HIRSCH SASKATCHEWAN
CPR Train Station

Part of the CPR "Souris Section",
changed to the "Estevan Section" later on.
Located on the "Brandon- Napinka- Estevan line"
 (Winnipeg to Estevan)
(Mileage below in track length)
278.4 miles from Winnipeg (East)
7.9 miles to Frobisher (East)
10.2 miles to Bienfait (West)
18.7 miles to Estevan (west)
Telegraph call sign= SC

In 1891 the land was graded to a point west of alameda,
but the steel only went as far as Oxbow.
The railroad was built though Hirsch,
in the spring of 1892,
as it was completed to Estevan,
in the summer of 1892.

The 2 photos below were sent to me by
Gail Skikevitch, with thanks!

Both photos were taken by her father
 Joe, W. Skikevitch in 1954

The first one below, shows the Steam Locomotive
 pulled up at the Hirsch Station,
heading east to Frobisher.
On the right, in the background,
is the home of Frida Backman,
built in the spring of 1927
after the loss of her husband Tom Backman,
who was the Section foreman at the time of a car accident
that claimed his life in 1926.
Behind this 2 story house, and to the right (East),
 is the 2nd Backman Barn, built in the late 1920's.

This second photo below,
shows the First Backman barn on the left,
built in 1910-1920 range,
the Low Section Tool, Speeder storage building in the middle,
and the Hirsch Station, on the right edge.
The House in front of the barn,
is the CPR Section Forman House,
where Tom Backman's Family lived
until the spring of 1927.
Thanks to Lyle Backman for the correct captions.

A little more history pertaining to the Backman family, and the CPR,
ANNA MATILDA BACKMAN (1870-1960), was a Sister to
ANDERS TEODER (TOM) (THOMAS) BACKMAN, (1882-1926)

Anna was the first Backman to come to Canada from this line, in 1896.

Her husband JOHANAS (JOHN) OLSON, (1872-1962)

John was one of the early Section foremen
on the Hirsch-Frobisher track,
from 1896-1902, when about that time,
Tom Backman would have done the job,
until his death in 1926.
John Olson was foreman of the B&B gang,
when the Souris-Estevan branch track was laid.
Prior to this he worked on the CPR Pipestone-Deloraine line.
Both of these men were born in Sweden.
Both of these men raised their new families
in this old Section foreman house.
John's wife Anna was postmistress in Hirsch, 1897-1903
 

Gail Skikevitch tells me the Hirsch Train Station
is now a storage shed in Estevan SK.
Another source says it was moved 1km north of Hirsch
and used as a farm building.
It was a standard portable station
 used by the CPR at that time.