Andrew Garson

by

by Flora Garson pg 231 Big Hill Country 1977

Andrew (Andy) and his brother John came to Canada from the Orkney Islands in 1902. They worked in the mines at Ymir, British Columbia, almost a year before coming to Cochrane. In 1903 Andy homesteaded the NW¼ 12-27-5-5 and Jack Garson homesteaded the NE¼ of the same section. Jack sold his homestead to David Breen and in 1910 Duncan Kerfoot bought the half section. The NE¼ of 14 in that township had been homesteaded by Tom Oddie and the SE¼ homesteaded by Hughie Stein, who built a shack there. This half section, known as the Stein Place, was bought by Andy Garson. Mr. Oddie purchased the N½ and the SE¼ of section 23 from the C.P.R. In 1910 Andy bought out Oddie and, later on, sold the Oddie place and the Stein place to Bumpy Rhodes. He then bought Section 13 in that township from the C.P.R. He also bought Boney Thompson’s homestead and sold it to Gordon Hinde.

For a while Andy rented the MacKay place in Grand Valley and put up hay, which he baled using a horse-operated baler.  Forbes Skinner and Frank McKenna worked for him, and they hauled the hay to Cochrane in three wagons, making two trips one day and one trip the next.

Garson McEachen Announcement

Andy liked to tell jokes on himself. He told that one day while he was at the MacKay place, he was driving a bronc and standing up in the wagon when his dog started barking at the horses. Fearing that the dog would scare the bronc, Andy snapped a line at the dog. The dog seized the line in his teeth and jerked Andy off the wagon.

For many years he dealt in heavy horses, shipping a great many to British Columbia, and some to every other province in Canada except Manitoba. He always recognized one of his Quarter Circle G horses wherever he saw it, even years after it was sold.

One of the most colourful characters in Grand Valley was Ewen MacKay. Jack Garson was getting a ride from town with him, in a hayrack, when MacKay spotted Donald Morrison driving home ahead of him. “I’ll catch him and take a hind wheel off him! ” he cried, and he whipped up his horses. But Morrison saw him coming and drove as fast as his horses could take him. MacKay was gaining on his prey when Carson’s hat blew off. “Stop, stop! ” yelled Garson, but MacKay would not stop. So Garson grabbed MacKay’s hat and threw it off. Then MacKay had to stop, allowing Morrison to gain the safety of his own barnyard, where he gave them the raspberry as they drove by.

Jack Garson took a carload of horses and wagons to the Peace River country and decided to stay there.

In 1924 Andy married Flora McEachen and went to live in Cochrane. Later they resided in Calgary, where Andy died January 15, 1969. On February 2, 1963, Andy Garson wrote the following: ” My brother Jack left the Orkney Islands in 1890 and went to the States, to Portland, Oregon. From Oregon he went to the Klondike over the Trail of ’98. He was there about a year and he came back to B.C. and he was there until 1901. He came back to Scotland and he and I left for Canada right after the New Year, in January 1902, and we came to B.C. and worked in the quartz mine until April 1903. Then we came to Cochrane and took up homesteads.”

Deep Dive

Reg and Edna Munro

by

pg 623 More Big Hill Country 2009

Reg and I were both born and raised in the Springbank area. My parents, Mattie Robinson and William Cullen celebrated 100 years. Reg’s parents, Johnnie Munro and Grace Henning, had their centennial in 1994. Grace lived to 98 years and passed away in 2006. We lived on land adjacent to the airport. Johnnie’s parents Martha Hamilton and William Munro both had homesteads. My Grandparents, Lily McPherson and Joseph Robinson homesteaded in Elbow Valley.

I rode three and a half miles on my horse Paddy to Elbow River School until the school burnt down when I was in grade six. From grade seven to eleven I went to Springbank and then high school at Crescent Heights in Calgary. We went to Springbank School on the first school bus; the old bus was a wooden van with no windows on the sides and two benches on each side.

Mr. Allen (teacher) was the driver and didn’t mind making anybody walk if they misbehaved. Reg remembers boxing matches in the boys’ cloakroom at noons and recesses.

In 1966 we purchased the old Mortimer Place from Alan McMahon. Our two children, Diane and Dean, changed school from Springbank to Westbrook and later to Cochrane High. Diane went to University of Calgary and took education. She married Don Demetrick from St. Paul, Alberta. She has been teaching native children at Blue Quills and Saddle Lake for twenty-five years. Diane and Don have two children Laura and Cameron. Laura married Grant Smith from Bentley, Alberta and they have one little boy, Wacey. They own a hydrovac truck used in oil well businesses and pipelines. Cameron is at U of A taking education, 3rd year. Diane has spent many summers helping with the haying. She has seen a lot of country abroad: Australia, China, Hawaii, Alaska, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Mediterranean, and Turkey.

Dean bought a remote ranch at Quesnel, British Columbia. He was married to Joy Veselic from Cochrane and is now married to Roseanne Exshaw. Dean has two girls, Sayla and Jenny and one boy Jake. Sayla and her husband, Dean Renker, have two girls, Holly and Hanna. Sayla is in nursing. They live at Quesnel, a few miles from Dean. Jenny lives in Cochrane and has one boy, Tristan Ash. She is manager of a retail store in Cochrane. Jake is in the electrical trade in Quesnel.

We have had a commercial herd of Simmental cattle for the past 52 years and in 2008 won an award for breeder of the year. I have helped Reg with most things: baling, and stacking hay, delivering calves, fencing and whatever. Our place is called Spring Coulee and our brand is H inverted U on the Right Rib. We are cutting down on our cowherd.

We love to have our five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren visit and spend time with us. We went on a cruise to Alaska with family and neighbours in 2007, something we will always remember.

Reg and I are celebrating our 59th anniversary this year. We have seen many changes, some good and some not

Deep Dive

Mickle Family

by

pg 732 Big Hill Country 1977

 Wheeler Mickle was born in Ontario in 1840 and came West in the spring of 1862, via St. Paul and the Red River. At Fort Garry he joined a party of men, and travelled the hazardous overland trail to the Cariboo gold fields in British Columbia. Some were disappointed in their search for gold. Wheeler Mickle decided to do packing on the Cariboo Road.

At first mule trains and horses were used; later camels were brought in. The camels rustled their own food and were capable of carrying heavy loads, but they terrified the horses and mules that were being used.

After packing on the Cariboo Road, Wheeler drove stage for Barnard, a stage line company. The stage travelled the Cariboo Road. This was a rugged road and has been called the eighth wonder of the world. In places the road was supported on pilings or great masonry constructions, and in many places it was cut through solid rock. The level of the road varied from the edge of the Fraser River to dizzying heights, and the curves were so sharp that the lead horses were often out of the driver’s sight.

Wheeler married Lucinda Julia Thomson of Colchester, British Columbia, in October 1870. He took up land in the Nicola Valley of British Columbia. There, their four children, Lennox, Charles, Eddy and Tina were born. In 1881 he came back to what is now Alberta, where he freighted between Fort Walsh and Calgary for the North West Mounted Police. He settled in Calgary and built one of the first dwelling houses there. About the time that the town began to grow, he built a stable and entered into the feed and dray business. When the Mission property facing Seventeenth Avenue was put on the market, he purchased a site and built there. 

Mickle Marriage Certificate

At the outbreak of the Riel Rebellion (sic) in the spring of 1885, Wheeler Mickle, who was known to be an excellent teamster, was hired by General Strange. The Force of General Strange was made up of the 65th Battalion of the Mount Royal Rifles of Montreal, the Winnipeg Light Infantry, a detachment of Mounted Police under Major Steele, cowboy scouts and teamsters.

At Frenchman’s Butte they fought Big Bear’s forces and scattered them so that the prisoners were able to escape. On July 2nd, a small detachment of Mounted Police captured Chief Big Bear, thus ending the war.

 In the fall of 1885 Wheeler went to Manitoba, and the following spring he shipped a carload of cows West. He took up land on the Cochrane lease where, later, the Springbank Post Office was established.

Wheeler and his wife operated the Post Office and a store for a number of years. The Mickles sold out their business at Springbank and took up homestead land in what is known as Mission Valley, north of the Elbow River. His homestead was NW¼ 4-24-4-5.

Letter from Wheeler to Jue - Content advisory

Wheeler Mickle gave Springbank its name. He was a very strong person and his day used to start about four a.m. It has been told that he used to go up to the bush for firewood when he lived in Springbank, and the ranchers living along the trail would hear the noise of the wagon or sleighs going by at four a.m. In the winter he would cut his load of wood and load it up and be back home before dark. 

He retired to Cochrane in 1913 and it was not unusual to see Wheeler walking home from the river at six a.m. with a catch of fish. Wheeler passed away in 1918. 

Tina married Watt Potts. Lennox was killed in a shooting accident at Springbank. Eddy was crippled and lived with his parents at Springbank. In later years he moved up north. Charlie Mickle spent most of his life in the Cochrane area.

Deep Dive

Grayson Family

by

by Stuart Grayson pg 232 Big Hill Country

My father, Charles Grayson was born July 1, 1870, at Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, immigrating with his family to Canada as a child. The family moved steadily westward, homesteading in the Qu ‘Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, in 1886. They remained there for twenty years, then returned to Virden, Manitoba, where Charles’ parents spent their final years.

Charles did not stop in Saskatchewan; he continued working his way westward, finally arriving at the Cowan ranch in the Big Hill Springs area in 1886. He was sixteen years old. Here he obtained employment as a ranch hand. He left Cowans to work for C. W. Fisher and later worked at the Union Bank as Ranch and Homestead Inspector, and in still later years as Imperial Oil Agent for Cochrane. He was also a Justice of the Peace and Police Magistrate for a while.

Dad married Blanche Bruce, daughter of Donald and Jane Bruce, in Cochrane in 1902. They had three children, Bruce Gordon, born 1903, Dorothy Maud, born 1905, and Leslie Stuart, born 1907. Mother passed away in November 1907; I was nine months old. Dad later married Mrs. Margaret White, widow of Daniel C. White, of Cochrane. Margaret passed away at Lethbridge in 1961; Dad had predeceased her in 1950.

Gordon worked for the Royal Bank of Canada, for Montelbelli Brothers at Bluffton, Alberta, and for many years in the implement business at Lacombe and Wetaskiwin. He passed away in Wetaskiwin in 1966, leaving his wife Dorothy and two children, Evelyn and James.

Dorothy, a school teacher, married Gordon Lock, of Calgary. She passed away in 1956, leaving one daughter, Joan.

I, Stuart, taught school for a short time, then joined the Alberta Provincial Police in 1930, transferring to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1932, and served with them (including a period of over six years Overseas with the Canadian Army during World War Two, while on leave of absence from the Force – Pt. Lt. Col.)

 I was stationed for a further period of three years in London, England, as Liason Officer for the Force, which included acting as Canadian Representative to Interpol. It afforded me wide opportunities for travel throughout Europe. My last six years of service were spent as Superintendent of the Calgary Subdivision of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, retiring in 1965 with a maximum service of thirty-five and a half years. In 1936 I married Magdalena Platzer of Silverwood, Alberta. She was a teacher and also served Overseas with the Women’s Auxiliary of the Royal Air Force. We have two children, Charles, with the Calgary Public Library and daughter, Gail, residing in Toronto.

Photo from CHAPS archives labeled Grayson

Deep Dive

Glendale Womens Institute

by

by Gertie Hawkwood pg 173 More Big Hill Country 2009

 The Glendale Women’s Institute has been an active organization in the Glendale, Cochrane district for eighty-two years. It is the second oldest organization in the area after the King Solomon Lodge in Cochrane.

The Glendale School district was a mixed farming area with young families scattered through it. With no phones or cars, women were often very isolated.

Some of the ladies had heard of the Women’s Institute organized in 1897. A lady, Adelaide Hoodless, had lost a child to diphtheria and she thought if she had known more about sanitation and better ways of managing her home she could have saved her child. This movement soon spread across Canada with rural women learning about Agriculture Education, etc.

Women’s Institute’s are now throughout the world. Our motto is “For Home and Country”.

The first meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Thomas Wearmouth on March 31, 1925, for the purpose of forming a Women’s Institute, a branch of Alberta Women’s Institute. Dues were 50 cents a year. Eleven members joined then, and three more the next month.

Their main focus at that time was to supply the school with some necessities. Soon the school was the hub of social events, card parties and dances, everyone having a good time and meeting their neighbours. Money was raised for a piano and Christmas presents for the children in the district, ice cream and goodies for picnics at Bowness Park.

When fathers were busy on the land in the spring and at harvest time children went with Mothers to the meetings and all became good friends, some of which have lasted a lifetime.

Throughout the Depression and drought years of the 30’s, the W.I. carried on its activities. Then with WWII the ladies supplied care parcels for the boys overseas and made quilts for the Red Cross.

The 1950’s saw a change in the community. The country schools closed and the children went to Cochrane by bus. The ladies from Bearspaw and Westminster joined the Women’ Institute.

The Bearspaw Lion Club, chartered in 1953, provided the community with a hall. They have very generously let the Women’s Institute hold its meetings there. Showers were also held there for the young people getting married, and farewell parties, catering and other functions. Many good times!

Bearspaw School Courtesy Glenbow Archives

The Women’s Institute is an educational organization for both rural and urban women, just as it was 100 years ago. We have conveners for the many things we study: Health, Home Economics, Agriculture and now Environment is a priority.

Our membership has changed with many young women from the acreages joining and sharing their skills with us. Flower arranging, pottery and cake decoration are some that have brought new interest to our meetings.

