The History of Kelliher

    Around the 1880's settlers came to our area and took to ranching. Settlers that arrived anywhere after 1903 took homesteads and stated growing grain.  By 1905 the railway had reached Sheho to the north and Lipton to the south.  In 1907 - 1908 the Grand Trunk Pacific line was completed through this area and a town site was chosen.  Four pioneers relocated to establish this; the pioneers were Oscar Abrahamson, Victor Dahlen, John Hillbom and Anders Polson.  They were given homesteads not too far from the coming town.  It took 100 residents to petition for village status, by this time Kelliher had 150 ready to sign the petition.  The businessmen held a meeting February 26, 1909 to draw up a petition to incorporate Kelliher as a village.  As was the practice, Kelliher was fitted into the alphabetical name sequence, being named after the chief engineer of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, B.B. Kelliher.   In no time the new village had a flourishing business section.

    Today the Kelliher Heritage Museum, located on 2nd Avenue, is rich in the history of the town and community, a wonderful place to spend an afternoon browsing!              

                        Kelliher Museum today         

Kelliher Map  from 1915