Seager Wheeler

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title: "Seager Wheeler" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["english-emigrants-to-canada", "1868-births", "1961-deaths", "canadian-members-of-the-order-of-the-british-empire", "canadian-agronomists", "persons-of-national-historic-significance-(canada)", "people-from-rosthern,-saskatchewan"] topic_path: "geography/canada" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seager_Wheeler" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameSeager Wheeler
birth_date1868
birth_placeIsle of Wight, England
death_dateDecember 15, 1961
death_placeVictoria
occupationPlant breeder, agronomist, farmer
spouseLily Martin in 1908
childrenBeth and Isobelle
known_forpioneering viable wheat strains suitable for the Canadian prairies
::

| name = Seager Wheeler | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = 1868 | birth_place = Isle of Wight, England | death_date = December 15, 1961 | death_place = Victoria | education = | occupation = Plant breeder, agronomist, farmer | spouse = Lily Martin in 1908 | parents = | children = Beth and Isobelle | known_for = pioneering viable wheat strains suitable for the Canadian prairies

Seager Wheeler, MBE (1868 – December 15, 1961) was a Canadian agronomist. Wheeler produced viable economic wheat and fruit strains for a short prairie growing season with harsh winters. Known as the "Wheat King of the prairies" or "The Wheat Wizard of Rosthern" he owned and operated the Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm. He was designated as a person of national historic significance in 1988 by the Canadian federal government and inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame.

Seager came to Canada in 1885 and applied for his own homestead in 1890. His original homestead was located at NE Section 16 Township 38 Range 4 West of the 3rd Meridian, and he was aided by a loan from the Temperance Colonization Society Limited - Toronto{{Cite web | last =SK Archives Board, Pioneer, EDS, SK Genealogical Society | first =ISC, ISM, SIAST, Metis National Council, SK Heritage Foundation | authorlink = | title =SHIP Search Results | date = | year = | url =http://www.saskhomesteads.com/results.asp?Page=7&name=WHEELER%25%25%25%25%25%25&part=&section=&township=&range=&meridian=&remarks=&search_type=starts&searchremarks= | accessdate = 2007-05-01 | last =Library and Archives Canada | authorlink = | title =Item Display - Post Offices and Postmasters - ArchiviaNet - Library and Archives Canada | date =2007-02-12 | url =http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/post-offices/001001-119.01-e.php?&isn_id_nbr=11404&interval=24&&PHPSESSID=ja2e56t4uqrvpsui0sureeulf0 | accessdate = 2007-05-01 | last =Trevor Ashfield | first =Canadian Heritage | authorlink = | title =Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm Commemorated as a National .. | publisher = | date = | url =http://www.pch.gc.ca/newsroom/index_e.cfm?fuseaction=displayDocument&DocIDCd=6NR135 | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-05-01 }} The site is honoured as the location where hardy wheat and fruit strains were developed which were well suited to the prairie climate and growing season.

Life

Born on the Isle of Wight, England in 1868, Wheeler emigrated to the Canadian prairies in 1885, the year of the North-West Rebellion. He worked on various farms for five years before applying for his own homestead near Rosthern, Saskatchewan. He died in Victoria and is interred with his family in the Bergthal cemetery, near Rosthern, where he homesteaded. He co-authored a book with Herbert Joseph (Hopkins) Moorhouse called “Seager Wheeler's Profitable Grain Growing”. His life story by Jim Shilliday was published in 2007 by the Canadian Plains Research Center.

| last = | first = | authorlink = | title =CRS COMMPOSTER | publisher = | date =October 2004 | url =http://www.canadianrosesociety.org/CommPoster/oldhtml/c006-pg_files/c006-pg14.html | doi = | accessdate = 2007-05-01 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060926215230/http://www.canadianrosesociety.org/CommPoster/oldhtml/c006-pg_files/c006-pg14.html |archivedate = 2006-09-26}}

History

Seager Wheeler developed many dryland farming techniques, invented equipment as well as winning numerous awards for developing wheat strains and fruits which would grow in the short prairie season, seeds which would survive over winter and many other practices which helped develop a sustainable agricultural economy in Saskatchewan.

Awards

  • 1911 New York Land Show International Award for Wheat entry.{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title =Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame | work =Salute to Saskatchewan Farm Leaders | publisher = | year =2006 | url =http://www.sahf.ca/profile.php?id=143 | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-05-01}}
  • 1911 Canadian Pacific Railway first prize of $1000 in gold coins for best North American hard spring wheat.
  • 1915 Denver Competition Prize.
  • 1916 El Paso Competition Prize.
  • 1918 International Soil Products Exposition in Kansas City Prize.
  • 1919 honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Queen's University{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title =Welcome to the Seager Wheeler Farm - The Man | publisher = | date = | url =http://www.seagerwheelerfarm.org/theman.htm | doi = | accessdate = 2007-05-01 }}
  • 1945 Member of the Order of the British Empire
  • 1972 Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame
  • 1988 designated by the Canadian Government as a person of National Significance.

Legacy

Published works

  • Grain Growers' Guide – articles
  • Seager Wheeler's book on profitable grain growing / by Seager Wheeler. With biographical sketch by Herbert Joseph (Hopkins) Moorhouse. Publisher: Winnipeg : The Grain growers' guide, 1919.
  • Seager Wheeler's book on profitable grain growing Publisher: Winnipeg, Grain Growers' Guide, ltd, 1919.
  • Special prices on Seager Wheeler's selected seeds and northern grown nursery stockPublisher: [Rosthern? Sask. : S. Wheeler], 1930.
  • Seager Wheeler's book on profitable grain growing 2nd ed. / by Seager Wheeler; with biographical sketch by Herbert Joseph (Hopkins) Moorhouse. Publisher Winnipeg : Grain Growers' Guide, 1919.
  • Special prices on Seager Wheeler's 1927 selected seeds Publisher: [Rosthern? Sask. : S. Wheeler, 1926?]{{cite web | last =National Library of Canada. | authorlink = | title =resAnet Results Summary | publisher = | year =1997 | url =http://www.collectionscanada.ca/wbin/resanet/resultsm/l=0/d=1/r=1/e=0/s=s/n=NK/h=10/t=3960505/u=Author=Wheeler,+Seager,+1869-1961 | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-05-01 }}
  • Profitable Grain Growing published by Grain Growers Guide in 1919 by Herbert Joseph Moorhouse and Seager Wheeler.

References

References

  1. (1997–2007). "Virtual Saskatchewan - Wizard o' Wheat".
  2. Library and Archives Canada. "Western Land Grants (1870-1930) - ArchiviaNet - Library and Archives Canada".
  3. Shilliday, Jim. (2007). "Canada's Wheat King: The Life and Times of Seager Wheeler". Canadian Plains Research Center.

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english-emigrants-to-canada1868-births1961-deathscanadian-members-of-the-order-of-the-british-empirecanadian-agronomistspersons-of-national-historic-significance-(canada)people-from-rosthern,-saskatchewan