Schools are no longer our priorities. We have reached out to help the Activettes in Cochrane, also many social agencies in Calgary that help needy women with clothing for themselves and their children

Our big focus for over fifty years has been raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Every year we also send about sixty buckets of cookies to the Tom Baker Centre for people waiting for their appointments.

The Women’s Institute and the Bearspaw Lions Club organized the first Bearspaw and District Country Fair in 1968 and the W.I. is part of the Fair presenting prizes for the handicraft and baking sections.

The Women’s Institute has been a great way for us to learn many new things as well as meeting a great many wonderful people in the community, and beyond.

Deep Dive

Cochrane Pony Club

by

pg 164 More Big Hill Country 2009

The Cochrane Pony Club began in 1960 at the Simpson Ranch in Grand Valley. The children rode to the Ranch from as far away as Water Valley and Cochrane. They were taught equitation and jumping in an outdoor rink and jumps were erected in the ranch pastures for their cross-country course.

The instructors were Jack Simpson, Edie Rodie, Red Watson, Vivienne Ullery, Zolten Sztehlo and Ralph Rowe. There were about 20 members in that first club: Sally McDougall, Anne McKendrick, Jill Kerfoot, John and Barbara Simpson, John Scott’s boys, Sally Austin, Doug, Barb and Cathy Lawson, Lillian Bryant, Judith Broatch, Susan, Charles and Fiona Strachan, David Watson and the Gillarneau family. 

During this time, the parents of these children made a red, black and whjte flag which has been used by the club ever since. The kids in this club have done very well, some even competing internationally and many passing on the skills they learned to future generations.

The members of the first Cochrane Pony Club moved on to follow other pursuits and the Pony Club also moved its location to various places in the years following. They did some spring riding in the old Cochrane Curling Rink next to St. Andrews Church and in the late spring and summer they held their meets at Bruce and Dorothy Boothby’s ranch west of Cochrane.

They met weekly and for one week in July, the Pony Club Members had a camp with intensive instruction. This week of intensive learning, riding and caring for their horses ended with a special event for the parents and grandparents to come out and acknowledge their accomplishments. The children brought their sleeping bags and gear and slept in the granary, then each day according to the schedule one of the mothers brought lunch or dinner to Boothbys to feed them. This worked well, aside from Dorothy having to console and care for the odd homesick youngster after they were taken to Cochrane to the outdoor swimming pool for a swim (shower) and fun, all thoughts of home were forgotten and things settled in fine. 

The Pony Club was growing in numbers and they had Sarah Leete, Lillian Bryant and Anne Lacy as instructors. As well, Miles Smeeton, an ex-English cavalryman, had moved into the Cochrane area. He encouraged the kids, becoming involved with the club and his thoughts were that Pony Club was not just for equitation but for fun and competition. This being the case, he made lances out of sticks for the kids and taught them to tent peg by popping balloons instead of real tent pegs and lances. This led to the introduction of Prince Philip Games

These were great fun and anyone could participate as long as your horse was no taller than 14 hands (a pony). The kids had great fun making up their teams, competing with each other and also with other Pony Clubs throughout the Province. The one thing that Miles insisted upon, and it gave the Cochrane kids a bit of an advantage over some of the others, was that they had to learn to vault on their horse before they could join a team. They won many competitions because they were so well taught. Miles became the District Commissioner of the Cochrane Pony Club and always encouraged the participation of the children at the Natjonal and International Levels.

The Cochrane Pony Club members also participated in the events at the Ghost River Gymkhanas held at Beaupre and did well in their respective classes.

The Pony Club moved to Griffin land close to where the Spray Lake Recreation Centre is today. They met there for a season and then had to move again. Much discussion took place and in the mid 1970’s the club moved to the Buckley Ranch in Jumping Pound.

As this was a working cattle ranch some changes had to be made. Ian Watt asked Robert Coates to come down and design a course for elementary and “D” riders that could be upgraded easily to the higher levels. The course was located in a field across the valley from the main ranch buildings and so we had a natural grandstand on the hill near the barn where we could sit or stand and watch the riders as they tackled the great course that had been designed and built for them. Stalls were set up in the calving barn. Located west of the buildings was found a fairly flat spot that was big enough to use as a stadium for jumping. This spot was called ‘Maggie Meadow ” in honour of Mrs. Buckley as she was not a lover of horses but did look after feeding the riders and fixing the bumps. bruises and cuts that go along with the game

The next problem was a Dressage Ring which had to be flat. As the ranch is located on a side hill this proved a problem until Harvey Buckley took the men out to his feedlot and they measured the area between the cement feed bunks. Turned out it was the right size and with a little leveling with the tractor the Cochrane Pony Club had a great Dressage Ring between the feed bunks! It would not be easy for a run-a-way here!

The Pony Club met there for many years and also continued with their July Pony Club Camp. The horses were housed in the calving barn and the members slept in a large steel granary with a cement floor. It certainly was dry however it was also very noisy. The walls echoed and no one got to sleep very early because of the chatter. Many stories can be told of those nights.

The Pony Club mothers provided the meals, each bringing the food for each day and we were all able to eat in the house as they had a large kitchen table and a ping pong table set up in their covered patio. This patio was also handy for meetings and making projects that were needed throughout the years.

During this period of time there were not a lot of places for pony club members to compete against each other at the elementary and “D” level so Cochrane Pony Club decided to hold an Annual “D” Rally in August. This event became very popular and was well attended by many young riders from all over Alberta, for many years.

Cochrane Pony Club also competed in Tetrathalon and one of Cochrane’s members competed internationally in Australia. This activity consists of competing in riding, running, swimming and shooting. Competition was very fierce and we were very proud of our members through the years, who competed provincially, nationally and internationally. In 1979 the Cochrane Pony Club hosted the Alberta National Tetrathalon Championships at the Buckley Ranch. It was a beautiful day, a gorgeous location, tough competition and a lot of work for many volunteers, parents and pony clubbers.

Sometime in the 1980’s the Cochrane Pony Club moved up to Anne Lacy’s acreage north of Cochrane and met there for a few years.

The Cochrane Agricultural Society acquired land and built facilities for the Cochrane Pony Club. They now have a permanent home there and continue to learn, compete and represent Cochrane well as they have done continuously since their small start in 1960.

It takes a lot of volunteers and time in Pony Club but it is a great organization for children, their parents and the community as a whole to be able to participate in this International Organization.

Deep Dive

Ghost River Pony Club

by

by Dorothy Edge More Big Hill Country pg 166 2009

 After the annual McDonald Picnic held on the Mount Royal Ranch in the Beaupre district ended in 1946, the late Agness Hammond, Ghost River Ranch, and late Helen McDonald, Mount Royal Ranch, neighbours, decided there really should be a local horse show and gymkhana in the area for children, so, in 1947, they set the wheels in motion and by August 29, 1948, the first show was held on the Ghost River Ranch, with lots of assistance from others. (See Page 307, Big Hill Country.) The following details were taken from submissions sent to me for inclusion to GRPC’s scrapbook of memoirs.

Note the pencilled-in H in Gymkhana

A large crowd was in attendance and competition was keen at the horse show and gymkhana staged at Ghost River Sunday under ideal weather conditions. Many Calgary horse owners shipped their ponies to the ranch for the event and judges Miss Joan Arnold and Ian S. Brown of Calgary experienced a busy afternoon. Two spills were recorded during the afternoon, but the riders escaped with nothing worse than bruises and a shaking up. Ken Macmillan’s horse spilled in the stock horse event and Jaye Bowlen came a cropper in one of the jumping events. Youngest competitor at the show was Carolyn Kerfoot from the Grand Valley district, the winner in the lead line pony class. A number of useful prizes and trophies were awarded to the winning contestants as follows: 

Winners Ghost River Pony Club Gymkhana 1948
Guy Gibson Challenge Trophy (sic)

The Ghost River pony show was not only a learning experience, but was also one of the few social opportunities available fifty years ago. For many of us in the surrounding valleys, the only two social events were the Ghost River Horse Show and the Morley Stampede. Dog Pound was for the adventurous among us. If the weather was rainy, we held our breath approaching the difficult spots in the poor roads. A spring running across the wagon trail near Grandma Ford’s in Jackass Canyon could be our undoing. If the old car slid down the incline, we were done and had missed out on seeing people and having fun. We needed Dave Bryant and his machinery then, but that came much later, with resultant good roads.

Getting to Beaupre Creek School in the summer was enjoyable. It was only a four-mile ride on horseback. Riding there during the winter of the school term, together with some years with as few as eight students and a very young or a very old teacher, was not always as pleasant. Thank goodness for the coal and wood stove.

In the beginning, clothing to show was just whatever we had. Often, western boots went into English saddle stirrups. ill-fitting jeans and a shirt made up the rest of the ensemble for growing competitors. Horses and tack were very important, however, parents did their best to provide a fine animal and serviceable saddle, both of which were used all year around to work the ranch. 

My brother, Jay, could get the most out of a jumper. Even our “kid’s pony,” Tiny, would cheerfully clear hurdles for him. Donna (Johnson) Butters described Tiny as a “good honest mare.” The greatest satisfaction for me came from winning the horse-judging contest at the first gymkhana, being I was too timid to attempt riding over jumps.

Pierre, my father, took his responsibilities as an officer of the Pony Club very seriously. His capabilities and conscientiousness were a wonderful and lasting example to his children and perhaps even to others. He would have been so pleased that the organization and all the good it stood for survived for fifty years and will not be forgotten by those who participated. There could be no finer legacy than the spirit of the Ghost River Pony Club.”

The Ghost River Pony Club’s 50th Anniversary and final show was held at the Beaupre community grounds August 16, 1998, in memory of Agness Hammond and Helen McDonald. Announcer Maureen Wills conveyed accolades in their memory. And she remembered Vivienne Ullery, who contested in her last show here at age 80. Two senior members in attendance, Marie Eyma and Jim Kerfoot, were recognized for their · outstanding contributions over the years. A special tribute was extended to Tilda Millar (Agness Hammond’s sister and Torchy Millar’s mother) for donating funds to ensure trophies and ribbons were extra special for the

final show, and to Griffin Valley Ranch for donating the Lead Line Class trophies. She then called on President Don Edge, who presented Chris Montague from the Cochrane Lions with a plaque thanking them for handling the concession booth for ‘umpteen’ years. .

Show organizers were President Donald Edge, Past President Linda Beddoes, Vice-President John Poynter, Secretary-treasurer Dorothy Edge, Publicity Kathy Wills and fellow directors Ann Hindes, Suzy Poynter, Cindy Renwick, Bob and Mary-Jane Pogue, Grant McNabb, Pat and Val Scholefield, Maureen Wills, Erik Butters, and Hamish Kerfoot. Our judges were Bud Wyatt, Western, and John Simpson, English. The later two grew up competing in thi how and were pleased to help and shared their memories with everyone. In

Everybody loved the GRPC horse show and gymkhana and a large crowd attended the 50th show. Sixty-eight contestants entered. Donna (Johnson) Butters was a keen competitor in 1948 and in 1998. Several four-generations of family members competed at this show over the years.

Everybody loved the GRPC horse show and gymkhana and a large crowd attended the 50th show. Sixty-eight contestants entered. Donna (Johnson) Butters was a keen competitor in 1948 and in 1998. Several four-generations of family members competed at this show over the years.

Gene Hanson related a story about what happened to them one time at an earlier gymkhana. In those days there was no concession booth and everybody brought a picnic lunch. His wife, Sally, was busy preparing a fairly elaborate tailgate lunch and placed a beautiful big ham on the tailgate and walked back to the cab of the truck to get something else. Upon returning, she spotted someone’s dog running across the field with the entire ham in its mouth.

 

The late Jack Poynter always looked after the hitching ring and was pretty sticky about unruly horses. One time when he was letting contestants into the show ring, little Marty Edge’s horse acted up and bucked around a bit. Noticing this, Jack needed to free the area of this unruly horse. The late Amy Begg, who handled the post entries that year, was thoroughly enjoying the rodeo and waving her arm saying, “Look, look at that kid ride his horse, just like his dad!” Jack, diligently doing his job with safety on his mind, didn’t quite condone it like Amy and the spectators. When Jack’s health was starting to fail, Don Edge apprenticed under him and ably continued Jack’s long-time tenure at the hitching ring using his own brand of wit.

Don and I hosted an apres gymkhana get-together with many friends and old-timers at our house. We were all having a great time reminiscing when we heard pounding on the roof and, lo’ and behold, it was one big hailstorm. Bob Pogue says it was, “Don and Dorothy’s half million-dollar party” because everyone’s vehicle received hail damage. It was quite a day! We decided we’d been blessed by all the Pony Club’s former organizers who had passed on before us, as they must have been looking down and held back the hailstorm until the 50th show ended.

The Club dissolved and residual funds were donated to the Cochrane Humane Society, and to the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society’s one-square-foot program to help build the new ‘community indoor riding arena’ at Cochrane, hence GRPC’s name is visible in the Hoof Print Gallery. To complete the finale, we branded GHOST RIVER PONY CLUB on a permanently preserved brick on the Historic Brand Wall at the Western Heritage Centre, now the Cochrane Town Office. 

Deep Dive

Cochrane High School

by

by Gord Davies and Frank Hennessey pg 127 More Big Hill Country 2009

In 1962 the Board of Cochrane School District 142 decided to construct a High School. The present site was chosen and construction began on a six-room building. Along with two homes being built by Petrofina, it was the only other building on the hill. The initial plan was for a six-room school with no gym but it was later decided to have a gym constructed as well. The students helped in moving materials from the old brick school downtown during the Christmas holidays.

