January 2, 1913 - The Hanna Herald reported two railway crews working toward Hanna from the south. Supposedly the C.P.R. and the G.T.P. would come in and make the town an importan railway centre.
February 13 - The Hanna Herald reported the heading "Hanna to be the Hub of the Railway Web of Alberta". There was an accompanying sketch showing more than seven railway lines running onto the town.
March 13 - It was confirmed that Hanna would have C.N.R. shops and Mr. McCallum would be Master Mechanic.
March 20 - C.N.R. decided to build a line to Hanna from Medicine Hat and would start as soon as possible. The line was not started until 1915. War, depression and drought all took their toll, particularly in the South Country with the result that the railway never got beyond the Red Deer River.
March - a track laying gang arrived in Hanna to lay the balance of the steel between Hanna and Munson. That would be the final link joining Saskatoon to Calgary.
April 14 - the steel was completed to Munson, though still lacking the required amount of ballast.
April 16 - The first freight car went west through Hanna on April 16 and was consigned to the Crown Lumber Company at Highland (Delia).
May 15 - Mr. A. Londstrom put his teams to work digging the basement for the new C.N.R. station. The basement would measure 24 x 48 feet.
May 26 - Rumoured that this time the C.N.R. would join Castor and Hanna.
June 1913 - An editorial in the Hanna Herald enquired how soon there would be passenger service. There seems to have been a contant flow of letters from the Board of Trade, the Council, and interested parties to the officials of the Canadian Northern Railway reminding them of their promises and placing before them the incoveniences the town and community were suffering by lack of rail service. 1
June 8 - The ten stall round house was started. Also, there would be a sixty thousand gallon water tower built and this would necessitate a dam across the creek south of the railway.
June 12 - The townsites of Cereal and Excel were sold by the C.N.R. townsite agent.
June 13 - Richdate townsite was sold. Craigmyle townsite had been sold shortly before.
June 13 - Many more men arrived to start work ballasting the C.N.R. tracks. One trainload from the east brought twenty cars with two hundred men. They were housed and fed in their own camp. Another crew from the west brought seventy-five men who were working on the construction of the telegraph lines. More crews were expected.
Roads began opening up and there was interest in improving the prairie trails, all becoming tributary to the railway.
June 15 - Grading was started on the road from Hanna to Garden Plains - to be paid for an done by the rural municipalities.
July 10 - Word that the Canadian Northern Railway system may be taken over by the Government became news in town.
August 7 - A story was released that the Brazeau line to Hanna would be built soon and the C.P.R. from Bassano to Coronation would pass through Hanna.
September 4 - Daily mail service from Alsask might be expected. As yet, the railway had no contract to carry mail.
September 14 - The first car of grain for the year was shipped by MCuish Brothers. It was No. 1 Marquis and was shipped through the Alberta Pacific Gran Co. The train station was receiving its final coat of paint.
October 16 - Through pressure brought by the Board of Trade, the C.N.R. had started a loading platform and a two pen stock yard.
November 13 - Became the long awaited day when everyone in Hanna went to the station to welcome the first passenger train from the East. The first train consisted of eight cars - two first class, two second class, baggage, express, mail and dining cars. The first engine bore the number 1228. The first train crew: Conductor: G.L. Byers
Engineer: J.H. Cherry;
Fireman: Ross Alexander;
Brakeman: F.A. Purvis;
Mail: H.G. Hays; H.F. Mills, C.E. Miners;
Express: C. Austin
Dining Car: W. Patterson,
Conductor: Louise Phillippe;
Chef: A. David,;
Waiters: C. Morrison, A. McDonald, F.J. Long
This train would establish a mixed train coming into Hanna from the East on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The train would go west to Drumheller and return the same day.
December 18 - A daily train was coming from the east by C.N.R. and was lessening considerabley the amount of mail coming from Castor by stage.
