The first settlers to arrive in the area were returning World War I veterans, who arrived in the early 1920s. Olaf Quale homesteaded in 1926 on the quarter section where the main town site later developed.
With the Canadian National Railroad being built in early 1929, poplar trees, growing predominantly in the area, became the best means of income. As the settlement increased, Porcupine Plain became known as the cordwood capital; with shipments via rail to the south, cordwood provided the sole economy for the birth and commencement of Porcupine Plain. The largest shipping point in Saskatchewan for this product was the area surrounding Porcupine Plain.
As the trees were harvested, the land was cleared and grain crops were produced. Today, Porcupine Plain’s main industry is agriculture, producing high quality grain.
The Porcupine Plain district grew in size and was incorporated as a village in 1942. In 1967, Porcupine Plain achieved town status, where it remains today.