In 1966 Cochrane School District became a part of Rocky View School Division #41. Another change that took place at this time was the decision to close the high school in Westbrook and to bring the students into school in Cochrane.

A new wing was added in 1968 which included a library/classroom, biology lab, typing room, home economics room and shop facilities. Because construction was not finished for some time, shop and home economics classes were held in the old brick school. The students were bused back and forth. Between 1966 – 69, under the leadership of Principal Bill Brookes, a number of innovations were undertaken regarding the manner in which education was delivered to the students. The biggest change, and the most lasting, was the introduction of the semester system. At this time there were very few schools in the province using this system.

With growth taking place in the Cochrane area portables made an appearance (and continue to be used) and it was decided to build a west wing. This part of the school opened in 1970 and was built to support a second storey which was added later. During construction of this wing, because of a very strong chinook wind, the north wall blew down. It caused some to question the wisdom of building a second storey. At this time, the school housed both junior and senior high students. Very shortly after, Manachaban School was built and the junior high students went to this school.

In 1985, because the school did not meet building codes of the time the building was gutted. The beautiful stained wood ceilings were removed and the heating system was updated. As well as updating the old building, a new gymnasium science lab, and various other rooms were added. The original gymnasium was divided into a library and a music room which are still in use today. This new wing was opened to the students and staff in 1986. In 1990 a decision was made by Rocky View School Division #4 l to reorganize the grade divisions, creating a middle school and bringing grade nine students into the high school.

Despite the wall having been blown down on the west wing a second storey was added in 1992 and, for the most part, houses the mathematics department. In trying to keep up with the growth of the town, a new addition was added in 1996. The Lyceum, science labs and added classroom space was very welcome. The drama department now had a place to call home. It was at this time that the Snake Pit area was created when it was decided to make the original wing into the administrative area which houses staff and administrative offices.

The elements giving identity to Cochrane High, such as school colours, school motto and crest, and school name for the sports teams, came about over a period of time. The school crest and the motto “Carpe Diem” was created some time in the I950’s. Maroon and gold for school colours seems to have existed from the beginning of Cochrane High School. The choice of the cobra as the school mascot came about in the mid-1970’s. The school has always had a strong sports program, coupled with a broad education program which exists to this day.

Of course, the football images are current. The Cobra's achievements go back a long way to the class of 75 that won the first divisional title.
Mark Boothby
Director, CHAPS

Schools in Cochrane Cochrane School No. 141

by

pg 127 More Big Hill Country 2009

In the late 1890’s James Quigley and Donald Bruce decided that a school was needed in the Hamlet of Cochrane. They had enough children between them of school age and there were some of the Hewitt children ready for school as well so application was made for a school and a one-room building was erected in the east end of Cochrane. The first teacher was Mr. George Bevan.

The school soon became too small so the school, formerly the saloon, from Mitford was moved to Cochrane and placed on the Grayson/Bruce property on what is presently Centre Avenue.

The building was placed facing north and south and became a school for small children around 1900. This building was later bought by the Masonic Lodge and is currently their home.

These two buildings appear to have served the hamlet until 1918 when a two-room Brick School was built on Main Street near the present Holy Spirit School. In 1926 a second storey with two more rooms was added to the Brick School and the little school was used as a gymnasium for the children. It is said that there were sets of boxing gloves hanging on the wall of this small gymnasium and many of the boys learned to box there.

This arrangement seemed to be fine for the population attending the Cochrane School until, as the population increased and roads were being built, it became necessary to have more room. In the late 1940’s or early 1950’s a white clapboard sided one room school was moved onto the property near the Brick School and this little school was used until about 1956. From 1957 to 1961 grades five and six were taught in the “white school” as it was called. It was later moved to the outdoor skating rink in Cochrane’s east end and was used for many years as the rink house.

1st St Cochrane including Brick school

It was during this time that the number of children in the town was increasing and one-room schools were starting to close so some of the parents of the children and other citizens in Cochrane facilitated the building of a new elementary school on the Main Street site. Many children had to go to Calgary for high school as it was not being taught in Cochane. These parents succeeded in getting a new school built to house all the students. At this time around 1955-1956, Mr. Grant was teaching grades nine and ten in the basement of the Community Hall. They used the upstairs for their gymnasium.

The new Cochrane Elementary School was built in 1957 and it housed grades one to four. It had six rooms and a gymnasium and grades five and six were housed in the little white school. Grades seven, eight and nine were in the old Brick School and during this time the Cochrane School Board and the parents were working on plans for a larger school. In 1958 there were 250 students in Grades one to twelve.

The new Cochrane High School opened for the 1962-63 season and it offered grades nine, ten, eleven and twelve. By 1968-1969 construction began on a new elementary school addition to join onto the Cochrane Elementary School. Construction was going along well on the new addition being added to the east end of the elementary school and the contractors had large propane tanks and their new construction area covered with tarps so that the cement would not freeze and work could continue through the colder months. One night a wind got up and blew the tarps onto the propane tanks and a large explosion took place. It did not damage the new building site but managed to move the old Brick School off its foundation. This then proved another problem, “Where do we put these students?”

The grade five and six classes were scheduled to move into the Brick School but that could not happen now as the old school had to be dismantled and removed from the site. These classes remained at Cochrane Elementary and in grade seven they were moved up to the High School. It was a scary thing to have to move up to that big school however they had a party at one of the homes where all the kids and a lot of parents gathered. Mr. Sly, a teacher from the High School came and they all got to know each other and support each other during this ‘BIG’ move to the new big school up on the hill. .

The new elementary school was completed and officially opened in 1968-1970 with a new name, Andrew Sibbald Elementary School. The school was named after Andrew Sibbald, the first school teacher in Alberta who had come to Morleyville. The school now had a Library, a Science Room, a large double room, new administration offices and new entrances. It looked after students from grades one to six until Manachaban Middle School was opened in 1972. The name Manachaban was also chosen in a contest open to everyone, students, town and surrounding area residents. Manachaban means hill of bows and arrows and is very fitting for that location.

Shortly after Andrew Sibbald School opened portable classrooms had to be added to the north side for Mrs. Eddie Edge and Mr. Gunn to teach Math. Bruce Davies, Vice Principal and John Edwards taught science, Miss Armstrong, music, Mrs. Nu, Ed Errol and Jim Jenkins, Principal had classrooms in the new wing. The old wing was redecorated and Mrs. Otteson, Mrs. McPherson, Miss Bennett, Mrs. Scott, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Elliot enjoyed the teacher’s lounge, the library and all the other up-to-date facilities.

Many students passed through the doors of Andrew Sibbald Elementary School and the other Cochrane schools before it. More schools have been built as the town has grown adding Elizabeth Barrett, named after the first woman school teacher in Alberta who also came to Morleyville, an addition to Cochrane High School, Glenbow Elementary, Mitford School, Bow Valley High School and St. Timothy High School. Sadly, Andrew Sibbald School closed and was sold to the Catholic School System and is now Holy Spirit School. It is hoped that when a new school is built in Cochrane it will be named after Andrew Sibbald. As Andrew Sibbald taught in this area first it would be a great tribute to our history.

Become a Member

CHAPS has a role for everyone
Click Here

Malcolm James MacKenzie Family

by

pg 574 More Big Hill Country 2009

Malcolm James MacKenzie Family Malcolm (Mac) MacKenzie was born on December 25, 1932, in Calgary and lived on the family farm, NW Sec 32 Twp 25 Rge 3 W5M. He was the second son of Norman MacKenzie (1894-1977) and Louise (Bennet) MacKenzie (1908-1999). They had a family of four sons and one daughter.

Malcolm attended Glendale School, a one-room country classroom located one mile north of IA highway. He took grade 10 at the red brick Cochrane School, travelling by bicycle with his brothers Angus and Alex.

 Also accompanying them were two former students of Glendale School, Jens and Ken Jensen. Malcolm did not return to Cochrane School for grade 11 . The school principal, Walter K. Gish, asked Angus why his brother didn’t return to school as he was a straight “A” student in all subjects?” Angus replied, “He just wanted to be a cowboy.”

Malcolm had worked the summer holidays helping with the haying at the Cartwright “D” Ranch, S.W. of High River and decided to stay in the Longview/ High River area the following year.

During the summer at the Cartwright Ranch in 1946, Malcolm met Jack Preddy, a fellow ranch worker, who taught him how to paint on canvas with oil paints. At summer’s end, Jack drove Malcolm home to Cochrane in his car so that he could return to school. During the autumn and winter months 1946, Malcolm painted the design on Gordon Dingwall ‘s Chuckwagon Canvas for the Calgary Stampede. Mac also taught his brother Angus how to paint with oil colours.

In the spring of 1951 , Jim Cartwright and Malcolm helped with Alan Baker’s first branding at the Bar U Ranch. In 1953-1955, Malcolm worked for Lloyd Wambeke on Lloyd’s Uncle George’s farm, bacheloring together. During those years the young men played hockey on the frozen farm sloughs or ponds during winter Sundays, and played baseball during the summer Sundays. Teams were formed at East Longview, High River and Turner Valley.

Malcolm worked for Bert Sheppard at the TL Ranch on the south fork of Sullivan Creek in 1956 -1957, then at the OH Ranch, west of Longview 1958-1960.

From 1961 to 1968 Malcolm worked for Brewsters at Banff for the summer trail horseback rides with co wrangler Ron Warner. In the fall they both worked for Bob Machum, of Priddis, hunting and guiding for big game hunters. In the winter Malcolm worked for J.B. (Jim) Cross trucking polo ponies from Okotoks, Alberta to Santa Barbara, California. He tended to them at the polo field and drove them back home to Okotoks in the spring.

While working for Jim Cross in California, Malcolm met Franco Vianello, an artist and sculptor from Santa Barbara. Franco was impressed with Malcolm’s clay and wax models. He cast some of them in bronze for Mac and also taught him the art of casting in the Lost Wax Process.

In 1969, Malcolm formed a company with Ron Warner, renting Bill Martin Stables. They called the company Warner & MacKenzie Guiding and Outfitting Ltd. In 1969, Warner and MacKenzie Ltd. bought the Sundance Stables in Banff and in 1976, they bought out

Brewster’s Stables as Brewster’s were now focusing on the Brewster Bus Tours and Columbia Glaciers Tours.

In 1967, Warner and MacKenzie had bought the George Webb farm on the comer of Weedon Trail and Highway 22. Malcolm spent time in 1969 – 1970 converting George Webb’s wooden quonset building from a school bus garage to an art studio and bronze casting foundry.

 In 1974, Warner and MacKenzie bought the Martin Stables. Bill Martin retired from Banff and he and his wife bought an acreage on Glenview Road South of 1 A highway, between Glendale Road and Glenbow Road.

On May 28, 1971, Malcolm married Judy (Harries) MacKenzie. They have one son Casey MacKenzie, born January 17, 1972, and one daughter Annie, born March 14, 1976. Annie married Ron Kelly, March 14, 1994 and they have two daughters, Tayla and Isabel, and one son Kael. The Kellys live on the west quarter of the farm, just north of the former MacKenzie log home. Casey has been living in Australia for the last several years.

During the 1970s when the summer trail rides and hunting and guiding out of Banff were over for the year, Mac spent more time with his family at their farm off Weedon Trail, north of Cochrane. He began focusing more on his bronze art casting.

Malcolm MacKenzie’s first exhibition and sale of bronze sculptures was held at Gainsborough Galleries in Calgary in June I 972. A second exhibition and sale of bronze sculptures was held at Gainsborough Galleries in 1979.

In 1981 , Malcolm left Banff and devoted more of his time to his artistic talents and the family farm plus his many friends. Bill Kewley helped Mac in his bronze studio.

On June 6, 1982 Malcolm’s Log Gallery opened with a show and sale at the old George Webb home quarter. Also in 1982 he started to build a log home on the west quarter of his farm and in 1989 Mac, Judy and family moved into their new log home.

In 1978, Mac was selected from over 30 Alberta sculptors and commissioned by the Alberta Government to create a 1 1/3 life-size sculpture of an old-time cowboy on horseback, to be located on the bluff overlooking the original 1881 Cochrane Ranche site headquarters. The bronze statue was cast in Surrey, England, south of London, from the original three-foot-tall wax casting. The finished bronze statue was flown back to Canada by air cargo jetliner in three parts, and then bronze welded together at the Cochrane site.

Malcolm went to England to supervise the casting. He took his wife and family and his mother Louise with him

Malcolm (Mac) MacKenzie was a well-respected and valuable member of the Cochrane community and was instrumental in supporting the Dream of the Western Heritage Centre. Malcolm passed away on June 22, 2002.

Deep dive

D’lyle W. and Virginia Wilson Family

by

pg 812 More Big Hill Country 2009

Starting out we married on November 9th, 1956, in St. Andrew’s United Church, Cochrane.

We lived in a two roomed house on Lyle’s father’s farm north of Cochrane just north of the Weedon Hall on Highway 22. Lyle farmed with his father, two brothers and Dalred there until we moved to our own property on Section 10, a half mile north, up highway 22 in 1961 .

We had four children by this time: Martin, James, Terry and Dean. In 1965, Marjorie was born, finally a girl. In 1959, York Shaw had moved a house from Centre Street North in Calgary for us at a price of $300.00. We only paid $750.00 for the forty year old, four roomed building. When we moved into our new home it had snowed and it was wet and cold. There was no furnace or running water in it yet. Lyle installed a temporary fuel oil burning heater. It was September 19th, Martin’s birthday. We had forgotten what the date was but we made up for it and had a cake and dinner the next day. He was happy.

