CHAPS Cochrane Historical Museum
CHAPS Cochrane Historical Museum is temporarily closed
Cochrane Historical & Archival Preservation Society
Virtual Tour
Learn more about the development of this exciting new exhibit
Beautiful Scenery
Visitors to the CHAPS Museum in Cochrane, Alberta are within an hour’s drive of Banff National Park and the mountain playgrounds west of Calgary that offer year round outdoor activities in a beautiful setting.
Located within The Cochrane Ranche
The Dominion Government incorporated a company in 1881 and it was known as the Cochrane Ranche Company. (excerpt from Big Hill Country page 155).
The Museum Building's History
Constructed in 1909 by the Davies family using bricks from the Collin’s Brick Yard. Built to be used as a hospital/nursing home and private residence. Moved to its current site in 2014.
Experience the history of
Canada's West
Through the eyes of its settlers, ranchers and farmers;
the service and supply businesses, the educators and more.
Hooves of History 1990
In 1990, the Canadian Rodeo Historical Association (C.R.H.A.) and the Stockmen’s Memorial Foundation organized a fundraising cattle drive for the Western Heritage Centre to be built in Cochrane. The event is remembered in a video and book. In 2020, the original VHS tape and a DVD copy was donated to the Cochrane Historical & Archival
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Wild Horses
This article by Jade Lewis appeared in the Cochrane Times. We often tie the emergence of horses in the west to the colonial settlers, like Senator Matthew Cochrane, who imported the first Thoroughbred horse into western Canada. However, wild horses ran through this valley and were used by the indigenous people long before colonial settlers
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Virtual Tour of Cochrane Historical Museum
Great news. We’re ecstatic to announce the virtual tour of the Museum is ready. During this unprecedented Global Pandemic, CHAPS takes our volunteers and our visitors’ health and safety extremely seriously. As a result, we have temporarily closed our facility to help limit the transmission and to ensure everyone’s safety. Our mission is to promote
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Share your favourite family photo
We’d like to have some fun and learn a little more of our colourful local history. Please share one of your favourite family photos on our Facebook page. Remember to include some details about why it’s an important memory.
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Inglis Ranch Research
Bill Watts of Ottawa recently asked if we knew of the Inglis Ranch. Frank Hennessey did some research and found an article in Big Hill Country. CAPTAIN AND MRS. INGLIS – by Jo Hutchinson William Mason Inglis, who was generally known as Captain Inglis, owned land north of Cochrane along Beaver Dam Creek. He received
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CHM is still closed but preparations continue
It still doesn’t seem wise to open the Museum to the public due to the pandemic. But our volunteers are using the time to better prepare our next exhibit. Stay tuned for more details.
