Land Titles & Banks
Land Titles Office
The homesteaders would come here to get their deeds of ownership for their land. The Dominion Lands Act of 1872 offered homesteads of 160 acres for $10. The settlers had to live on the homestead for at least six months each year for three years, build a home, break some land, and seed at least 20 acres.
Settlers purchased their homesteads from a land titles office.
PHOTO CREDIT: SASKATCHEWAN HISTORY ALBUM
A house was being moved to Marengo, SK to serve as their first municipal office in 1927.
Bank
Businesses in the town and farmers in the surrounding areas relied on the bank. People deposited money for safekeeping in the bank. The bank lent money to people who wanted to start up a business. Farmers borrowed money to buy land and equipment. After the harvest, they would pay back some of the money they owed to the bank. If farmers’ crops failed, they were unable to make payments on their loans.
People left money at banks for safekeeping.