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The Debden Rural Telephone Company was formed in 1971 absorbing the Mattes Rural Telephone Co. (1960-1971) and the Ormeaux-Victoire Rural Telephone Co. (1960-1971). Organized and administered by local residents, the Debden Rural Telephone Co. (RTC) provided telephone service for the rural Debden area. In 1977 Sask Tel absorbed Debden RTC under the Voluntary Assimilation program, with Sask Tel assuming full responsibility for providing telephone service to the rural company's subscribers.

The origins of the Claybank Brick Plant go back to 1886 when Tom McWilliams, a local homesteader, began mining "refractory" or heat resistant clay. This type of clay is well suited for manufacturing firebricks, which in turn are used in fireplaces, and to insulate boilers, furnaces and any area where extensive heat is generated. In 1904 Mr. McWilliams entered into a formal agreement with the Moose Jaw Fire Brick and Pottery Company. This company acquired Mr. McWilliam's original homestead plus other nearby clay deposits. However, the lack of access to primary markets hindered any serious development of the property.

With construction of a Canadian Northern Railway line through the district in 1910, this problem was eliminated and plans were put in place for the construction of a new plant. In 1912, the Moose Jaw Fire Brick and Pottery Company reorganized, bought out Tom McWilliams' shares and became Saskatchewan Clay Products. The brick plant was completed in 1914 but due to World War I, and an economic recession, was forced to close until 1916. Once the plant was reactivated the company underwent reorganization and became Dominion Fire Brick and Clay Products Ltd. The new company expanded its product line adding facebrick and specialized firebrick. These innovations helped the company survive the immediate post-war years. During the 1920's the company began producing high grade refractory tiles. These specialized tiles could be used for flue and furnace linings, steam engine linings and locomotive arch blocks. The development of the specialized product line helped the company survive the Depression. By 1938 the Claybank brick plant was the busiest in the province. During World War II the brick plant at Claybank continued to produce standard and specialized refractory products. Facebrick production also continued. In the years immediately following World War II the Claybank brick plant continued to prosper.By 1950 it was the largest clay products plant in the province.

In 1954 the Claybank brick plant was purchased by Redcliffe Pressed Brick. The new company, Dominion Fire Brick and Clay Products (1954) Limited, was Alberta based and, for the rest of its operating history, ownership of the Claybank plant would continue to be from outside the province. In 1955 a share transfer gave controlling interest in the plant to A.P. Green Fire Brick Company of Mexico, Missouri. The company, one of North America's leading producers of refractory products, modernized the plant's operations. Among the many changes was the conversion of six of the ten kilns to natural gas. However, despite these and other improvments the plant began experiencing economic hardships in the mid-1950's. One of the primary causes of this was the decline in the market for locomotive brick which, as the railroads converted to diesel locomotives, became obsolete. Although the company tried to compensate for this lost market by agressively selling other forms of firebrick they were only partially successful. In addition, the plant discontinued its production of facebrick. Although the conversion of the kilns to natural gas offered several advantages, it proved a liability to the production of facebrick since the coal fired kilns had given the brick its colour.

In 1962 A.P. Green secured complete control of the Claybank brick plant but the company continued to operate under the name Dominion Fire Brick and Clay Products (1954) Limited until December 31, 1970. After 1971 the plant continued to operate but as a subsidiary of A.P. Green Refractories (Canada) Ltd. This full integration into an international corporation limited the plant's prospects and appears to have accelerated the plant's final economic decline. Dwindling markets for refractory products, changing technologies, the plant's outmoded equipment and corporate downsizing all contributed to the closure of the 75 year old plant in 1989. Following the closure of the plant in June 1989 the Province of Saskatchewan indicated its intention to designate the plant as a provincial heritage site. In 1992 A.P. Green donated the site, including the brick plant, machinery and equipment to the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation. In 1996 the plant was declared a national historic site. In 1998 the Claybank Brick Plant was officially designated as Provincial Heritage Property.

