History of

Town of Swan River

Naming the Town:

When the Hudson Bay Company started trading furs in the 1700's, swans were seen on nearby Thunder Hill and it was decided to call the area Swan River Valley.

Settlement:

The first sign of settlement dates back to 1770, when fur traders for both the Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company bought and sold goods by way of birch bark canoes. This indicates there has been semi-permanent inhabitance in the Swan River Valley since the late 1700's.

The first pioneers arrived in the Valley through the protective Duck Mountains in 1897. Recognizing the agricultural potential, they cleared the land to reveal the fertile soils. This began to lure many settlers from Southern Manitoba. The proposed construction of the Canadian Northern Railway was announced in 1898 and the Town of Swan River was founded in 1900. The Thunder Hill Extension of the Canadian Northern Railway was put through in 1905 and the town was incorporated in 1908.