The Northern Pacific & Manitoba Railway built a rail line from Morris to Somerset and then west to Virden.

On May 1, 1889, an agreement was made between two homesteaders, Mr. Chas. Clark and Mr. Fortunat Lachance, and the Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway Company. For the price of $1, forty acres from each of their quarter sections were set aside as the future townsite of Somerset. The agreement stated that “the Railway, at its own expense, shall locate and lay down a town site on these lands and within three months shall place the lots on the market for sale. Additional lands shall be donated to the Railway for the right of way.” This plan was carried out, and on September 30, 1889, the Northern Pacific rails were laid in Somerset, sparking rapid growth in homes and businesses.

The first council meeting for the RM of Lorne was held on July 8, 1880. In the years that followed, settlers began homesteading in Ward IV, where 160-acre parcels could be purchased for just $10.

Rural Municipality of Lorne was incorporated February 14, 1880.

The Canadian Northern Railway built a rail line from Leary’s to Somerset.

Somerset became an unincorporated village. With a levy from the municipality, the village councillors managed the local affairs.

Rural schools were consolidated within the Mountain School Division.

The village was incorporated under the jurisdiction of the RM of Lorne. After incorporation, the village was no longer governed as an unincorporated settlement.

The RM of Lorne Centennial was celebrated, and a history book was published to mark the occasion.

Significant railway improvements were undertaken.

The Lorne Municipal Trail was incorporated into the Trans Canada Trail.

The railway began to remove the tracks.

The RMs of Victoria, Lorne, and South Norfolk, along with the villages of Treherne and Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, established the South Central Planning District.

The first wind farm in Manitoba became operational, with a total capacity of 99 megawatts. It comprised 63 turbines: 42 in Lorne and 21 in Pembina.

An additional ten wind turbines were installed at the wind farm, comprising two in Lorne and eight in Pembina.

Due to provincial legislation requiring municipalities with fewer than 1,000 residents to amalgamate by January 1, 2015, it merged with the Village of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes and the Village of Somerset to form the Municipality of Lorne.