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Mortlach in Wheatlands No. 163, Saskatchewan — The Prairie Region (North America)
 

The Mortlach Fire Brigade

Mortlach Heritage Site

 
 
The Mortlach Fire Brigade Marker image. Click for full size.
cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), May 27, 2015
1. The Mortlach Fire Brigade Marker
Inscription. The Mortlach Fire Hall and the bell played an important part in the early days of Mortlach's settlement and development. The Fire Hall was built in 1911.

The lower hall housed the horse drawn water tank and hose, which along with volunteers was ready for action in case of a fire.

Mortlach at one time had three water cisterns located around the village for fire protection. A large cistern was located under the Fire Hall. The water was shipped out by railcar from Moose Jaw at no charge.

The second story was the Mayor's office and the council chambers. This was where the town's business was conducted and where the court cases were held. At the rear of the building was a jail cell complete with metal bars on the very small windows and a heavy metal barred gate which could be locked.

One man was elected town policeman, chief fireman, bell ringer and keeper of the jail.

The bell atop the Fire Hall was rung at 7:00 am to wake up the town, at 12:00 noon to remind everyone that it was time for the mid-day meal, at 6:00 pm when all the businesses in town closed for the day, and again at 9:00 pm as a curfew for all children to be off the streets.

An interesting story is told about the dogs in town that would sit and howl when the bell was rung at 12:00 noon. One day the bell failed to ring at
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noon but the dogs howled at the correct time.

As the town progressed and other arrangements were made for fire protection, the bell became silent. A party from Regina considered moving the Fire Hall to that city as a museum piece. The bell was removed from the steeple and mounted on a tower beside the Fire Hall. Plans changed and the Fire Hall remained in the village. The fire engine is in the Fireman's Museum in Regina.

In 1979, the Fire Hall was incorporated and became the Mortlach Museum and Drop In Centre Club. Numerous community volunteers donated artifacts and time. This became the extensive collection of artifacts relating to the pioneers and settlers of Mortlach and surrounding communities.

The Fire Hall was declared a Municipal Heritage Site in 2007 and is included in the Saskatchewan Register of Heritage Properties.

Celebrating over a century of history

 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: CommunicationsGovernment & PoliticsLaw EnforcementNotable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.
 
Location. 50° 27.182′ N, 106° 4.042′ W. Marker is in Mortlach, Saskatchewan, in Wheatlands No. 163. Marker is on Second Avenue just east of Dean Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker
The Mortlach Fire Brigade Marker image. Click for full size.
cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), May 27, 2015
2. The Mortlach Fire Brigade Marker
is at or near this postal address: 11 Second Ave, Mortlach SK S0H 3E0, Canada. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 1 other marker is within 5 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Third Meridian (approx. 4.6 kilometers away).
 
Also see . . .  Fire Hall. Canadian Register of Historic Places listing for the building, which was designated in 2007. (HistoricPlaces.ca) (Submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 56 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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Mar. 28, 2024