Esterhazy is a town in the southeastern portion of the province of Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, located 83 km southeast of Yorkton along Highways 22

Saskatchewan Highway 22

Highway 22 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan connecting Highway 20 near Earl Grey to Provincial Road 478 Manitoba border near Esterhazy.-Communities along the route:*Bulyea*Earl Grey*Southey*Markinch*Cupar*Lipton*Fort San...

 and 80

Saskatchewan Highway 80

Highway 80 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 22 near Esterhazy to Highway 8/Highway 10 near Wroxton. Highway 80 is about 66 km long....

. The town is located within the rural municipality

Rural municipality

A rural municipality, often abbreviated RM, is a form of municipality in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, perhaps best comparable to counties or townships in the western United States...

 of Fertile Belt No. 183

Fertile Belt No. 183, Saskatchewan

Fertile Belt No. 183 is a rural municipality in Saskatchewan, Canada encompassing 1,006.68 square kilometers in area. The rural municipality maintains its office in Stockholm, Saskatchewan. The rural municipality in conjunction with the provincial government is in charge of maintenance of...

.

History

Esterhazy is reputed to be named for Count Paul Otto d'Esterhazy, an immigrant agent who was christened Johannes Packh, but at age 35 claimed he had "incontrovertible proof" that he was a Hungarian aristocrat of the Esterházy family. This claim was never recognized by the Esterházy family, one of the wealthiest families in Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

. A year after making his claim, he immigrated to Saskatchewan, south of the current location of the town of Esterhazy, and in 1886 helped settle 35 Hungarian families, founding the colony of Kaposvar, named after the Hungarian city Kaposvár. The colony flourished, and many more immigrants settled the area as the years went by. In 1905 the town of Esterhazy was officially founded.

The area that is now the township of Esterhazy was first settled by English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 settlers in 1882, who founded Sumner Parish in the north. Later colonies included the Swedes to the west, Czechs to the southwest, northeast a German

Germans

The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

 colony, northwest a Welsh

Welsh people

The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

 one, and a Jewish settlement in the southeast, near Wapella.

In 1906, Our Lady of Assumption Roman Catholic Church, also known as Kaposvar Church, was built in 1906-1907 by Brothers of Father Jules Pirot with Hungarian farmers hauling stones from the surrounding area. A large stone church, today it is the home of the Kaposvar Historic Site and Museum. This church is on a very well kept site, where tours of the church can be taken.

In 1962, IMC Global (now Mosaic

The Mosaic Company

The Mosaic Company is a Fortune 500 company based in Plymouth, Minnesota. Mosaic offers two key crop nutrients—phosphate and potash—plus specialty products K-Mag®, MicroEssentials® and Pegasus™...

), a mining company, completed the shaft for a potash

Potash

Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...

 mine, and today the two joint mines, K1 and K2, combined produce more potash than any other mine in the world, granting Esterhazy the title of "Potash capital of the world."

Students from Tantallon

Tantallon, Saskatchewan

Tantallon is a community in Saskatchewan. It is located in the Qu'Appelle Valley about 32 km east of Round Lake . The community celebrated its centennial in 2004...

 and Spy Hill

Spy Hill, Saskatchewan

Spy Hill is a community in Saskatchewan at the intersection of Highway 8 and Highway 600. The community's school closed due to a lack of students, who are now bused to Esterhazy.In 2006, the population was 201, down 5.6% from 2001....

 are bused here, since both communities no longer have enough students to have a school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

 open.

The Esterhazy Airport

Esterhazy Airport

Esterhazy Airport, , is located southwest of Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, Canada.-External links:* on COPA's Places to Fly airport directory* article in the Miner-Journal newspaper, Esterhazy, SK...

, located southwest of town, is also nearby.

External links

• Official Homepage
• http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/esterhazy.html Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan