (later Canadian National) that ran to Avonlea, Saskatchewan.
During its heyday Neidpath had four grain elevators, two of which still stand derelict today. At one time Neidpath even had its own telephone company, the Neidpath Rural Telephone Central Office, two Chinese hotels and restaurants as well as the King George Hotel along Central Avenue, a pool hall, hardware store, and a blacksmith shop.