Later on when the boys were old enough they helped with the haying. It wasn’t all one with machines. The bales of hay were handled by hand. The two older ones, then nine and ten, stacked the bales of hay and drove the tractor and raked hay.

Then there was the milking of forty dairy cows. Marty, Jim and Terry had to do the milking while Dad finished the day in the hayfield. When it came to harvesting the grain crops. I trucked the grain to the granary, unloaded it and augured it into the granary. The kids and cousin Ross would have thistle fights during lunch break in the field. This was their fun time. They also had fun wrestling in the corral. There was bath time before bed or they were thrown in the water trough. Later on Marj helped raking hay and when we got the bale stacker she stacked bales and also worked in the house.

Lyle and I fostered two teens and lots of town kids. We also had many nieces and nephews that loved to come out to the farm. There were always many vehicles being worked on by our boys and their friends. The yard was always full.

Martin and Jim moved up to Edson, Grande Cache and High Level to work on the Rigs. Jim moved back and in 1982 married Roxine Raby. In March 1983, Amanda was born and in 1986, their son Kyle was born. They moved onto the southwest quarter of the family farm and lived there until they sold it in October 2007. They moved up to a quarter north of Sundre, Alberta in June 2008. Amanda and her husband Jesse became the parents of a son, Zander Wiklin, grandson to Jim and Roxine Wilson, and our great grandson. Jim worked off the farm as a framer with Dave Manachuck for a few years. He has his boiler ticket and worked at the Remand Centre for years and at Big Hill Lodge as maintenance for three years until his injury.

Martin moved back to Cochrane in 1988 and worked for Joe Kells as a backhoe operator. Partner Sandy Johanson, from Debden, Saskatchewan came down to live with Martin and work here. In 1990, they moved onto the family farm on the southeast quarter on Highway 22. Martin has worked for the Town of Cochrane as a machine operator for eighteen years and is now retired as of December 2007. In 1997, a son Jason was born and on November 11, 1999, Sandy and Martin were married. A few years went by, like twelve, and Miss Becky was born October 6, 2006. They sold their place in October 2007 and in June 2008, they will be moving to Canwood, Saskatchewan where they bought a quarter section of land.

Terry had a tough time in his life. He suffered from diabetes and this kept him from having a normal life. He lived at home until his accident at twenty one years and ended up a paraplegic. He Iived in handicapped housing in McEwen in northwest Calgary, Alberta with help from A.I.S.H. He died on August 8th, 2000. He lived a single life but had many friends.

Dean lived on the farm helping his Dad in the evenings and performing with the Young Canadians at the Calgary Stampede for three years. He sang with different stage groups too. He moved away for a few years and then moved a modular home on our home quarter in 1988. He lived there working at his own business, On The Spot Cleaning, until he sold the house in November 2006. This is also when Lyle and I sold the home farm, southeast quarter of section 10. Dean moved into a beautiful home in Tuscany, northwest Calgary. He lives a single life.

Marjorie lived on the farm until she moved to Cochrane, Alberta where she worked for Lucky Penny Pizza as a main cook. She operates her own cleaning business “Inch by Inch Cleaning” and has for 20 years. She now lives in Calgary in Beddington.

DLyle and Virginia, the Mother and Father to all of these siblings moved to James River Bridge. Alberta, ten miles north of Sundre. Alberta on the north side of the river. The James River runs through our beautiful 88 acres, all wooded.

Deep Dive

Cochrane RCMP Detachment

by

pg 207 More Big Hill Country 2009

Cochrane RCMP Detachment Cochrane Detachment was first opened in 1907 under the jurisdiction of “E” Division with headquarters at Calgary. There was a Corporal stationed at Cochrane that first year but the detachment usually consisted of one Constable. I am unable to provide the names of these first members except for a Constable Watt who was stationed there in 1914 and who played a role in the Wilson murder case. The

Cochrane Detachment remained open until 1917 when many of the detachments were closed because of the requirements of the war and the Alberta Provincial Police took over the responsibility of policing the province. Cochrane Detachment was re-opened in April of 1932 when the Force absorbed the Alberta Provincial Police and resumed provincial policing duties. Constable WB. Shaw, Regimental Number 6483, re-opened the detachment and he remained at Cochrane until Constable A.N. Brown, Regimental Number 9307, took over the detachment March 15, 1933. The Force occupied the quarters that previously had been used by the Alberta Provincial Police. Quarters were located on Second Street and were rented from the Alberta Department of Public Works. During the war some consideration was given to closing the detachment because of the lack of work in the detachment area and the proximity to Calgary but this idea was quickly abandoned. In 1950 major renovations were carried out on the building that was now commonly known as the RCMP Barracks. At this time the location is given as 2212-22nd Street. Constable C. Ross and Constable S. Grayson each served in Cochrane in these early times.

On May 29, 1957 a transport truck left the highway at the bottom of Cochrane Hill and crashed into the back of the detachment quarters. The gasoline in the truck exploded and the subsequent fire virtually destroyed the building. Temporary quarters were obtained from the Village of Cochrane in the Town Fire HaIJ at 230622nd Avenue. The Alberta government rebuilt the old quarters and built an escape road at the bottom of the hill which eliminated the sharp turn that had caused so many accidents. The temporary quarters were vacated and the detachment moved back into the restored previous quarters. A double garage had been added to the stucco bungalow.

Cochrane RCMP Detachment Members 1977

In 1965 a Highway Patrol was added to the Cochrane Detachment establishment. bringing the total number of members to ix. The current quarters were clearly too small. Two office were rented for the detachment in the Graham’s Pharmacy building on the first floor. The old quarters continued to be used as living quarters for the member in charge and his family. The Force began to seriously look for build-for-lease a accommodation in Cochrane. Sites were difficult to find but one was finally purchased in 1967 and an agreement was signed with J. T. Miller Construction Limited. The offices in Graham’s Pharmacy building were vacated and the detachment moved into the new building on June 1. 1968,  on Main Street and Centre Ave.

By 1977 the new building was in need of some repairs but the Force found that Mr. Miller was reluctant to undertake them.

In 1979 the building was sold to Mr. E. Boothby of Honeyking Industries. Little progress was made with the new owner and the Force decided that the detachment would vacate the building in 1983 when the lease expired. The building was vacated on June 14. 1983 and a new Force-owned building was occupied by the Cochrane Detachment. 

Deep Dive

T. Stanley Cope

by

pg 367 More Big Hill Country 2009

Arriving in Jumping Pound in 1905, from Oxbow, Saskatchewan, Stanley, with four of his brothers, settled on a ranch purchased by their father Thomas Cope. The boys later took out homesteads of their own. Stanley’s homestead was the SW Sec 22 Twp 25 Rge 5 W5M.

Two of the brother did not stay in the district long after they acquired their homesteads and their land was purchased and added to the main ranch holdings. One brother, Arthur, remained on the ranch with Stanley until May 1927 when he left to go prospecting in British Columbia.

After Stanley’s parents one brother and four sisters, who were living in Calgary, moved to the coast, Stanley managed his father’s ranch as well as his own. He raised Shorthorn cattle and heavy horses and during hard times, as with many farmers and ranchers, he milked cows and shipped the cream to Cochrane. He built and maintained roads, plowed fireguards and did almost everything ranchers did to keep alive. However, there were a few unique things about Stanley.

He was probably the only one in the area at age 75 years that was still doing all his own work by himself and without the aid of modem equipment. He used a walking plow to break up his fields and hayed and fenced with teams of horses.

It was not until later years that Stanley gave up driving his team and wagon across country to Cochrane to get his mail, do his banking and visiting on the street comers so he could catch up on the latest news in town and area. He was very fond of children and when the population in Cochrane increased he became very worried that he might have a runaway with his team as he was driving up the road from the old bridge that crossed the Bow River. There were many children along this road and a team of horses pulling a wagon was a real fascination for them. Stanley was always afraid they might get hurt as they ran out to greet him. In the late 1960’s Stanley, upon consultation with a close neighbour, purchased a second hand jeep so that in case of bad roads and he was getting older, his neighbour could get him to Calgary, whatever the weather, as it was 4 wheel drive. Although he never drove his jeep it gave him great peace to know that it was there if needed.

One luxury that he did afford himself was natural gas in his house. When the main gas line from the Shell Jumping Pound Plant went through to Banff, just a short mile from his house he had his wood cook stove converted to natural gas. This stove was the only source of heat in his house but he made sure that everything about the gas was safe and posted a sign on his door that read “Beware of natural gas used in this house. Enter at your own risk.”

The telephone was always Stanley’s link to the outside world as well as the radio. Whenever the phone rang in anybody’s house Stanley always picked up and listened in. If he thought the story you were telling the other party on the line was not like he had heard it, he never hesitated to butt in and correct you (even if you were right!) If you happened to be talking to the vet, just before you hung up he would butt in and talk to the vet about some horse that he had a problem with or a cow that looked not to bright. This all on your nickel!

Stanley was a very brusque man, but very shy in nature. This showed in acts of belligerence toward other people. Underneath this ornery surface was a person people seldom saw. He never married but often courted the local school teachers and he was extremely fond of children. He could never pass up a child selling tickets for raffles or fundraisers but he never put his own name on the ticket stub. Many times we have wondered how many people, through the years, won prizes on tickets that Stanley had purchased and put their name on.

Friday was always Stanley’s day to go to Cochrane. He would go by way of the Tower/Wearmouth ranch, stopping in for a cup of tea and a chat. Once in Cochrane he tied his team up at the hitching post behind Andison’s store, fed them and went about his business. 

When Moore’s built the new grocery store they moved the hitching post across the street to the vacant lot beside the Post office (presently Oliver Twist Bistro). He then went to the Bank and lastly the grocery and dry goods stores. All his purchases went into a large canvas bag which he carried over his shoulder while getting all his needs fulfilled. One often wondered what his bread and fruit looked like when he got home as they were slung back and forth, off and on his shoulder.

In the early 1960’s there were no roads to speak of past the Shell Plant and none into Stanley’s or his next door neighbour’s, the Buckleys and the only way in was across the fields where the Pile ‘o Bones Creek runs through. As Charlie Rhodes owned one of the quarters and he and Stanley and later the Buckleys used this trail as their access, Charlie and Stanley had built a bridge across the creek. The bridge was anchored with cables so that it floated during the spring floods and when this happened they just had to move it a bit to put it back in place. Through the years the bridge needed to be replaced and by this time Charlie had a robust son and Stanley had a new young guy as a neighbour so Charlie and Stanley arranged a day to build a new bridge across the creek (with their robust help of course). The big day arrived and Charlie and Herb arrived and Stanley came along in his wagon and team with Harvey Buckley at his side. It took a lot of planning on the part of Charlie and Stanley as to how they would approach this project and a lot of talking, looking and talking again, with the odd comment from the two younger fellows, who according to the older gentlemen didn’t know a thing about building a bridge. Soon the talking between Stanley and Charlie turned to arguing over who was right and the young guys standing there went ahead and started moving planks etc. around. As the arguing continued, so did the bridge building and by the time that Charlie and Stanley finally agreed on how the job should be done, the young guys had the job finished and were ready to go home. Somehow that was the last job that Charlie and Stanley ever organized together to put those young guys to work.

Another must for Stanley was to get to whatever auction sale was being held that he could get to with his team and wagon and he got to many. In fact, it got so that the auctioneer did not start until Stanley was in his spot at the front, under the eye of the auctioneer. He bought many things, some he needed and some just in case. You never know when someone might come along and need just that something and you could be sure that Stanley had one or maybe even two or three! 

He catalogued everything he bought along with the price he paid. To the person who needed the object, the price was usually doubled or even tripled if it was in the many buckets and boxes of leftover miscellaneous stuff that he purchased for two dollars. Every article in that box he bought for two dollars would be sold for two dollars each! Many of his purchases caused much speculation among other buyers at the sale, a couple being a wicker baby buggy and at another sale a wooden high chair. No one ever knew what he did with them. When he got older and he had his neighbour Harvey Buckley to take him to the sale in his big truck Stanley’s bidding got more interesting. One of the funniest loads that Harvey hauled home for him was a horse, a 7-foot by 9-foot framed oil painting, an enamel bathtub (he had no plumbing) an old bedstead and numerous buckets of junk which sold for two bits.

Indeed one of Cochrane area’s special people that kept the wheels of tales turning about their next move and character that added to the humour and stability of that small town.

Stanley worked hard until a few days before he passed away in 1970. He had a mild stroke one night at home and a more severe one later as he reached the hospital. He recovered from the stroke but was not too happy in his own home alone so spent the last year or so of hjs life in the Mayfair Nursing Home in Calgary. He was never idle there either and all winter kept the walks, driveway and parking lot for the staff, clear of snow. He wore out his snow shovel and the staff chose to take it away as they felt it was too much for rum. He complained how bored he was and when the staff was told he was getting a shovel from the barn on the farm, so he could shovel the snow, suddenly a brand new snow shovel appeared on the front step and Stanley was happy shovelling again. (For more about the life of Stanley Cope see Big Hill Country page 743)

Thomas Stanley Cope is buried in the Cochrane Cemetery.

Deep Dive

Gina Cohoe

by

pg 360 More Big Hill Country

I, Gina, have always loved horses and cattle. Actually they told me that I stole my first pony while still in Alabama, U.S.A. Naturally the pony was grazing in our yard and had a bridle on and needed a rider! My Mother and the police were all looking for the pony and me.

