In June 1907, Perry Leach and family arrived in Saskatoon from Hamilton via the new Canadian Northern Railway. They took up residence on their homestead near Swanson, Saskatchewan on June 20, 1907, which Perry had previously obtained on SW ¼ of Section 4 of Township 32 North in Range 7 West of the Third Meridian.
That summer Perry and family broke 25 acres and cropped 4 acres. By the end September 1907, Perry and family had built their 16’ by 24’ sod on a frame house. Later, Perry built a log house which became the blacksmith shop after their frame house was built about 1917. Perry’s experience as a blacksmith back east proved a convenience to both himself and his neighbours. In 1908, Perry and family broke 55 acres and cropped 40 acres.
In 1909, Perry cropped 75 acres. In 1910, Perry broke an additional 10 acres for a total of 90 acres since he had taken up residence. They also cropped 70 acres that summer. By 1913 Perry had added a barn, a meat smoke house, a log house and an implement building to his property. The smoke house you see is the only building still standing today.