N O R A
Post office opened on April 1, 1915. Closed on July 31, 1970.
Nora, Saskatchewan was established in 1924 when the Canadian Pacific Railroad was built to to that part of the province.
The railway passed right through the middle of SE20-39-13, the quarter section that my grandparents, Oscar and Cecilia Moe, had homesteaded 12 years earlier in 1912 to establish Poplar Grove Farm.
The CPR established a siding and townsite on their quarter section to the north, NE20-39-13, that they had purchased a few years earlier from Einar Olafson.
My mother, Lillian, took the photos of the dragline and track laying machine that were used by the CPR to build the railroad across Poplar Grove Farm in 1924. The first train came to Nora on July 24, 1924.
I have included a cropped version of the photo of Oscar Moe standing in the doorway of the the Nora Cafe in 1925 and ask if you can use the cropped photo in place of the one that you have already included.
Nora started with a few tents and some frame buildings. The picture of Nora in 1924 was taken from the top of the Saskatchewan Cooperative Elevator that was built the same year. The photo shows what Nora looked like at the outset. It is clear that the rail bed had been built past Nora to the north, but the rails ended in Nora when that picture was taken in 1924.
Because the townsite was located on their quarter section, Oscar and Cecilia Moe were asked to name the new town. They talked about naming it Moeville but decided to call it Nora because there had been a post office in that area, with that name, since 1915.
The Nora Post Office was established 1 Apr 1915 some 9 years before the town of Nora, Saskatchewan actually came into being. It was initially located on Sec. 4, Twp. 39, R. 13, W2 and was later relocated to Sec. 9, Twp. 39, R. 13, W2. It was subsequently relocated to Nora, Saskatchewan after the townsite was established in 1924. The Nora Post Office was actually located in Nora from 1924 until it closed 31 July 1970. I have another photo that i plan to send later showing a number of ladies (Members of the "Nora Get Together Club") in front of the Nora Post Office about 1931.
In 1912 Oscar and Cecilia Moe's postal address was was Wadena and some time prior to 1915 their post Office was called West Shore and in 1915 their post Office was called Nora.
By 1925 the main street of Nora, called Railway Avenue, had a cafe, pool hall, general store and hardware store. Oscar Moe built a cafe and livery barn in 1925. His daughter, Lillian operated the cafe and his son, Walter operated the livery barn. A school, community hall, blacksmith shop, stockyard, and a few residences were also built and the post office was relocated to Nora. Soon there was a ball diamond and a tennis court.
History and Photos courtesy of Gary Johnson.
Built by Oscar Moe in 1925
1924
1924 First train to Nora
1925 Hardware Store,General Store,Pool Hall,Cafe
1925 School
Nut Lake Lutheran Church. est. 1911
1983 Nut Lake Lutheran Church
1950s
1940
click any image to enlarge
---------- Moe Family Photos ----------