In December 1908, a meeting took place to organize a rural telephone company in Allan, SK and a provisional board of directors was chosen. It was decided that committees would canvass the rural areas near Allan to secure subscriptions to this service. On January 9, 1909, the first meeting of the provisional board of directors took place, with J.A. Beaver as president, Fred B. Williams as secretary-treasurer. The first stockholder's meeting took place on June 19, 1909, when W.F. Vawter was formally elected president and Fred B. Williams elected secretary-treasurer. Directors elected for each circuit and the town were W.E. Redick, M. Loran, R.E. Beaver, W.F. Vawter, N. Lang, F.B. Doan, Stanley Bowser and N.F. Allan.
Regulated by the Saskatchewan Government Telephones Department, the company proceeded to construct telephone lines in the area serving the town and surrounding district. The board of directors decided on rates, telephone extension applications, contracts and salaries. In 1954, the Allan Rural Telephone Co. and the Allan East Rural Telephone Co. (incorporated in 1920) were amalgamated as the Allan East Rural Telephone Co. During 1957, the Elstow Rural Telephone Co. (incorporated in 1910) held joint meetings with the Allan East Rural Telephone Co. and on January 25, 1958, these two companies were amalgamated. At this same meeting, it was decided that the name be changed to the Allan Rural Telephone Co. In 1976, SaskTel offered to absorb this company and it was unanimously accepted by all subscribers at a general meeting on December 14, 1976.

William Gerrard Dow was born on September 21, 1849 in Whitby, Ontario to John and Catherine Isabella (Ball) Dow. He served in the militia during the Fenian Raids around 1865 and then travelled west with Colonel Stoughton Dennis in 1869 as part of the surveying party at Red River. Dow farmed at Whitby until around 1889, when he moved near Portage La Prairie, Manitoba to take up farming. In 1903, he moved to the Ruddell, North-West Territories (now known as Saskatchewan) district, where he farmed until his death on January 8, 1937.

William Dow married Annie McAllan on September 24, 1873 in Whitby. William and Annie Dow had six children: Isabella; Marion; Margaret; Annie; John and James. Isabella Dow, born on June 15, 1875, died in 1948. Marion Kathleen, born on February 23, 1877, was a teacher and married Thomas Pain, with whom she had three children: Harold, Thomas and Arthur. Marion died in 1960. Margaret Josephine, born on September 17, 1878, was a teacher and married Carney Ferry, with whom she had two children: Marion and William. Margaret Josephine died in 1922. Annie Jardine, born on March 23, 1880, died on December 10, 1974. James, born on March 15, 1882, is believed to have died in infancy.

John Dow was born on March 15, 1882. Around 1904, he homesteaded in the Ruddell, Saskatchewan district. He served in World War I and married Marjorie Rake in 1918 while overseas. The Dows returned to the Ruddell district in 1919 and resided on the farm until 1938, when they moved to Saskatoon. The Dows had four children: Herbert J. (born 1920); Nora; David and Marjorie Elizabeth. John Dow died in September 1969 and Marjorie Dow died on December 30, 1974. Herbert Dow worked in the insurance and financial management industries in Regina until the mid 1990s, when he and his wife, Frances, moved to Saskatoon. Herbert J. Dow and his sisters, Nora and Marjorie (Delahey), currently (2018) continue to reside in Saskatoon.

Susan Jane Stephens was born in Regina, Saskatchewan on December 13, 1954 (intentionally premature so as to not miss Christmas) to Selwyn and Dorothy (Bulloch) Stephens. She completed elementary and high school in Regina, and attended bible school in Calgary, Alberta for one year. Prior to her employment with the Saskatchewan Archives Board (SAB), Susan delighted and inspired five-year-olds as a kindergarten teacher in Vibank. From 1978 to 1989, students benefited from her nurturing way and her patience. In addition to her teaching career, Susan was employed by Reitman's and Smart Set and worked at several of their stores in Regina between 1974 and 1990. She also was a sales representative for Avon.

Susan married Gerry Millen on December 21, 1985. Their family includes (2012) daughter Sherice (Kevin) and son Trent (Jean); grandchildren Melissa, Jessica, Kaitlyn, Matthew, Linsday, Shennay, Danny, Jaymen, Tabatha, Kendra, Landon; and 5.2 great-grandchildren.

Susan started at the SAB on July 16, 1989 as part of the Government Records Branch staff and was located at the Hillsdale office. She transferred to the Microfilm Unit in December of that year, and the dynamic duo of 'Ted and Susan' was created. Through the years, Susan also worked as an assistant in the Reference Unit and clients were also treated to Susan's warmth and excellent sense of humour. Within the SAB, Susan was known for her enjoyment of KFC's 'Toonie Tuesday', her joy of puns and her love of good conversation. And, despite a certain nap taken one day in the microfilm room, Susan will be remembered as a dedicated and hard-working employee. Susan relocated to the Henderson office in 2009 and fit in wonderfully with the employees there. Regardless of where she was or what work she was doing, Susan added laughter and joy to the SAB.

