Snowden began in 1930, when the CPR bought the land for the townsite. The first postmaster, Robert English, chose the name, apparently in memory of a friend who drowned while working on the Nipawin ferry.
Once the bridge near Nipawin was built and regular rail service began in 1932, the town grew rapidly. The Star Hotel and a school opened in 1935, and the town's one elevator went up in 1938. By 1940 Snowden had four churches: Pentecostal, Lutheran, Catholic and United. The school grew to three rooms, teaching Grades 1 to 10.
Logging was the main industry at first, and as the land was cleared, farming took over. Many people came to the area because of the drought in southern Saskatchewan. As farms grew larger, the town's population and services slowly declined. The elevator closed in 1975 and the rail line was abandoned in 1992.
The old Star Hotel is still part of the community. A picture of the original two-storey building, with its second-storey balcony, hangs in the bar. The hotel reopened as a restaurant and lounge in 2013, and a video is being made to celebrate its 85th anniversary.
Written from Wikipedia’s article “Snowden, Saskatchewan” (CC BY-SA 4.0), and shared under the same licence.