We moved to Canada when I was in grade two or three. Then on to the Bar C Ranch north of the Morley Indian Reserve, Mom, Gramma, Step-father Walter, my brother Jack and myself. We all loved it at the Bar C, lots of wildlife and wild horses. Jack and I made a Little money trapping and selling squirrel and weasel pelts. my brother Jack and myself. We all loved it at the Bar C, lots of wildlife and wild horses. Jack and I made a Little money trapping and selling squirrel and weasel pelts.

I’m sure our Gramma must have suffered a lot, as she left all of her friends in Chicago where I was born. As for Jack and I, we didn’t care about having the conveniences – no running water, ice on our bedroom sheets from breathing on them, and heating in a pot bellied stove with wood. My important job was keeping wood split and the kindling box full.

We went to school in the bunkhouse with the Ranger (the Measors) our closest neighbours who lived three miles away. Vivien McNamee was our teacher, who stayed with us, and was my Mom’s best friend. Vivien was from Cochrane, Alberta.

Finally, I grew up, or so I thought, and got married to Bob McDougall, at eighteen years old! We had three great children: Sally (Rod Griffin), Bobby (Carole) and Jeanie (Allan Minchaw). Our marriage ended after twenty-three years. Bob is now deceased.

Then after some time on my own, I met and married Ken Cohoe. We had a wonderful time together, he with his Thoroughbreds, and me with my Quarterhorses. He would smile when his colts sold for more than mine did. After a lengthy illness due to a stroke, I lost Ken, after ten years of happiness.

He was such a great person and didn’t deserve this. He once said, “It was the happiest time of his life”, which makes me very happy now. 

Somewhere in between, I also worked at the Bohomilic Ranch near Coleman, Alberta riding colts. After awhile, and “getting long in the tooth”, the body can’t keep riding colts so through desperation I turned to art.

I had no background training but with the help of Doug Stevens and Mac MacKenzie, I actually succeeded and Mac MacKenzie and myself were inducted into the Artist’s Hall of Fame. Thank you so very much, I am honoured.

I am now living with Ken Johnson, (who is a sweetheart) and Willie our pup, who weighs ninety-five pounds. I’m eighty years old and going on eighteen (or is that backwards)?

Thanks to Ken Johnson, we are living at Cremona, Alberta, with a few ponies on an acreage with wonderful neighbours. Yes I’ve had a pretty crazy life!

My brother, Dr. Jack Souther and his wife Betty, have done very well and live in North Vancouver, British Columbia. They also work at Whistler Mountain.

Deep Dive

Fred Maggs Family

by

pg 242 Big Hill Country 1977

Born in Cairn, Wiltshire, England, Fred Maggs came to Cochrane with his wife and family in 1910. Their original plans were to go to Vancouver, where Fred was going to work as a grain buyer. However, they stopped in Cochrane to visit the Beynon and Davies families, with whom they had been good friends in the Old Country, and Mr. and Mrs. Maggs decided to stay.

Fred went into a partnership with Jack Campbell in a grocery store. A year later Fred bought out his partner’s interest in the building and the store. Fred took an active interest in the affairs of the Village, serving as mayor for a number of years. During the First World War he served on the Tribunal with Mr. Abell. Fred donated the land to the Cochrane Legion where the Cenotaph and the Legion Hall were located, and also donated a flagpole and flag to the Legion. He was made an Honorary member of the Canadian Legion. He bought and paid for the planting of the poplar trees that were planted on the south side of Main Street.

The Maggs were strong supporters of All Saints Anglican Church.

While Fred Maggs was on the council, he and Mr. Patterson, the Union Bank manager, tried to get a golf course made on what is now Cochrane Heights. The villagers would not agree to it, claiming that it was far too windy for a golf course. Some enthusiasts did try to play there, but they always said that the wind blew the ball off the green. For a number of years that piece of property was known as the old golf course. When R. B. Bennett was elected as Conservative leader at a convention of the party held in Winnipeg in the early 1930s, Fred Maggs felt honored to be chosen as a delegate representing Cochrane.

The Maggs had two children, a son Leslie and a daughter Enid. The children attended school in Cochrane. Leslie chose banking as a career and managed banks at Turner Valley and Strathmore. He retired to Victoria, where he still resides. Enid married F. L. Gainer.

Shortly before World War II Fred sold his store and business to W. Andison, and he and his wife moved to Victoria. He passed away in 1943. Mrs. Maggs moved back to Calgary, and passed away in 1965.

Maggs Ad - Cochrane Advocate 1925

Deep Dive

Cochrane and Area Historical Society Old Timers Tea Historical Tea Westbrook 1974

by

pg 504 Big Hill Country 1977

Cochrane and Area Historical Society predates Cochrane Historical & Archival Preservation Society (CHAPS)

Click on any image to expand.

Deep Dive

Frank Wills

by

by Frank Wills pg 421 Big Hill Country 1977

I am the oldest son of Harold and Mabel Wills. Both of my parents came from England: My dad was born in Canterbury, Kent, and my mother (Miss Everett) was born in the heart of London, within the sound of Bow Bells, which made her a true Cockney. They were married in Calgary on Christmas Day 1911. My dad homesteaded at Mossleigh, Alberta, and I was born at Gleichen, Alberta, in 1912.

There were five other children in our family: Phyllis, who worked for Wilf Carter at Carstairs at one time and also for the Pat Kerfoots in Grand Valley; Mabel, who worked for Archie Baptie in Cochrane, Cliff, John and Doris.

When I was six years old my family moved, in a covered wagon, to a two-storey house on a half section of land, twelve miles west of Airdrie. Their objective was to raise horses, and at one time they had about thirty head. My dad’s brand was Y Anchor Bar and is still owned by my brother, John, who farms part of the home place. Our neighbours were Bert Solley to the west and Porters to the east. Airdrie was our nearest town for mail and supplies. The well on the property was drilled by the late Dave Malloch. My dad broke our land with a Sulky plow.

I went to Abernethy School at the age of seven. I had to walk two and one-half miles each way in all kinds of weather. For three years our teacher was Miss Jean Lamont (Mrs. Laurie Johnson).

I left school in 1928 at the age of sixteen and went to work at the Merino Ranch, south and west of Cochrane. Dave Murray’s brother was the foreman at that time. I left the Ranch in the late fall and went to work for Stan Ward, clearing timber off the land for the lA Highway between Exshaw and Gap Lake. We used horses and cables to pull the stumps. Frank Ells was adjusting the cable when the horses jerked and his hand went through the pulley. His fingers were so badly crushed he had to have all the fingers on one hand removed.

In 1931 and 1932 I worked for Paul Swanson cutting mine timber, George Nelson and I worked from dawn till dusk on a contract and made $0.75 to $1.25 per day. While there, I helped cut some building logs for the Dartique Lodge. One night, while going to a dance at the Lodge, I had a f!at tire on my Model T Ford – this I repaired on the dance floor while everyone danced around me.

While working for Tom Baptie in 1934, I met Mary Clarke and we were married on December 26, 1935. We had $4.65 between us. We lived on several places in that area, including Joe Gray’s and Andy Garson’s. Later, we lived on Oscar Clarke’s farm where Mary trapped gophers. We put them in gunny sacks and took them to Colpitts’ Fox Farm at Springbank, travelling the distance with a horse and Bennett buggy. They were worth 2c per pound or $3.00 per sack. The smell still lingers but we were big-time spenders at F. W. Maggs’ and Billy Andison’s stores in Cochrane after each trip. Money was hard to get and we were grateful for every cent. One dry year, when relief feed was sent in by the Government, we were not allowed any because we did not own our own land. Walter Hutchinson Sr., rode over to our house and told us we could have one load of hay, as much as we could haul on one rack. We only had four calves and one horse to feed, but they would not have made it through

the winter without this feed. Around 1937 we moved to Joshua Glennon’s farm in the timber area of Grand Valley. I worked in the bush and Mary looked after Mr. Glennon for two years. We purchased a piece of Hudson Bay land close by (SE¼ 8-28-5-5), adjoining Paul Swanson’s ranch on the south boundary, for $5.00 per acre. I worked again, periodically, for Paul Swanson, where George Nelson and I hewed mine ties with broadaxes. Then I purchased a sawmill. I was rejected for War Service because of deafness in one ear, so instead I cut lumber for crates and boxes which were used for shipping food and supplies overseas.

 

I broke forty acres for Donald and Helen Patterson and received clear title to Helen’s homestead which was close to our Hudson Bay land. I had a Hart-Parr tractor with steel wheels, and in the summer I pulled the grader on the Grand Valley road to work off my taxes.

In the late 1930s we attempted to raise purebred Herefords and did not have much luck so we tried Holsteins. Their purchase price was $5.00 to $7.00 per head delivered from Yankee Valley, fifteen miles east of Airdrie, to our place south of Swanson’s. We sold our cream to the Cochrane Creamery and fed the skim milk to the calves and pigs.

Going to Cochrane in winter was a two-day job, snow was deep and there were no snow plows. In 1944 when the snow was really drifted, Mrs. Dyck, one of our employee’s wives, who was expecting a baby, started labor. It was early morning and I tried to go for Mrs. Jack Hammond, a Registered Nurse who only lived one mile away. The snow drifts were higher than the truck cab, and I had to return to camp. I sent a hired man on horseback and he returned sometime later with Mrs. Hammond riding behind him. We soon realized we needed an ambulance and Mr. Dyck and I towed our truck with the cat tractor to the nearest telephone, which was at the Harry Sherriff farm. We phoned for the ambulance, waited at Harry’s until it arrived, then towed it into camp and out again with the Cat. It was a sixteen mile round trip and took all day. Unfortunately, twin boys born, John and Frank, only lived a short time and died in hospital.

In the winter of 1946 I had a sawmill camp on Coal Creek in Grand Valley where the roads were impassable, even for a horse. Alex Howes, our neighbor, was stranded in Cochrane and unable to get back to camp. He hired Eustace Bowhay, of Cochrane, who had a plane, to fly over the camp and drop parcels of bologna and macaroni. The snow was so deep it took Jim Howes thirty minutes or so to find the parcels. We had numerous sawmills in Grand Valley and I remained in the lumber business until 1972.

In 1955 we purchased, from Jack Poynter, part of the NW¼ 17-26-5-5, ten miles west of Cochrane on the lA Highway. We built a new home on a hill overlooking the Ghost Dam and facing the mountains. Mary passed away July 18, 1964. We had one son, Glenn, married to Roberta MacKinnon. They have two children, Robert and James.

In 1968 I married Maureen Scholefield, who, in 1961 and 1962, taught Physical Education and was senior girls’ supervisor at Crowfoot and Old Sun Indian Residential Schools at the Gleichen Blackfoot Reserve. Later she worked for the Canadian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service in Calgary; she also worked for Agness Hammond at the Ghost River Ranch. While at the Gleichen Reserve she was adopted into the Red Gun family and given the name OTS•SKA•BIN• AGEE which is Indian for “Blue Eyed Woman.” We have one daughter, Kathleen, born July 1971.

In 1974 we sold our property on the lA Highway and moved to the SE¼ 25-26-7-5 where we are building a new home. For the past sixteen years I have been working with the youth of our area in the Boy Scout Movement, an interest shared by both Mary and Maureen. I formed, and was Cubmaster of the First Morley Indian Pack and was the first Cub and Scout Leader for Beaupre. For the last twelve years I have been District Commissioner for the Mountain Road District, which area covers Calgary to the British Columbia border.

 Bennett Buggy – In the depression years of the 1930s, many people had cars, but no one could afford gas. The body of the car was removed and a pole fastened to the chassis so the car could be drawn by horses. Mr. R. B. Bennett was our Prime Minister at the time and was blamed for the hard times and they called their converted cars “Bennett Buggies” after him.

Deep Dive

Herbert Alonzo “Soapy” Smith

by

pg 732 More Big Hill Country 2009

Herbert “Soapy” Smith was born in Vermont, USA and came to Canada in 1904. He homesteaded the NE Sec 16 Twp 25 Rge 5 W5M. He obtained his title in 1910.

Soapy worked at various ranches in the Jumping Pound and then moved to Banff. He was a very good horseman and was in the business of buying and selling horses. He also raised some horses. During WWI he handled remounts for the army and brought in some very rank horses to sell to them.

In Banff Soapy was employed as a harness maker by Bill and Jim Brewster. He was anxious to get out on the trail and went out as a camp cook for Bill Brewster for about four years. He then started as a guide for Brewsters and worked for them for twenty years.

Herb “Soapy” Smith built a log house on his homestead but didn’t live there all the time. He and John Park were good friends and Soapy’s house was built close to the Park’s. His homestead was a ridge of rock and not suitable for anything except grazing so he sold it to John Park and bought Sec 9 Twp 25 Rge 6 W5M. He lived there during the winter and returned to guide pack parties for Brewsters in the summer.

Soapy settled at Seebe in 1922, raising horses and taking out parties on his own. He became well known to tourists from all parts of the world. He married Eva Mills in the Church at Morley and they had one son Michael. They acted as camp cooks on the rides of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies until about 1946.

Soapy was looked upon as a very necessary part of any trail ride. Soapy Smith passed away April 7, 1948, at the age of seventy years, after a six month illness.

He had a half brother, Fred Scott who ranched in the Jumping Pound and then moved to British Columbia.

Deep Dive

Dave Murray Cochrane Blacksmith

by

by Marjorie Spicer pg 252 Big Hill Country 1977

Dave Murray, along with his brother Joe, They had been born and raised around Dundee, Scotland. Both were blacksmiths by trade.