December - Ballasting was not completed until after the end of 1913 to give complete rail service from Saskatoon to Calgary for passengers and mail as well as freight and express. 1
January 2, 1913 - The Hanna Herald reported two railway crews working toward Hanna from the south. Supposedly the C.P.R. and the G.T.P. would come in and make the town an importan railway centre.
February 13 - The Hanna Herald reported the heading "Hanna to be the Hub of the Railway Web of Alberta". There was an accompanying sketch showing more than seven railway lines running onto the town.
March 13 - It was confirmed that Hanna would have C.N.R. shops and Mr. McCallum would be Master Mechanic.
March 20 - C.N.R. decided to build a line to Hanna from Medicine Hat and would start as soon as possible. The line was not started until 1915. War, depression and drought all took their toll, particularly in the South Country with the result that the railway never got beyond the Red Deer River.
March - a track laying gang arrived in Hanna to lay the balance of the steel between Hanna and Munson. That would be the final link joining Saskatoon to Calgary.
April 14 - the steel was completed to Munson, though still lacking the required amount of ballast.
April 16 - The first freight car went west through Hanna on April 16 and was consigned to the Crown Lumber Company at Highland (Delia).
May 15 - Mr. A. Londstrom put his teams to work digging the basement for the new C.N.R. station. The basement would measure 24 x 48 feet.
May 26 - Rumoured that this time the C.N.R. would join Castor and Hanna.
June 1913 - An editorial in the Hanna Herald enquired how soon there would be passenger service. There seems to have been a contant flow of letters from the Board of Trade, the Council, and interested parties to the officials of the Canadian Northern Railway reminding them of their promises and placing before them the incoveniences the town and community were suffering by lack of rail service. 1
June 8 - The ten stall round house was started. Also, there would be a sixty thousand gallon water tower built and this would necessitate a dam across the creek south of the railway.
June 12 - The townsites of Cereal and Excel were sold by the C.N.R. townsite agent.
June 13 - Richdate townsite was sold. Craigmyle townsite had been sold shortly before.
June 13 - Many more men arrived to start work ballasting the C.N.R. tracks. One trainload from the east brought twenty cars with two hundred men. They were housed and fed in their own camp. Another crew from the west brought seventy-five men who were working on the construction of the telegraph lines. More crews were expected.
Roads began opening up and there was interest in improving the prairie trails, all becoming tributary to the railway.
June 15 - Grading was started on the road from Hanna to Garden Plains - to be paid for an done by the rural municipalities.
July 10 - Word that the Canadian Northern Railway system may be taken over by the Government became news in town.
August 7 - A story was released that the Brazeau line to Hanna would be built soon and the C.P.R. from Bassano to Coronation would pass through Hanna.
September 4 - Daily mail service from Alsask might be expected. As yet, the railway had no contract to carry mail.
September 14 - The first car of grain for the year was shipped by MCuish Brothers. It was No. 1 Marquis and was shipped through the Alberta Pacific Gran Co. The train station was receiving its final coat of paint.
October 16 - Through pressure brought by the Board of Trade, the C.N.R. had started a loading platform and a two pen stock yard.
November 13 - Became the long awaited day when everyone in Hanna went to the station to welcome the first passenger train from the East. The first train consisted of eight cars - two first class, two second class, baggage, express, mail and dining cars. The first engine bore the number 1228. The first train crew: Conductor: G.L. Byers
Engineer: J.H. Cherry;
Fireman: Ross Alexander;
Brakeman: F.A. Purvis;
Mail: H.G. Hays; H.F. Mills, C.E. Miners;
Express: C. Austin
Dining Car: W. Patterson,
Conductor: Louise Phillippe;
Chef: A. David,;
Waiters: C. Morrison, A. McDonald, F.J. Long
This train would establish a mixed train coming into Hanna from the East on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The train would go west to Drumheller and return the same day.
December 18 - A daily train was coming from the east by C.N.R. and was lessening considerabley the amount of mail coming from Castor by stage.
December - Ballasting was not completed until after the end of 1913 to give complete rail service from Saskatoon to Calgary for passengers and mail as well as freight and express. 1