Seager Wheeler - Rosthern (Saskatchewan) Canada - Saskatchewan Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

This historical marker is located at the entrance to the Seager Wheeler farm, 7 km East of the town of Rosthern,just off of highway #312. Rosthern is located on highways #11 and #312, 60 km north-east of Saskatoon, and 70 km south-west of Prince Albert. The farm is also situated within 15 km of the Batoche National Historic Site and historic Duck Lake.

Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm is a farm, but also a National Historic Site of Canada. At the beginning, this farm was owned and operated by agronomist Seager Wheeler (1868–1961) "Wheat King of the prairies or "The Wheat Wizard of Rosthern who developed dry land farming techniques as well as fruit and wheat strains which could grow in a short prairie growing season followed by harsh winters. Wheeler came to Canada in 1885 and applied for his own homestead in 1890. His original homestead was located at NE Section 16 Township 38 Range 4 West of the 3rd Meridian, and he was aided by a loan from the Temperance Colonization Society Limited - Toronto. Whereas the nearest present day town of Rosthern, Saskatchewan is located at Sec.35, Twp.42, R.3, W3. To get to the restored Seager Wheeler Maple Grove 185-acre (0.75 km2) Farm, travel 7 km east of Rosthern. Five separate entries of wheat which were grown at this farm location during 1911 to 1918 won World Wheat Championships. Morris Bodnar, Member of Parliament for Saskatoon—Dundurn, commemorated Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm as a National Historic Site of Canada on August 3, 1996. The site is honoured as the location where hardy wheat and fruit strains were developed which were well suited to the prairie climate and growing season.

The Seager Wheeler Historic Farm Society purchased the farm and opened it up in 1996. The farming techniques, implements, and pursuit of prairie wheats and fruits by Seager Wheeler, are presented on the restored homestead by the Seager Wheeler Historic Farm Society. Sheila Copps, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage, presented the 1996 Parks Canada Award to the Seager Wheeler Historic Farm Society.

The text on the marker:

PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE

SEAGER WHEELER

IN 1898 THIS PROPERTY
WAS PURCHASED BY SEAGER WHEELER.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE BEGAN
THE SELECTIVE BREEDING OF HARD
SPRING WHEAT AND EXHIBITED
HIS FIRST SAMPLES IN 1910. BY 1918
HE HAD WON FIVE WORLD WHEAT
CHAMPIONSHIPS. THREE WITH
"MARQUIS", ONCE WITH "KITCHENER"
AND ONCE WITH "RED BOBS". THE
LAST TWO WERE VARIETIES DEVELOPPED
ON THIS FARM. DR. WHEELER WON
HONOURS WITH OTHER CEREALS, AND
DEVELOPPED HARDY FRUITS SUITABLE
FOR SASKATCHEWAN'S CLIMATE. ONE
OF HIS GREATEST CONTRIBUTIONS WAS
THE BREEDING OF RACE 10-B OF
"MARQUIS" WHEAT WHICH AT ONE TIME
REPRESENTED MOST OF THE WHEAT GROWN
ON THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES. HE ONCE
SAID: "THE SOIL IS OURS TO MAKE OR
MAR AND WE SHOULD AIM TO LEAVE IT.
WHEN TIME COMES TO US TO PASS
IT ON..., IN A GOOD OR BETTER CONDITION
THAN WHEN IT FIRST CAME UNDER OUR HAND.

SASKATCHEWAN HISTORICAL SITE

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Marker placement date: Not listed Marker type: Not listed

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