In early 2011, Susan stepped away from the SAB to become the office manager of Gerry's business, Global Property Inspectors. One year later, she determined that she could indeed work with Gerry and chose to retire from the SAB. We at the SAB thank Susan for her years of service and for all that she has given us. We wish her happiness and prosperity in her 'retirement' and hope that she continues to visit us frequently!

John Livingstone Eager was born in 1876. He lived in Iowa, Manitoba and Alberta before homesteading in 1906 on SW 24-29-2-W3 in the Kenaston, Saskatchewan district. Eager farmed in the Kenaston district until 1944, when he sold the farm and moved to Kenaston. In 1960, he moved to Saskatoon and resided there until his death in 1962.

Eager married Jessie Mize on January 26, 1911 in Iowa. The Eagers had two children: Evelyn and Richard.

William John Irvine was born on April 4, 1892 in Crumlin County, Antrim, Ireland to John William and Mary Elizabeth (Hunter) Irvine. He immigrated to Canada in 1911 and settled in the Duval, Saskatchewan district before homesteading on SW 15-30-28-W2 in the Young district. Irvine moved to Watrous in 1952. He retired from farming in 1959 and resided in Watrous until 1978, when he moved to Saskatoon.

Irvine was active in numerous local co-operative organizations, including the Young Co-op Store, the Young Credit Union and the Young and Watrous Wheat Pools. He was a charter member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).

Irvine died on July 9, 1985 in Saskatoon and was buried in Watrous.

Irvine married Isabella Eliza Woodland on February 18, 1926 in Morrisburg, Ontario. The Irvines had five children: Robert; Eileen; Elizabeth; Gerald and Marion.

Louise Ellen Petschulat was born in 1939 to Luther and Mary Lee. She had one sister and one brother. Petschulat was employed with the Regina Public School Board as a teacher and principal. A member of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society, Petschulat was a certified Saskatchewan genealogist. She taught classes on various aspects of genealogical research and wrote and published several family history books. She and her husband, Bruno Petschulat, had three children: Laura; Heather and Terry. Louise Petschulat died in Regina on December 22, 2002.

David Gordon Steuart was born on January 26, 1916 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to Francis J. Steuart and Abbie Cory Thomas. He was educated in Moose Jaw and Regina. In 1936, he moved to Prince Albert, where he became president of his family's grocery store, Steuart Brothers Grocery, later named Steuart Enterprises. In 1941 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and served as a navigator.

In 1951, Steuart was elected to the Prince Albert City Council. He was elected Mayor of Prince Albert in 1954 and served until 1958. He also served as president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association. By 1958, Steuart was a member of the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan executive, becoming party President in 1959.

Steuart was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in 1962 and served as the Liberal Party member for the Prince Albert City constituency (1962-1967), Prince Albert West constituency (1967-1975), and Prince Albert-Duck Lake constituency (1975-1976). He served in the Ross Thatcher Government as Minister of Public Health (1964-1966); Minister of Natural Resources (1966-1967); Minister in charge of the Saskatchewan Power Corporation (Nov. 1967 to December 1967); Provincial Treasurer and Minister in charge of Saskatchewan Pulpwood Ltd. (Saskatchewan Timber Board) (1967-1971). He was also appointed deputy premier in 1965. He served as Leader of the Official Opposition (1971-1975). He resigned as Liberal Party leader in 1975 and was called to the Senate in 1976. As a senator, he was involved in many Standing Committees and a Special Joint Committee on Senate Reform. He served in the Senate until his retirement in 1991.

After his retirement in 1991, Steuart moved to Kelowna, British Columbia.

David Steuart married Eunice Mary Cooke on October 23, 1946. They had two children: Lynne and Robert.

Nickolas Joseph Seitz was born on April 18, 1902 in Hosmer, South Dakota to Frank and Rosina (Gotz) Seitz. In April 1903, he moved with his family to a farm in the Kendal, North-West Territories (later known as Saskatchewan) district. The family also farmed in the Sedley and Cedoux districts before moving to Regina after Frank Seitz's death in 1927.

Seitz drove a gravel truck and worked at various trades before beginning his employment with the Maintenance Department of Simpson Sears Ltd. in Regina in 1941. He remained with the company until his retirement in April, 1967. Seitz continued to reside in Regina until his death on June 13, 1988.

Seitz married Mary Zimmerman on October 8, 1929 in Regina. They had one child: Ted.