With the Murrays, the blacksmith trade was as old as the hills of Scotland; their forefathers were blacksmiths as far back as they could recall.

In Dundee, Dave served his five years apprenticeship in blacksmithing, and then made the decision to come to Canada to seek adventure and fortune.

Upon arrival in Calgary, Dave went to work for Wetmore and Fullerton on 8th Avenue East, remaining there until 1912, when he went to Banff to work for Brewsters. At that time Brewsters had one thousand horses and a day’s work for Dave was shoeing twenty-five head of horses. They were used on tally-hos, trail rides, packing, as saddle horses and driving teams, so keeping their feet in good condition was an everyday job.

While in Banff Dave married Miss Elsie Hartman of Pennsylvania, U.S.A., and their son David Jr. was born while they were in Banff.

In 1922 Dave and his family moved to Seattle, where he was engaged in making tools. They remained there for five years, coming back to Banff.

Dave decided to go into business for himself, and in 1928 he purchased the blacksmith shop in Cochrane from George Hope. As well as being an excellent farrier, Dave was equally efficient of all phases of blacksmithing.

No job was too big or too hard for him. Dave kept pace with the times and the changes that came along. Shoeing horses and making horseshoes began to phase out, but he was kept busy making hay hooks by the dozens to handle baled hay, sharpening plow shares and making branding irons, at which he excelled. One wall of his shop was covered with brands stamped when testing an iron, testimony of the number of brands he had made for cattlemen in the area, as well as such places as High River, Black Diamond and other areas. He sharpened the steel for the drillers on the Lake Minnewanka Dam. He made bars for Calgary Power to take readings through the ice in winter.

For many years Dave was the only blacksmith west of Calgary to beyond the British Columbia border. A lot of customers came from British Columbia to get work done in his shop.

Dave once made the remark that horses and cars had one thing in common, both had to have change-overs from summer to winter driving; horses had to have ice caulks in their shoes and cars used knobby tires.

Of course Dave had other talents; he was fond of music and played a mean violin. He and Frank Laing used to play for local dances, never taking any pay, just doing it for the enjoyment they derived from it. He was a keen curler and 1t was not unusual to see him down at the curling rink dressed in his Scotch kilt.

He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Elks, and Oddfellows and served on the village council.

Dave was fond of young children, and young lads about town delighted in being able to stand in the doorway of his shop and watch him plying his trade. To go near the shop and hear Dave whistling the Tarantella while hammering something on the anvil was a glorious sound to start anyone’s day.

In 1955 Dave became ill and the familiar sounds that came from his shop ceased. The doors were closed, thus ending a nostalgic era that was so much a part of the history of Cochrane. In 1956 Dave passed away. The old shop was torn down by Bob and Jim Baptie and parts of it were used to build a barn on the Baptie farm. I am fortunate in having some of the timbers in my home, so the old shop is still serving.

David Jr. enlisted in the Army in World War II and went Overseas. While Overseas he married Irene Blyth of Scotland. They have four sons David Donald, Duncan, and Dale, and one daughter, Anita. Elsie Murray now resides in Calgary.

Alex Howes Family

by

pg 385 Big Hill Country 1977

Alex Howes was born in Guelph, Ontario, and Eva Sivigny was born in Littleton, Vermont, U.S.A. Both their families moved to Success, Saskatchewan, where they homesteaded. Here Alex and Eva met and were married in 1921

In the fall of 1940 they moved to the Cochrane district where Alex started a sawmill up the Grand Valley. In 1950 Alex and his sons started a lumberyard in the village of Cochrane as A. Howes & Sons. In 1953 Alex passed away and his sons carried on the lumberyard as Howes Bros.

Alex and Eva had fifteen children. A baby son, Oscar, died in Success. The other sons and daughters are: James, Cochrane; Orville (Bud), Edgar and Alfred, Calgary;- Arthur, Strathmore; Earl, Revelstoke, British Columbia; Gordon, Ann Raby and Margaret Clarke, Cochrane; Mae Sauvey, Marie Briscoe, Calgary; Emma Pepper, Edmonton; Pearl Campbell, Oakville, Ontario; and Agnes Moore, Prince George, British Columbia.

Mrs. Howes now lives in Calgary.

Deep Dive

Pete Helfrich Family

by

by Helen Helfrich pg 501 More Big Hill Country 2009

 The Pete Helfrich family arrived in Cochrane in 1952. Pete was a Shell Oil employee and was transferred from Fairview Alberta to Jumping Pound in April. Tony, Linda, Ralph and I followed in June.

I will never forget my first look at Cochrane from the top of the hill. Nestled in the valley with the Rockies in the background, it was the most spectacular view I had ever seen.

There was a shortage of accommodations in Cochrane at that time. We rented a very smallcabin from Annie Gillies and a few months later we moved to the east end of town to a house owned by Mr. Zuccolo. Raymond was born while we lived in Cochrane.

In July 1953 we bid farewell to Cochrane as Peter was again transferred and moved to Okotoks, Alberta. The job the men were going to do didn’t materialize so they were sent back to Jumping Pound. Their families remained in Okotoks.

Peter was killed in a tragic accident on August 20th, 1953 and I moved to Whitelaw to be close to my in-laws. That was a brief stay because Ralph became ill and after a visit to a specialist in Calgary he was diagnosed with polio. He was immediately admitted to the Children’s Hospital where he became a regular patient for fifteen years. Because of these unforeseen circumstances I found my family and myself back in Cochrane.

I worked for R.E. Moore for a number of years and later on for Fred Keller. I was also very involved in different activities such as Brownie leader for 15 years, teaching catechism along with attending all the various school commitments. I was also a member of the Legion Ladies Auxiliary.

In 1960, I bought a house on Main Street from Duncan McFarquhar. It was formerly known as the Grayson House. It was ideal for us, close to the elementary school and to the downtown area.

After having lived in small cabins, this house was like a dream come true. A huge yard, four bedrooms and to all the family the biggest most exciting thing was having an indoor bathroom, which up until then we had never enjoyed. We all loved that old house.

After all the family graduated and left home, I decided to sell the house. I sold it in 1977 and moved to Fox Creek. I left Fox Creek in 1987 and relocated to Turner Valley. In December 2005, I once again found myself back in Cochrane but in a much different town than when I left in 1977.

The Wildrose Apartments are now situated where my old house used to be. I remember R.E. Moore telling me when I bought the Grayson House that I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone building across the street from me because it was Canadian Pacific Railway land. I do believe he would get a big surprise if he were to see now what has been built on the other side of the street! Except for one grandson, and myself, my family has all left Cochrane.

Tony resides in Bragg Creek and has his own Heating and Air Conditioning Business. He married Linda Cohoe on August 15, 1969, and they have 3 children, Peter, Cora-Lea and Jason.

Linda resides in Calgary. She has been a library technician at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology for the past 20 years. She has two children, Stephen and Karen MacDonald. Linda is still employed at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Ralph worked for Imperial Oil for twenty-five years. He married Terry DeGray on November 3, 1973, and they had four children: Leiah, Skylar, Nicholas and Garrett. Ralph passed away at Cold Lake, Alberta, in 2004 and his wife and family still live there.

Raymond married Colleen Moore, May 2nd, 1980 and they live in Surrey, British Columbia. They have two daughters, Alicia and Mikaela. Raymond is a carpenter and is self employed.

Deep Dive

MR. AND MRS. JAMES JOHNSTONE

by

by Aileen Sibbald pg 241 Big Hill Country 1977

 Mr. and Mrs. James Johnstone came to Cochrane from California in 1884. They were originally from Ontario and were born around the Lake Simcoe area. They had four daughters: Margaret (Maggie), Janet (Jennie), Georgina and Edna. Margaret married Ike Foster and lived in Vancouver. They had four children: Lee, Ira, Edna and Aubrey. Janet married Frank Sibbald of Cochrane; they had three children: Wilfred, Clarence and Aileen. Georgina never married; she lived in California.

Edna married Dick Journey and they had three children: one boy, Nobel, and two girls, Edna Mae and Fern. The Journeys lived in California. Mr. Johnstone had a store and post office in Cochrane for awhile. In 1896 they purchased the SE¼ 12-28-4-5 from James Thompson. They sold the land to Angus McDonald in 1903, and went back to California. The Johnstones once owned property where Los Angeles is now situated.

Deep Dive

William (Curly) and Charlotte (Lottie) Rowan Family

by

pg 692 More Big Hill Country 2009

Our Dad, William (Curly) Rowan was born in 1919 at the Calgary General Hospital. His parents were William Rowan and Isabelle (Lawson) Rowan. Isabelle taught school in Springbank before she was married. Curly was raised in Calgary and attended school there. He quit in grade 10 to pursue a career. He worked full time and attended Southern Alberta Institute of Technology part-time to obtain his machinist ticket. He courted Lottie who lived in Glenbow by bicycling to see her. Lottie was the sister of Sam Scott who had married Curly’s sister Helen. Our Mom, Charlotte (Lottie) Scott was born in Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland in 1919. Her parents, William Scott and Adelaide (Spence) Scott, came to Canada in 1929 and, after living in Dalroy for

a couple of years, went to work for Eric Harvie in Glenbow. Our Mom worked on the farm at Glenbow until she was married in 1944. Lottie and her sisters Rose and Agnes were their Dad’s “she” crew who helped by looking after the cattle and haying.

Curly and Lottie were married February 4, 1944 and began their life together. They lived at the Calgary Power House across from Tom Bateman’s in Jumping Pound. Curly was working as a machinist for Barber Machine in Calgary. They then moved to Glenbow Ranch with Lottie’s parents. A few years were spent in Turner Valley while Curly worked as an operator at the Turner Valley gas plant. It was back to Glenbow when Curly worked for Fluor building the new Shell Jumping Pound Plant. During this time they built their home in Brushy Ridge on an acreage leased from Harry Edge, a local rancher.

In 1951 they moved into their new house as Curly was hired by Shell to work at their Jumping Pound Complex. All this time Mom was busy raising a brood of “holligans”: Jim, Eric, Janice Gary, Sam, and Donald. In the summer, Curly would load all the kids in the back of the Shell truck and go to the plant on Sundays. While Dad was working, us kids would swim at the pumphouse. We had great fun.

Through the many years in Brushy Ridge, Curly and Lottie were very involved in the Jumping Pound, Brushy Ridge, and Cochrane communities. Curly refereed hockey, coached flag football and was a big upporter of the Junior B Cochrane General . He was a major supporter of St. Andrews United Church, the Western Heritage Center, and helped gather information for the Chaps and Chinooks book

Lottie was always a great gardener and had beautiful flowers. She was a wonderful cook and butter tarts were her specialty. She belonged to the Rebekah’s Lodge and had great weekends at their bon piels with Ida Taylor, Ede Sibbald and Lila Edge.

Curly was always an avid community supporter and could be counted on to help with any project. After retirement in 1984, Curly became the neighbourhood handyman and walked miles around the countryside. Curly passed away suddenly in 2003 and Lottie moved to Calgary.

Their children have all grown and their stories follow.

Jim Rowan

Jim, eldest child of Curly and Lottie Rowan, started school in the one room Brushy Ridge School. This school was located on the SW comer of present day Highway #22 and Township Road 252. Here Jim has the distinction of getting the strap on the first day of school, in grade one, for climbing on Ted Callaway’s haystack after he was told not to.

Jim continues: I continued at Brushy Ridge through grade 6, then went to the old school in downtown Cochrane and up on the hill to the High School. I took my grade 12 at Mount Royal College in Calgary and then went to Southern Alberta Institute of Technology for electrical training and got my Journeyman Ticket.

I married Diana Newsome on May 13, 1967. Diana’s parents are Nonnan and Joyce (Watts) Newsome and her grandparents Frank and Hilda Newsome and Bob and Kathleen (Cornock) Watts. Diana’s Dad and Mom lived at Bearspaw where Norm farmed and hauled milk from Cochrane, Okotoks and points in between, to Calgary every day. Joyce worked as a “Domestic Engineer”. They sold the farm and moved to Cremona where they farmed until Norm retired.

Diana and I lived on the Newsome farm at Bearspaw then moved to Cremona for five years before buying land at Alder Flats, Alberta in 197 6. I worked in the oil patch for 43 years and have been farming for about 40 years. Diana went to school at Bearspaw then Glendale Silver Springs, Cochrane and Mount Royal. She took training as an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. and has worked as an LPN while keeping me and “our hooligans” on the right path.

Diane and I have 3 boys. All the boys went to Alder Flats and Buck Lake Schools.

Scott married Shauna Mitchell and they have 2 girls: Chelsea and Cassandra. Scott works in Sales in Fort McMurray Tar Sands.

Duane went on to Mount Royal College, works as an operator in the oil patch and lives in Beaumont, Alberta. He married Nicole Ebbeson and they have one son, Turner.

Spencer took his electrical apprenticeship at Lethbridge. He works in the oil patch and lives in Alder Flats. In the days when we were growing up and lived at granny’s in Glenbow, Eric and I seemed to get lost some. Aunt Rose, I gather found us one day. When asked what we were doing, Eric told her that, “Just a touple of tharacters coming up the tooley”. (sic)

When our dear sister Janice came along she became our “crash test dummy” for things we weren’t sure would work!!! It is a wonder she survived.

Eric Rowan

Born May 6, 1947, the second child of Curly and Lottie Rowan.

I attended elementary school at Brushy Ridge and then on to Cochrane for high school. 

