1902 - Data Points by Date/Period

The Ohel Leah Synagogue is a Modern Orthodox Jewish synagogue located at the intersection of Robinson Road and Castle Road in the Mid-Levels area of Hong Kong Island. Established in 1902, it has served as a central hub for Jewish social and religious life in Hong Kong.Originally catering to a community of Baghdadi Sephardic Jews, the synagogue operated under the supervision of the Haham of the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation of London. Today, it is an independent congregation with members from across the global Jewish diaspora.The synagogue, a striking example of British Colonial Edwardian architecture, stands amidst Hong Kong’s towering skyscrapers. Designed by architects Leigh & Orange, it was constructed between 1901 and 1902. The whitewashed, multi-turreted, two-story structure underwent a $6 million restoration in 1998, returning it to its original splendor.The name 'Ohel Leah' honors Leah Sassoon, mother of the Sassoon brothers—Jacob, Edward, and Meyer—who donated the land for the synagogue. The Sassoons were among the earliest Sephardic merchants from India to settle in Hong Kong in the late 19th century.In addition to Ohel Leah, Hong Kong is home to other Jewish congregations: the Sephardic congregation, primarily comprised of Israeli expatriates; Chabad Lubavitch; and the United Jewish Congregation, which aligns with Reform and Conservative Judaism. Many local Jews hold memberships in multiple congregations.Declared a Grade I historic building in 1987, Ohel Leah was briefly at risk of demolition. To safeguard its future, the Hong Kong Antiquities Authority designated it a proposed monument, leading to a preservation agreement between the government and its owners. It was reinstated as a Grade I historic building in 1990.In 1998, the synagogue’s renovation received international acclaim, earning the Outstanding Project Award at the 2000 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Ohel Leah continues to stand as a testament to the enduring legacy of Hong Kong’s Jewish community.

The present site of the village was purchased by the CNR in 1911, around the time the railway line was built. By 1911, many homes and businesses had been established. When the village was incorporated in April 1912, it had over 100 residents.The name 'Briercrest' was originally given to the first post office, located on Captain Charles Jaques' farm in 1902. Mrs. Jaques chose the name, inspired by the wild roses growing on a nearby ridge, and it was later adopted for the village.Today, nearly 100 years later, the village remains an active part of the community, with businesses and organizations serving the area. The current population is about 155 residents.Located roughly 45 km southeast of Moose Jaw and 80 km southwest of Regina, Saskatchewan, the village is accessible via Highway #339 and a short-line railroad operated by Southern Rails Co-operative.

Wilcox, with a 2016 population of 264, is a village in Saskatchewan, Canada, located within the Rural Municipality of Bratt's Lake No. 129 and Census Division No. 6. It sits about 41 kilometers (25 miles) south of Regina. The village is home to the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, a boarding school for students in grades 9-12, and the Notre Dame Hounds ice hockey team, which competes in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.The village’s history dates back to 1902 when a post office was established in what was then Assiniboia West, part of the North West Territories. Wilcox was incorporated as a village on April 20, 1907, shortly after Saskatchewan became a province in 1905. The first school, Wilcox School District #1633, was a one-room schoolhouse.According to the 2021 Census, Wilcox had a population of 261 living in 83 of its 93 private dwellings, reflecting a slight decrease of 1.1% from its 2016 population of 264. The village covers a land area of 1.43 km² (0.55 sq mi), resulting in a population density of 182.5 people per km² (472.7/sq mi). In 2016, Wilcox had seen a more significant population decrease of 28.4% from 2011, with a density of 178.4 people per km² (462.0/sq mi) over a land area of 1.48 km² (0.57 sq mi).

Bangor, with a 2016 population of 38, is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, located within the Rural Municipality of Fertile Belt No. 183 and Census Division No. 5.The village was settled in 1902 by descendants of Welsh families who had originally migrated to Patagonia in 1860. After facing conflicts with Argentine authorities and a flood in 1899, about 250 of them moved again, this time to Saskatchewan, encouraged by David Lloyd George and Evan Jenkins, a fellow Welsh Patagonian who had settled in Canada earlier.Bangor was officially incorporated as a village on June 8, 1911. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway had planned to name the community Basco, but the Welsh settlers successfully petitioned to name it after Bangor, a town in Wales. According to the 2021 Census conducted by Statistics Canada, Bangor had a population of 40, an increase of 5.3% from 2016, with 11 of its 12 private dwellings occupied. The village spans an area of 1.57 km², resulting in a population density of 25.5 people per km².In the 2016 Census, Bangor’s population was recorded as 38, a 21.1% decrease from 2011 when the population was 46. With a land area of 1.65 km², the village had a population density of 23.0 people per km² at that time.

