History

One man started this quaint little town in  1980.With many of the items and even some of the lumber being donated by members of the community. His name is Len Mohr and he is a retired building contractor from Spruce Grove. He lived across the Rose Creek until his house was flooded one spring and he moved across the creek into a meadow where the town now sits. He started building with the jailhouse which became his home for a few years while he worked on other buildings in the town. The next building he finished was the saloon, which is across the street from the jailhouse. From that point on he just kept building, never saying what was next just building it. In 1984 he started construction on the Cottonwood House and that was his new home until he sold it in 1990. He has since moved to Stony Plain and now resides on an acreage.

Miles and Judy Melin and their children, Corby and Deon, purchased Em-Te Town in 1989. They opened the gates to the public on the July long weekend of that year and moved into the Cottonwood House in November of 1989. Miles and Judy ended up living in that house for three years until the log house on the hill was finished.

Here is a short chronological history of Em-Te Town:

1989 - finished Damant's and opened it as the admissions booth, post office and store

1990 - church went up on the May long weekend. We had a raising to which about 70 people came with their hammers, handsaws, log peelers or their team of mules. all workers were supplied with food, drink and a dance that evening for their services. Their have been 75 weddings in the town since the church was built. Construction was started on the cabins in January this year.

1991 - School went up this year on May long weekend and we had another raising. About 60 people showed up and everything went as it did the year before. The fifth cabin was also finished this year and the landscaping for the campgrounds began.

1992 - Sawbuck's Morg. was finished as well as another cabin and new log corrals were built as well. the arena, including bleachers and an announcers booth, was started and finished that summer.

1993 - Log cabin #6 was built in the winter of '93 and a shower house was built on the hill for the cabins. Two more buildings were also moved in and they became the granary and the tack shed.

1994 - More landscaping was done during the summer months to increase the number of camping stalls. A new bridge and main gate were also constructed this year.

1995 - The Cottonwood house became open for viewing and a new banquet room was started in the early spring. The camping area was expanded to 56 stalls with more picnic tables and fire pits as well as a Gazebo for the outdoor weddings.

1996 - The banquet room was finished and the installation of the washrooms and kitchen began.

1997 - Finished the kitchen and installed water, power and sewer systems.

1998 - No more free wood starting in January because Ole's Svenson's Wood Sales was completed and filled with split wood for the summer.

2000 - Early in the spring the Old Timer Motel was started. The motel was finished in June of that year.