After graduating I attended Southern Alberta Institute of Technology for 2 years taking Agriculture Mechanics. I then went to work for Home Oil in Carstairs, Alberta. Next I moved to Wardlow, Alberta and drove trucks. While at Wardlow, I met my wife Elaine and we were married in Julyl970. Elaine is the eldest daughter of Dan and Jewel Pierson.

We bought the General Store in Cayley, Alberta and Elaine was teaching in Cayley. One month after we were married the store burned down and we lost most of our possessions. We rebuilt the store. It burned again in October 1972.

At that time I moved to Brooks, Alberta and started to apprentice at Martin Chrysler as a mechanic. Elaine stayed in Cayley teaching and finished out the year. We bought an acreage at Patricia, Alberta where we lived until 1982 when we moved to Seven Persons, Alberta and I was employed as a mechanic for Dome Petroleum. I worked there for 25 years.

Elaine and I have 2 children: Danelle, born March 1976 and Reid born 1978.

Danelle married Jared Bonhet from Medicine Hat. They have four children: Quinn, Nyah, Peyton, and Kohen. Jared works for Flint Energy and Danelle works at Cornerstone Christian School in Medicine Hat.

Reid is a Journeyman B. Pressure Welder and lives with his wife Lacy whom he met while rodeoing in Texas. Lacy is from Cleveland, Texas.

Elaine and I now live in Medicine Hat where she continues to teach school and I have taken a position of Service Manager for Medicine Hat New Holland Dealership. “Isn’t it funny how my life made a full circle back to ag. mechanics so many years later.” “As for now, our family just keeps rolling along.”

Janice (Rowan) Sturm

Third child and only daughter of Curly and Lottie:

I was born in Calgary and while Mom and Dad were building their house in Brushy Ridge, Jim, Eric, and I were cared for by our grandparents, William and Adelaide Scott. They lived at Glenbow and Granddad worked for the Glenbow Ranch.

I attended Brushy Ridge School from grade 1 to grade 6. Jim, Eric, and I rode to school on our horse “Roxy” lent to us by David Edge. Jim, being the eldest, was in charge of the reins with me in the middle and Eric behind me. Many fights ensued resulting in Eric sliding off the back end of the horse.

Some days we walked to school and if our timing was right, our teacher Eddie Edge would give us a ride if we were at her gate when she was leaving for school.

At recess in winter we had great games of fox and geese. If it was really cold we were allowed to dance at noon with records brought by whoever had some. A big favourite was Eddy Arnold, brought by Ellis Edge.

We all had to take turns going out to the well to pump water to drink and wash our hands before lunch.

Preparing for the Annual Christmas Concert held at the Jumping Pound Community Hall was also great fun.

After Brushy Ridge School closed I went to Cochrane for grades 7 to 12. After only having one other person in my grade for 6 years it was quite a shock with the many classmates in Cochrane.

I married Robert Sturm in February 1969, a large animal veterinarian, and started nurse’s training at the Foothills Hospital School of Nursing in September 1969. I graduated with my R.N. in 1972 and worked for two years before our daughter Patricia was born. We moved to Chestermere Lake in 1976 and lived there until 1995 when Robert and I divorced and I moved to the Varsity area in Calgary, where I still live.

Patricia attended University of Calgary and is now a Communications Officer with the Calgary Police Service. She lives in Strathmore

I worked part-time while Patricia was growing up and now work full time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Foothills Medical Centre.

Gary Rowan

Fourth child and third son of Curly and Lottie Rowan

I was born on April 22, 1952 and attended Brushy Ridge School to grade 4. Then it was off to Cochrane for the remainder of my school years.

I worked on farms and ranches in the area and when I was 20 years old I went to work for Wayne and Donna Sibbald. I am still there 35 years later.

In August 1981, I married June Fullerton from Bragg Creek and on February 2, 1982 our son Christopher was born. Christopher is now a plumber.

I curled for a few years in the Men’s and Mixed Curling and played Fastball for Cochrane. After finishing fastball, I started to umpire Little League baseball having been doing it for 27-30 years. It is really interesting to do. I watched Chris become a great ball player and got to officiate many of his games.

In February 2007, June and I became grandparents as Chris and his wife Courtney had a son Sean William Rowan.

Sam Rowan

Fifth child and 4th son of Curly and Lottie was born on May 20, 1955. I started grade one at Brushy Ridge but after that year they closed the school and the rest of my education was in Cochrane.

I then went to the University of Calgary and then to Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and graduated in 1976.

I married Linda Caine from Montreal and then Toronto, on October 27, 1979.

In 1979, I started to work with Barber Engineering which was also my father’s first job back in the 1940’s. I was fortunate to become one of the owners of Barber in 1998.

Linda has worked for various oil companies over the years in the land departments.

Linda and I have two lovely girls, Melissa, born September 24, 1982 and Katie born September 21, 1986. Melissa now has a child named Sophia who was born March 2, 2007 and Katie is studying lntemational Business as well as Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Linda and I have spent most of our lives together living in Calgary; however, we did have a farm in Strathmore from 2000 to 2004. After Dad died in 2003, we bought their house and moved back to the house on the hill in Brushy Ridge.

The original house that Mom and Dad built in 1951 was donated to the Girl Guide Camp in Cochrane by Mom and Dad, because of the widening and paving of Highway 22, in 1972.

They then built the house that we own just back of the original home. The original Windmill built in the early 1940’s which used to belong to Harry and Lila Edge still stands on the hill today.

Donald Rowan

Sixth child of Curly and Lottie Rowan

I am the sixth child of Curly and Lottie Rowan. I was born March 21, 1962 and grew up at the family home in Brushy Ridge. When I came along, most of my brothers and sister had already left home or were in the process of leaving home so I basically grew up with just Mom and Dad. I attended school in Cochrane and after graduating and doing different jobs, ranging from helping out the local farmers to landscaping, I attended Southern Alberta Institute of Technology for one year.

After Southern Alberta Institute of Technology I continued doing odd jobs because of economic conditions. Then in 1985 I followed in my father’s footsteps and joined Shell Canada in Sundre. I worked at their Burnt Timber Field and continued to work with Shell for the next 13 years.

In 1987 I married Adrienne Miller and in 1989 we had our first child Stephanie. Three years later in 1992, we had our second child, Carson.

In 1993 I was transferred to Swan Hills, Alberta with Shell Canada and worked at their House Mountain Facility. After five years I resigned from Shell to pursue other career endeavours.

After 3 years of contract operating, I went back to another major oil company in Rainbow Lake, Exxon Mobil. In 2005, after seven years in Rainbow Lake, I moved myself and family to Grande Prairie and got on with EnCana, where I currently am the Field Foreman of the Hythe Brainard Field.

Our daughter Stephanie has now graduated from High School and is planning to travel for a year. She wants to then go to college with the hope of getting into the police force. Our son Carson is starting High School with a promising career as an amateur wrestler.

Deep Dive

Cochrane Lions Club

by

pg 161 More Big Hill Country 2009

The Cochrane Lions Club was Chartered in 1964 and was sponsored by North Hill Lions Club. Lion Gerry Sinclair was the President of the Club. In the early years, the meeting place was the Cochrane Legion. The first President of the Cochrane Lions Club was Lion Dave Longbotham and Secretary-Treasurer was Lion Jack McLeod. There were thirty-two members.

Every year the club hosted a Charter Night held in April, at the Cochrane Community Hall. Lion members and wives, guests, District Governor and Cabinet Officers attended a lovely banquet and dance.

In 1981, Bragg Creek Lions Club and Cochrane Lioness Club had their first Joint Charter Night and this continued until 1987. When Bragg Creek Lions Club retired in 1988, the Cochrane Lioness Club and Cochrane Lions Club continued to have Charter Nights until 1992. Then in 1999, when Cochrane Lions Club celebrated thirty-five years and Cochrane Lioness Club celebrated twenty years, they joined together with a Charter Night at the Cochrane Heritage Centre.

The first Rodeo to be held at the Lions Rodeo Grounds in Cochrane was on September 1968. Lion Bert Powlesland was President. Lion Ed Downs roasted beef on a large B.B.Q. with briquettes and served Beef on a Bun to a large crowd in attendance. Rangeland Frolics (named by a former Lion Ken Raby) has been held every year since on the Labour Day weekend. Three Special Rodeos were: the July 2, 1973 Rodeo of Champions, sponsored by Calgary Brewing and Malting Co. Ltd., the August 1986 Old Timer’s Rodeo and Parade and the Silver Anniversary Rodeo and Parade in September 1992.

The Activities of the Club in earlier years were many. The Lions Club erected a Christmas Tree on Main Street decorated with lights and Lion members gave out candy bags to anyone that came along, mainly children. Lions had an evening where they made up the bags and Lion Don Smith always provided the tree from his farm. Any candy bags that were left over were given to the Salvation Army.

Chuckwagon Races were held at Griffin Park and horse racing with Para Mutuals. Pony Chuckwagon races and Pony Chariot Races, Junior Barrel Races, Open Barrel Races, Calf Roping, Stake Races and the Cochrane Half Mile Race were some of the many attractions sponsored and run by the Lions Club. Pig Races, Catch the Rooster, and the Greased Pig Race, Media Pig Races where they had to lead the pig down the track as well as Mutton Bustin’ were popular and fun events.

Money raising is nothing new for the Lions. They built a $5000 playground in the east end of town near the former swimming pool and a $3500 Banquet Room in the Cochrane Community Hall. The Lions also donated funds to be used for a new Community Centre. Lion Auction Sales were held at the Cochrane Community Hall, for a number of years.

In 1977 the first Car Dinner was held at the Cochrane Community Hall. Tickets were $125.00 each. These

Lions Rodeo dedicated to Wayne Blood

Dinners were held for several years and some of the winners were Lion Tim Nowlin, R. E. Moore, Lion Harold Spicer, all deceased, and Lion Doug Sheriff, Cremona Lions Club. Many prizes were donated and a motorcycle was won by Lion Jimmy McArthur of Cremona Lions Club. The Lions Club changed their format to a Cash Dinner with a $5000 prize won by Lion George McBain, Cochrane Club and he donated it to the Cochrane Swimming Pool Fund. This continued until 1999 when it was discontinued and the last winner of $5000 was Bob Baptie, Cochrane.

Many functions have been held over the years. In 1979 the Cochrane Lions assisted with the opening of Cochrane Ranche Historic Site. Lion Christmas Parties held jointly in with Weedon Hall Christmas Parties in later years. There were Ladies Night parties, Walkathons at Richards Ranch from 1983 to 1987 and the Police Rodeo at Richards Ranch where Lions and Cochrane Lionesses prepared and served dinner and assisted with the rodeo. Campouts at Dog Pound Stampede Grounds were hosted by Cremona Lions Club and all Clubs of the District 37E joined in the fun.

Lions participated in the Youth Camp opening at Cremona June 9, 1985 where M.L.A. Connie Osterman, Governor Ross Yolland, and Heritage Lions Club presided. Cochrane Lions Club are still instrumental in the camp’s well being.

Swimming Pool – Cochrane Leisure Pool: Cochrane Lions Club raised $250,000 toward the cost of the Pool, which opened April 7, 1990. Cochrane Lions were the main sponsor in this project and it was built on land originally leased by the Cochrane Lions Club. Fundraising events were held by many organizations and private donations.

Cochrane Lions Club was instrumental in building and operating the Cochrane campground. It was built on the edge of the Bow River and was named Rivers Edge Campground. It was managed by the Cochrane Lions Club and Lion Wayne Hilland acted as manager for years.

We now have a beautiful new campground next to the Spray Lake Sports Centre and operated by Cochrane Lions Club and Rotary Club of Cochrane.

Fundraisers

1. An annual Golf Tournament called th Chris Montague Memorial Golf Tournament held each May. Proceeds go to the Lions Youth Camp and High School Scholarships.

2. Catering over 1200 Breakfasts for the Footstock in June of each year. Footstock is Western Canada’s premier marathon race weekend and is held in Cochrane.

3. The annual Labour Day Rodeo continues, and has been going for over forty years.

4. Volunteering at the Frank Sissons Casino is a major source of income for the Club.

5. Catering and Bar keeping events throughout the year.

6. Tent and BBQ rentals.

Recent Donations of note:

1. $20,000 to the Big Hill Senior Citizens Activities Society to maintain their buses.

2. $30,000 to the new Children’s Hospice in Calgary, funded by the Cochrane Lions Troy Thompson Medical Fund.

Deep Dive

THE TAYLOR AND BRISTOW FAMILIES

by

by Marjorie Bristow pg 622 Big Hill Country

Many a milestone has loomed on the horizon since my father, Sykes Taylor, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1868, and my mother, Annie Smith, was born in Suffolk, England. My father, at the age of 12 years, came with his father to Minnesota, U.S.A. There did not appear to be a way of earning a living there, so they left Minnesota and went to Jarvis, Ontario. The slogan at the time was “Go West Young Man” so this is what the Taylors decided to do. The mother and seven other children had arrived from England and they all came to Morley.

where there was just a station and a stopping house. Just a few years previous the railway had passed through. ‘Twas here my grandparents and their family found plenty to do. At the stopping house, Grandmother cooked for as many as 100 persons some days: railroad men, train passengers, many Indians (sic) and a few local people. In a short while my grandfather Taylor became ill and passed away. He was the third white man to be buried in Calgary.

After Grandfather passed away, Grandmother Taylor married my mother’s brother, George Smith. They moved to Agassiz, British Columbia, where they lived until they passed away; my grandmother was in her nineties.

