Lawson lies in the Rural Municipality of Maple Bush No. 224. Located along Highway 42, on a defunct Canadian Pacific Railway line. It was an official village until 1985, when it was restructured as a hamlet.
In its early days, Lawson was likely a small service hub for local farmers—complete with grain elevators, a post office, and essential businesses - built alongside the CPR branch line. Like many prairie settlements founded during railway expansion, Lawson served the scattered homesteads dotting the region.
As roadside highways emerged and rail service declined, towns like Lawson lost their lifeblood. Without population growth or transportation access, residents gradually relocated. The official municipal status was dissolved in 1985, signaling its transition toward ghost‑town status. Today, there are only a few buildings left. The grain elevator burned down in 2017 due to a dust explosion.
