Harris, Saskatchewan
| Village of Harris | |
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| Coordinates: 51°43′59″N 107°34′44″W / 51.733°N 107.579°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| Region | Saskatchewan |
| Census division | 12 |
| Rural Municipality | Harris |
| Post office Founded | 1906 (at an outlying location) 1909 (at the village's current site) |
| Incorporated (Village) | 1909 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ron Genest |
| • Administrator | Rhonda Leonard |
| • Governing body | Harris Village Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.72 km2 (0.28 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 187 |
| • Density | 259.5/km2 (672/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CST |
| Postal code | S0L 1K0 |
| Area code(s) | 306 |
| Highways | Highway 7 |
Harris is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was named for Richard Elford Harris, an early settler.
Richard Elford Harris (1849–1919) was a homesteader who settled two miles north of the current village site in 1904. A small hamlet grew near the farm, and Harris was the first postmaster when the community's post office opened in 1906.
When the railroad was constructed in 1908, it passed to the south of the hamlet. As a result, the community, including the post office, moved the two miles to its current site near the railroad in 1909. Harris was incorporated as a village on August 10, 1909.
In 1914, the village played a key role in the Great Ruby Rush, in which approximately 3,000 prospectors flocked to a location twenty miles northwest of the village due to reports of ruby deposits. The entire event was later determined to be a hoax created by the owners of a hotel in Harris (no longer standing), as a gimmick to get more customers. The so-called rubies were garnets, a common mineral.
St. Brigitte Roman Catholic Church is one of several designated historical building in the town.
The plaque mounted on the large rock next to the Harris Museum reads in part:
Headline. Saskatoon Star Phoenix: July 1914 "Quartz Discovered 20 Miles N.W. of Harris" Suddenly the ruby rush was on! Lasting 10–12 days, at its height 3000 people were involved at the site, staking out claims and digging up stones. Tents housed saloons, restaurants (one egg at 1 dollar), and this rock, guarded by armed guards, containing the so-called rubies. The ruby rush was soon discovered to be a hoax as the rubies were garnets of little value. This ruby rock was moved from its original site in 1990.
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Wikipedia