A few years later my mother, Annie Smith, her parents and family also came to Morley, where they found employment. They arrived there on the 24th of May and there was three feet of snow. For anyone just coming from England – what a sight to behold!

In 1893 my parents were married in the little church at Morley, a landmark still standing.

They were married by the Reverend John McDougall. The marriage certificate is still in the possession of one of my family.

A short time later my parents, grandparents and their families moved to Springbank and took up land. My parents’ first child, a girl, was born there, but at five months she passed away with erysipelas. Mabel (Mae) was born in 1895. I was born in 1898. Two years later a son was born on my birthday, but he passed away at birth. My grandfather Smith passed away and was buried in the Union Cemetery beside Grandfather Taylor. My grandmother Smith was in her eighties when she passed away and is also buried in the Union Cemetery.

My father decided he should have a home of his own, so he bought a quarter section from Oliver Mickle and took up a homestead next to it. He and Mother and their two daughters moved about ten miles west of their Springbank home. This new home was a well-built log house. The barns were log with sod roofs. Our place was surrounded by teepees. The Indians (sic) still used travois pulled with ponies and the squaws (sic) carried their papooses in a laced leather cradle strapped on their backs. The squaws (sic) wore bright coloured scarves, had Indian blankets wrapped around them for coats, and wore high-beaded buckskin moccasins. As there were few white women here, many white men married squaws.

My parents got together a team of horses, some chickens and a few milk cows. Milk was put in pans, the cream was skimmed off and made into butter, which they sold or traded for groceries. At this time there was no bridge over the Bow River to Cochrane so if you wished to go there you had to go a short distance west to Radnor Crossing. A few business places were being built in Cochrane and soon a bridge was built south of Cochrane.

A daughter Laura was born in 1902. In 1904 a daughter Lesley was born.

Father travelled miles to cut wood. He hauled it to Calgary and sold it for fuel for $3.00 a load. He also cut wood for home use. About 1904 soldiers were returning from the South African War. I faintly remember the many songs they sang. One was “Goodbye Dolly Grey, I Must Leave.” About that year gunslinger Ernie Cashel was being sought for murder. One evening he came to my grandmother’s house; my aunt, who later married Bill Bradley, was there too, and at gun point, he forced them to hide him in the attic and feed him. He stayed there for three days, but one night he left on their little pony. He turned the pony loose near Calgary and it wandered back home. Shortly afterwards, Cashel was burned out of an old shack by the police and sentenced to death. Everyone in the district had been frightened and hoped he would not come to their home.

Radnor - Google Earth

By now some children in the district were getting to be school age. The school was built 1905 and my father was trustee for many years. My sister Laura had to start at the age of four and a half years to make up the number of pupils required to open the school. I was nearly eight years old before I started school. The school was opened in June 1906. It was called Brushy Ridge. In 1936 the school was destroyed by fire. It is believed that I am the eldest living pupil in 1975 who attended the Brushy Ridge School.

My dad required some help on the farm. My dad and I and my sisters, who were old enough, milked 20 or 30 cows by hand, fed calves and separated the milk before breakfast; then my sisters and I went to school.

Now Chris Bristow comes into the picture. He was born in Norfolk, England, very near to Sandringham Castle, the home of Kings and Queens. His parents were millers and bakers. His father was also a Methodist Lay Minister. The first seven children born to them were boys. On one occasion the mother bathed each one and sent them to bed; after all seven had had their turn, their mother went to see if they were in bed and she found them sitting on the front lawn with not a stitch on. They were right close to the roadside and passersby were all stopping to look. Chris was the ninth child of 13 children. He left home at the age of 17 years and in 1907 came to Canada. My father and a neighbor picked Chris up in Calgary and took him to our home where he worked for one year. He went to Yahk, British Columbia, and worked in the lumber mills, until the First World War started. Then he went to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and joined the 46th Regiment, training in Manitoba. He went Overseas in 1915.

In 1908 a daughter Anne was born. Mother found the home too small, thus in the same vicinity my father built a new home into which the family moved. The phone was installed in 1910. In 1912 Father and Mother really rejoiced and we five daughters were thrilled to no end, for a son and brother, George Sykes, was born on May 24, 1912, Queen Victoria’s birthday.

In 1914 I took a trip to Jarvis, Ontario. I spent some time in Toronto and I visited Niagara Falls. I visited the parents and grandparents of Jack Pickersgill. Jack later became Minister of Transport in the Federal Government. His grandfather and my grandmother Taylor were brother and sister.

In Jarvis, where I had an uncle, I worked part time in a munitions factory and learned to drive a car. I stayed there for a year and a half. When I returned home, and because I could drive, my father bought a new Ford car from the first garage built in Cochrane, which was owned by Tom Quigley. There were only a few cars in the West at that time and no lady drivers. On one occasion, when I was driving in Calgary, a streetcar and I, in the Ford, collided on a very slippery street though I had the right of way. Very little damage was done so no charge was 623 getting to be school age. The school was built in laid; bent a fender some and punctured a tire.

Later an item came out in the Calgary Eye Opener, stating: “The First Lady Driver in the Calgary Area, Driving a Ford Car, and a Streetcar Collide on City Street.”

On one occasion Laura, Lesley and I went to a dance in Cochrane. Coming home, Laura thought she’d like to try driving, so coming up the Bow River Hill south of Cochrane, she ran over quite a deep bank and the three of us landed upside down in the ditch. Many others, driving teams and buggies, helped to push the car back on the road and we continued on our way home; only a headlight was cracked. We never did tell our father what went on.

No men were available as the War was still on so four of us girls and our father put up as much as one hundred tons of hay in a haying season with teams and older equipment.

Chris Bristow returned from the War; he was discharged due to a dislocated cartilage in his knee. His intention was to go to Australia, but my father persuaded him to stay and work with him. Chris worked for us for one winter. Later he helped to build the Central Alberta Sanatorium at Keith (now part of Calgary), then he went to Sibbald, Alberta, to look for land but found none to suit him. On his return we were married in my parents’ home in 1921. We moved to the Cochrane Lakes district where we rented land by the Lakes, but with no satisfaction. Spring was coming on soon and we wanted to get some different land, so we came to the place where we still live. We took a contract with the Soldier Settlement Board and bought the land for $19.00 per acre. Taxes at this time were $25.00 a year. What a dilapidated place it was. Soon we reboarded the house inside and out, thus making it as warm as any place could be. There was not one tree on this place when we came. We set out evergreens which we hauled with a team and stoneboat, seeded caraganas, and set out other small trees for protection around our house and garden.

Calvin was born August 7, 1924, our only son. We lost a daughter at birth, a couple of years later.

We got together ten head of milk cows, a few pigs, two teams of horses, and poultry. Chris worked with four horses on Municipal roads, going many miles away at times. I milked the eight or ten cows by hand and did all the other chores required. Chris broke more land; frost did not do too much damage, but hail and drought prevailed. We grew some wonderful crops especially wheat, but one year we threshed only 25 bushels of wheat and 12 bushels of oats through drought. We cut hay on roads and every nook and corner to get enough fodder for our stock. Another year we were hailed twice in June when the crops and gardens were just nicely through the ground. In September 1949, we had a grand crop and garden. We took Chris’ brother to the train en route to England and it hailed; when we came home we drove over ice which held the car.

The countryside looked like the Arctic Ocean; the hail took every kernel of grain and bashed it into the earth. The garden was cut up like so much salad. We saved nothing. Hail had come through the windows and the floors were all covered with ice. Our trees were all stripped on the north side. Animals were also badly bruised. It was the worst hailstorm I’ve ever seen. The worst blizzard I’ve known was in the year 1927. Chris and I and Calvin, who was about four years old, were at the barn when it hit. We could not find Calvin. Finally he came from somewhere and we had to start around the corner of the barn thrice before we could make it to the house. The storm lasted two full days.

When we first came here, all our neighbors were bachelors. Soon they visited us and enjoyed my homemade bread and a cup of tea. Now. all these people have passed on.

My dad gave me the 1917 Ford car, and on one occasion Chris figured he and our nearest neighbor, Jack Watkin, should drive it to town. After parking it, Chris hid a valuable pair of beaver mitts under the car seat. While coming home he rose up to get his mitts and when he looked up he was going over the road bank. He shouted, “Whoa,” but forgot he was not driving a team. Everything was over in the ditch, mail, groceries, egg crates and all. A neighbor came along with a team and pulled the car back on the road and they continued on their merry way with just a cracked windshield.

Calvin, now school age, rode his little pinto pony to Cochrane Lakes School. Chris was school trustee for many years. At the age of 15 years, Calvin, in Grade 8, watched an eclipse of the sun and burned the optic nerve in his eye. The optometrist said he must quit school and not read, not even a funny paper, for two years. He had started on piano and voice, but this deprived him of a future or any other career we had hoped for him. At first, he had to have his glasses changed every two months. In 1964 we finally located an eye surgeon, who operated on his eye and straightened the optic nerve; too late now to catch up on lost time. He went to work on ranches where he worked over the years for 29 years.

For entertainment in the winter, we drove with team and sleigh to many school concerts or to each neighbor in turn for dances. We had wonderful times. When Calvin first started to work he was paid 50 cents a day. Having gone through the Hungry Thirties, the three of us know what hard times are like. I worked in hay fields, threshed, stooked, bought my own team and worked side by side with Chris and Calvin and loved it.

In 1936 a fire went through the Brushy Ridge country, taking everything my folks owned except their house. My dad’s lifetime earnings were all gone; horses, cattle, poultry and all the buildings, grain and hay stacks too. My dad was ill with pleurisy and the loss was such a shock to him he passed away in the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary at the age of 68 years. His son, George, took over the farm and it was like starting all over again.

Although I was suffering from arthritis, I went to work at the Holy Cross Hospital in 1942 and took treatments in Calgary. I worked there until 1946. Chris managed alone while Calvin earned his own money working away from home. In 1946 I started work as cook for the Assiniboia Engineering Company for James R. Paget (father of Ken Paget, owner of the Two Rivers Ranch). We started at Cochrane, then worked at various towns on the way to St. Mary’s Dam, near Lethbridge, Alberta, where I cooked for 75 to 100 men. Here I had three girls to help me. I travelled from place to place in planes with Chuck Hodgson, whom many will remember as he trained many Cochrane recruits in World War II. He once landed in our field at home and picked me up. When finished at St. Mary’s Dam, we were moved to the Kananaskis where there was barely a trail. I wondered where we were going, but finally we got there. I could not get help to come and work there and as there were 40 to 50 men to cook for, I said, “I’ll get my own help,” so I sent for Calvin to come, which he did, and he turned out to be the best helper and waiter I ever had. In the fall when work was stopped, we came home, as Chris was not well. Calvin went back to work at Hutchinsons and we did not hire out anymore. When the crew went to Castor, Alberta, Mr. Paget was killed in a car accident.

My mother passed away in 1962, at the age of 87 years, at the home of my youngest sister Anne and her husband, with whom Mother had lived since she left the old home at Brushy Ridge.

What a wonderful personality my mother had. When she was first married she weighed less than 100 pounds. She washed clothes with a tub and scrub board for all of us. She made all our wearing apparel and she did all the baking for the family. At one time she made as many as 100 pounds of butter a week. She always went around the house singing.

Calvin, as a child, and I had two lovely horses and we rode through the fields and by the streams for hours. We loved the open spaces. One time Chris and Calvin were fixing fence and had the wheelbarrow with them. Suddenly it started to hail; they both got their heads underneath the wheelbarrow like two ostriches with their heads in the sand. I

n 1971 Chris and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary. My immediate relatives made a wedding cake and came to our home, bringing all the food with them. We are the only two of all the family who lived to celebrate such an event. We had just had the power installed so we received many lovely electrical appliances for gifts, from neighbors and community organizations. My own relatives gave us a gold-trimmed tea set and various other things. The Canadian Legion in Cochrane also gave us a party and gifts.

Though I am still able to do the garden and the lawn, Chris isn’t able to do much, but he still tells me some of his jokes. We have seeded the farm down to hay-so much for hail and drought – and turned the place over to Calvin to do with as he wishes.

Some folks ask Chris to what he attributes his long life and he answers, “Our happy home, contented mind, and because we are satisfied with what we have, not bothering about what others have and we have not.”

I would like to live again the freedom of my wonderful childhood days regardless of the modernized today. In the early days our mail came posted North West Territories. The Police were called the Royal North West Mounted Police. It was not until just before the First World War that pennies (l c – pieces) came into use, ’twas just even monies.

When we first came here, Chris was carrying two pails of water for the house, in the moonlight. When I opened the door in the hall and saw him standing there, with both fists I let him have full force. “Oh,” I said, “I thought it was a man standing there.” He replied, “What do you think I am?” From then on he told neighbors to whistle before they came in.

On another occasion Chris was driving the team on the stoneboat down to the slough to water the horses, when he hit a rock and fell off, breaking a bone in his leg. I unhitched the team and got him into the wheelbarrow and pushed him across the yard. The wheel came off the barrow, tipping him out on the ground. I looked about to see that no one was watching, then I practically carried him to the house.

Chris is now 85 and I am 76. We will keep right on to the end of the road. We hope a Senior Citizens Home will soon be built in Cochrane, so we may spend our last years there, if necessary. After 54 years it would be hard to leave the old place. Note: Mr. Bristow was asked the other day how he was feeling. He replied, “I’m like the government. I’m not in very good shape.”

Deep Dive

Facebook Twitter Instagram Tripadvisor Yelp Youtube

want more details?

Fill in your details and we'll be in touch