Delburne History

Delburne began with the survey of the railway in 1910.  The townsite was put on sale October 4th. 1910, and was purchased by W.G. Clendening and M.J. Manning.  Initially, the name chosen for the Village was Wilburne, however the Registrar of Towns advised that there was a town by that name.  Using words rhyming with Wilburne, Delburne was eventually chosen as the Village's name.  There was soon an influx of people eager to start a new community.

In a year the town grew to have two general stores, two hardware stores, two butchershops, two boarding houses, a furniture store, stationery, Bank, Newspaper, Livery barn and stable, Pool room and barber shop, Lumber yard, Auction mart, Blacksmith shop, Real estate office, Doctors office, three implement agents, Music hall and two Churches.  There was a gun club, baseball and tennis clubs as well as a hockey team in the winter.

The application for incorporation as a village was approved in the fall of 1912, and the first recorded minutes of a village council meeting were of January 13, 1913.  The first councillors were A.F. Ferrell, W.G. Clendening, C. Paxton, and S.A. Gill was appointed secretary treasurer.

The Delburne Creamery was the first industry to be established in the village.  The railroad made it possible for farmers to deliver grain to Delburne and elevators were built in 1914, 1927 and 1929.  The first electical lights were installed in businesses in 1926.  Many changes shaped the village of Delburne, new schools, post office, hotel, homes, parks and businesses.  Fires devastated some businesses while others simply had to change with the times.