According to an article from CBC, the village of Hyde, Saskatchewan, exists mostly in history books today, but landowner Hazel Morris is working to change that. Founded in the 1880s by George Audley Edward Hyde, the village was located between Grenfell and Neudorf in the Qu'Appelle Valley, east of Regina. Hyde, a British immigrant, built a thriving community with a post office, hotel, church, and more. However, by 1902, his mysterious source of wealth dried up, forcing him to leave. Hyde eventually moved to the West Coast, where he passed away in 1935.In 1999, Morris, originally from England, fell in love with the Qu'Appelle Valley and purchased the land where Hyde once stood. While managing her cattle operation, Morris became fascinated by the village's history and the enigma surrounding George Hyde's financial background. Now (in 2015) 81 years old, she is determined to restore Hyde's former home, despite challenges, and hopes to see the village come to life once again.

The settlement now known as Kenaston, Saskatchewan, was originally called Bonnington Springs, Assiniboia, in the North-West Territories. It was typically referred to as Bonnington. When Saskatchewan became a province in late 1905, the name was changed to Kenaston in honor of F.E. Kenaston, Vice President of the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company.The railroad reached Bonnington in 1889, but there were no permanent residents until 1902. That year, the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company was formed by a group of wealthy American men. The company's president, Col. A.D. Davidson, and F.E. Kenaston, who also headed the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company, played key roles.The company purchased 839,000 acres from the railway at $1.53 per acre, along with another 250,000 acres from the Dominion Government at $1.00 per acre. Through effective advertising and land agents, the area between Regina and Saskatoon was quickly populated with settlers between 1902 and 1910.The growing settlement, driven by the needs of new settlers, incorporated as a village in July 1910. Key developments included the opening of the Kenaston School in 1905, the construction of the first store in 1903, and the establishment of a post office and hotel in 1904. The village saw its first grain elevator built by the Canadian Elevator Company in 1906, and the CNR built a 40,000-gallon water tower near the train station in 1910.In 1904, Croatian settlers began arriving in the Kenaston area, mostly from Lovinac and nearby villages in Croatia. These families, such as the Pavelich, Prpich, and Tomljenovich families, were joined by others over the following decade. By 1914, Croatians held 41 homesteads in the area, and by the 1920s, they had acquired 50,000 acres of land. This was a stark contrast to their backgrounds as poor, illiterate farmers in Croatia, where farms were often as small as one or two acres.Many of these Croatian settlers had first worked in railroad gangs in the U.S. and as coal miners in Canada before hearing about homesteads in Saskatchewan. They initially arrived as single men and were later joined by wives and family members. Despite limited education, they quickly adapted, developing large-scale grain farms.The Croatian settlers valued cooperation, reflected in their strong support for organizations like the United Grain Growers and the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. Their children helped them learn English, and within a generation, some even adopted English names. Community life revolved around church activities, school concerts, fairs, and family events like weddings and baptisms.While Kenaston became the most prominent Croatian settlement in Saskatchewan, smaller groups of Croatians settled elsewhere, including near Leask. Some Croatian settlers also lived alongside Serbian neighbors, such as those who founded Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Regina in 1916, the first Serbian Orthodox parish in Canada.

Bruno is a town located 90 km east of Saskatoon and 35 km west of Humboldt.Bruno is the only community on the prairies that hosts an annual cherry festival.Bruno Clayworks, situated 4 km west of Bruno, operated between 1905 and the 1960s, producing over one million bricks. The bricks had a unique sideways 'T' shape that interlocked when each row was rotated 180º. Many local buildings, including the historic Old Fire Hall and Jail, now home to the Bruno Museum, were constructed with these distinctive bricks. The bricks in the photo were salvaged during a renovation of a room in the 1919 section of the former St. Ursula's Academy / Ursulines of Bruno Convent, which now serves as the St. Therese Institute of Faith and Mission.Bruno was named after Father Bruno Doefler, who arrived in the area with a group of German settlers from Minnesota in 1902. From 1911 to 1919, Doefler was Abbot of the Territorial Abbey of Saint Peter-Muenster. The surrounding region, including Bruno, was also known as St. Peter's Colony.In the 2021 Census, Bruno had a population of 604, living in 274 of its 299 private dwellings, a slight decrease from its 2016 population of 611. With a land area of 0.94 km², the population density in 2021 was 642.6 people per km².

The Village of Theodore is situated about 40 km northwest of Yorkton, along the Yellowhead Highway #16, in Saskatchewan’s parkland region. From its early days, the community has been rooted in agriculture, focusing on grain, beef, and pork production. The first settlers, predominantly Danish, arrived from Scandinavia, Great Britain, Central Europe, and the USA. This area became known as 'Little Denmark.' These pioneers sought to acquire 160 acres of land for $10 under the Homestead Act, which required clearing 10 acres annually for three years to gain ownership.The first settlers, Sorn Peter Sorensen and Ole Frederickson, arrived in 1891, and later that year, Annie Catherina Sorensen, the first white child, was born in a temporary shelter. In 1892, Richard Seeman from London acquired a homestead near the present townsite. He later extended the rail line to Sheho in 1903, which encouraged the development of Theodore. The CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) station, built in 1902, survived a 1956 train wreck and was later turned into a museum.The post office, named after Richard Seeman’s late father, Nicolaus Theodor Seemann, began service in 1893. By 1904, Theodore had grown into a self-sufficient community with post offices, blacksmith shops, general stores, and other businesses. While the population peaked at around 500 between 1950 and 1990, it has since stabilized at about 345.The village has a vibrant history of community organizations and remains home to active groups like the Recreation Board, Fire Brigade, and regional park authorities. Theodore also has a local newspaper, published for over 25 years, with subscribers across Canada and worldwide. Today, Theodore continues to thrive, honoring the legacy of its pioneers while remaining a close-knit and determined community.

Girvin, a former village of 20 people in Saskatchewan, Canada, is located on Highway 11 between Davidson and Craik, midway between Regina and Saskatoon. The village was officially dissolved in 2005, and its remaining residents are now counted as part of the Rural Municipality of Arm River.Before its dissolution on December 19, 2005, Girvin was restructured as a hamlet under the jurisdiction of the Rural Municipality of Arm River. The town was named after John Alexander Girvin, a Winnipeg contractor known for building numerous railroad stations across the prairies. The Qu’Appelle, Long Lake, and Saskatchewan Railroad and Steamboat Company railway passed through the area in the 1890s, leading to settlement around 1902, primarily by immigrants from Ontario. Girvin saw rapid growth, with the opening of a school and post office in 1905, followed by various businesses, including a hotel, bank, and several grain elevators. The village was incorporated in 1907 and reached its peak population of 151 in 1926.However, the population began to decline, especially from the 1960s onwards. By the 1980s, the only remaining business was a gas station and garage. The village lost its status on December 19, 2005. Today, Girvin has 20 residents and no businesses but is home to a large metal sculpture of a bison and Red River Cart by Don Wilkins.The Girvin Pump House, built in 1906 near the railway tracks, provided water for horses and was later used for laundry by townspeople. It is the only pump house of its kind in Saskatchewan and has been a Municipal Heritage Property since 1994. Originally powered by a gas pump, later replaced by an electric one, it fell out of use as cars and tractors replaced horses on farms.

The City of Humboldt is named after Baron Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), a renowned German scientist and naturalist who extensively explored Central and South America. The name 'Humboldt' was officially approved in 1875 for a site in the Northwest Territories along the Canadian Pacific Telegraph Line, where a repair station was built 8 km southwest of the current city location. At that time, the only permanent residents were telegraph operators, linemen and their families, and members of the North West Mounted Police. The station played a crucial role in communication for the developing West and during the 1885 Métis Resistance at Batoche. Humboldt secured its place in Canadian history in 1885. During the Métis Resistance led by Louis Riel at Batoche, 100 km northwest of Humboldt, the city became a vital communication link between Prime Minister John A. Macdonald and his forces in the West, making it a site of strategic importance. General Frederick Middleton arrived in April 1885 with 950 soldiers, established a garrison at the station, and used it as a base for scouting operations. At that time, the telegraph line further west was periodically cut, making the Humboldt Station the last secure link to the East. On May 1, 1885, Humboldt became the site of a large supply depot under Major Lieutenant-Colonel G. T. Denison of the Governor General’s Body Guard. A force of approximately 460 men constructed an elaborate series of entrenchments, converting the station into a fortified military encampment to protect the supplies. The troops left Humboldt in July 1885. As Western Canada developed, settlers began arriving in the area at the turn of the century. Humboldt’s history was significantly influenced by the establishment of St. Peter’s Colony by Benedictine monks. In search of suitable land to establish a new colony, Father Bruno Doerfler, O.S.B., and businessmen from Minnesota arrived in Winnipeg in 1902. They traveled as far west as Calgary, up to Wetaskiwin, east to Battleford, and finally arrived in Saskatoon on August 27, after covering 400 miles by team and wagon. In 1903, the businessmen formed the German American Land Company and purchased 100,000 acres of railroad land in the district to sell to settlers who wanted more than a quarter section of land. The company attracted German Catholics living in the United States to homestead in St. Peter’s Colony, promoting the area as offering 'churches, schools, and German neighbors' and highlighting the spiritual guidance provided by Benedictine fathers. The arrival of the Canadian Northern Railway in September 1904 provided a critical route to the new community. By May 1905, the first passenger trains arrived, and the district began to thrive. The name 'Humboldt' was officially transferred to the village in 1905, and it became a town in 1907. Humboldt achieved city status in November 2000, becoming Saskatchewan’s thirteenth city.

1902 (38)

Other Dates/Periods

1263

1384

1918 - 1920

27-06-1977

09-06-1895

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