Raymore is a charming town nestled in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, approximately 110 km north of Regina. Serving as the administrative headquarters of the Kawacatoose Cree First Nation band government, Raymore is situated on Treaty 4 land, a territory negotiated between the Cree, Saulteaux, and Assiniboine first peoples, and Alexander Morris, the second Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1872 to 1877.
Before the white settlement of the areas surrounding Raymore, the Touchwood peoples, or pusakawatciwiyiniwak, inhabited the region. These people consisted of four bands under the leadership of Kawacatoose (Poorman or Lean Man), Kaneonuskatew (One that walks on four claws or George Gordon), Muscowequan (Hard Quill), and Kisecawchuck (Daystar). The Raymore Pioneer Museum, a Municipal Heritage Property listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places, offers a glimpse into the town's rich history dating back to 1910-11.
According to a collectively-researched 1968 publication on Saskatchewan place name origins, Raymore's modern-day name has an interesting backstory. Surveyors working for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, who named towns and stops along their newly-constructed rail lines in an alphabetic manner, are credited with the town's name. The town is said to be named after an employee of the railroad who was part of the construction crew.
The early 20th century saw the arrival of the first white settlers in Raymore, including Richard Watt, Headley and Charles Frost, Wilfred Jones, and Archibald MacLean.
Archibald "Archie" MacLean opened the first store in Raymore on May 15, 1908, marking the beginning of the town's commercial history. However, a store is documented as operating on the Poorman 88 Indian reserve as early as 1874. Harold E. Martin, Raymore's first druggist, and merchants James Tate and Harry Golden were among the town's earliest settler merchants.
The Raymore Hotel, originally a three-story building completed in 1911 by Archibald G. MacLean, has a rich history of ownership changes and significant events, including a fire in 1956 that resulted in the demolition of its third storey.
Raymore offers a variety of recreational facilities, including an ice rink, curling rink, a swimming pool, golf courses, and baseball diamonds. The town is also home to the Raymore Rockets of the Highway Hockey League, adding a vibrant sports culture to the community.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Raymore had a population of 507 living in 233 of its 248 total private dwellings. This represented a change of -11.8% from its 2016 population of 575. With a land area of 2.74 km2 (1.06 sq mi), the town had a population density of 185.0/km2 (479.2/sq mi) in 2021.
