Popup Museum at Library Feb 2022

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The Cochrane Historical Museum has been closed since the onset of the pandemic. Lynda Alderman, of the museum committee, had the idea for a popup museum display at the Cochrane Library. 

Mike Taylor, Lonnie Basiuk, Shannon Want and Lynn Ferguson followed up on the suggestion with the train station diorama and information board to be in the library for the next couple of weeks.

Lonnie also brought along his father’s conductor uniform.

Dave and Diana Hardiman, the creators of the diorama came by to approve the move. 

It appears we’ll be able to open the Museum this summer so please make a trip to the Museum part of your plans. If you’d like to get involved please contact us.

Mike & Lonnie setting up display
Cochrane Historical Museum Display board
Conductor Uniform loaned by Lonnie Basiuk

Want to get involved?

The Cochrane Historical Museum is run by volunteers.
Click Here

Ghost River Pony Club

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 by Mrs. Jack Poynter pg 307 Big Hill Country

For many years gymkhanas were held on what was known as the D. P. McDonald picnic grounds on the Mount Royal Ranch. When they were discontinued, Helen McDonald and Agness Hammond decided, in 1947, to form a pony club for contestants 18 years and under. 

The first shows were held at Agness Hammond’s Ghost River Ranch (thus the name “The Ghost River Pony Club”). Agness received a cheque from Eric Harvie, a well-known Calgary oilman so that all entrants would receive a prize of some sort at the first show. For some years the prizes were donated by interested people. 

Later the show was held on the Beaupre School grounds, now owned by the Beaupre Community Association. The show has been held there the third Sunday of August each year with the full co-operation of the weatherman to date. 

Now, horse show and gymkhana events include all ages with some 26 English and Western classes. 

Over the years many prominent judges have donated their services, judging classes with as high as fifty-four entries in one class. 

Contestants pay only one entry fee for the horse, and one entry fee for the rider; this entitles them to take part in the day’s events and numerous classes. 

By the late 1950s, the Club was in a financial position to purchase trophies as well as rosette ribbons for first, second, and third winners; ribbons for fourths, fifths, and sixths are given, depending upon the number of contestants in the class. 

Over the years it has been considered one of the better shows in southern Alberta with as high as 124 horses being entered. Many entries are from contestants who travel the horse show and gymkhana circuits, making keen competition. Two former contestants who have represented Canada on the Olympic Equestrian Team are Barbara Kerr (neé Simpson) and Torchy Miller (nephew of Agness Hammond). Torchy received his first trophy here. 

Barbara Kerr 1969 Photo Wikipedia
Torchy Millar on Le Dauphin

The Ghost River Pony Club has had many enthusiastic members and workers throughout the years; many have moved away, but return every year to visit and renew old friendships – some even have children and grandchildren competing. 

In 1975 the Club had 24 members. This is a non-profit organization with hard-working dedicated members. For years, two generations of members were common; now there are two families represented by third-generation members. 

by Dorothy Edge pg 167 More Big Hill Country

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 in GRPC’s scrapbook of memoirs. 

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 judge 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. The 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: 

winner in the lead line pony class. A number of useful prizes and trophies were awarded to the winning contestants as follows: 

Best pony ridden by a boy or girl, 10 years and under 

  1. Ken Macmillan 
  2. Dorothy Bryant 
  3. Morna Riley 
  4. Mary Whittaker 

Best pony ridden by boy or girl, 10 years to 16

  1. Anita Eyma 
  2. Edith Edge 
  3. Frank Edge 
  4. Mary Saucier 

Best riding horse, ridden by boy or girl 16 years to 20 

  1. Donna Johnson 
  2. Kaye Bowlen 
  3. Edith Edge 
  4. Peggy Johnson. 

Best maiden pony or horse, open to first and second prize winners of first three classes

  1. Ken Macmillan 
  2. Anita Eyma 
  3. Dorothy Bryant. 

Best boy or girl rider, 10 years and under, open to those who have never won a first or second at any recognized show

  1. Johnny Poynter 
  2. Bill Ullery 
  3. Mary Whitaker 
  4. Dorothy Bryant 

Best boy or girl rider, 11 to 16,same stipulations 

  1. Frank Edge 
  2. Anita Eyma 
  3. Mary Saucier 
  4. Jay Eyma. 

Best boy or girl rider 16 years and under, open to all 

  1. Sheila Robertson 
  2. Peggy Johnson; 
  3. Marilyn Macmillan 
  4. Dolores Bowlen. 

Open to horse or pony ridden by rider any age open to all horses on grounds 

  1. Anne Marshall on Dynamite 
  2. Peggy Jean Robertson on Beauty 
  3. Donna Johnson on Claudia 
  4. Jaye Bowlen on Peggy. 

Stock Horse Class ridden by boy or girl 14 years of age or under 

  1. Peggy Jean Robertson 
  2. Jay Eyma 
  3. Jaye Bowlen 
  4. Anita Eyma. 

Stock Horse Class ridden by boy or girl 15 to 20 

  1. Stewart Robertson 
  2. Peggy Johnson 
  3. Joy Gainor 
  4. Donna Johnson. 

Jumping open to all boys or girls 14 years and under 

  1. Jay Eyma 
  2. Peggy Jean Robertson 
  3. Jay Eyma 
  4. Frank Edge.

Novice Jumping 15 to 20 years 

  1. and 2. Leon Delbeke 
  2. Stewart Robertson 
  3. Peggy Johnson. 

Bareback Jumping open to boys or girls, any age

  1. Peggy Jean Robertson 
  2. Leon Delbeke 
  3. Joy Gainor 
  4. Leon Delbeke. 

Open Jumping – open to all 

  1. Eddie Bowlen on Peggy 
  2. Joy Gainor on Allah 
  3. Jay Eyma on June
  4. Jay Eyma on Kitty. 

Lead Line Class boys or girls six years of age and under 

  1. Carolyn Kerfoot 
  2. Mary Copithorne 
  3. Luke Lindoe 
  4. Bryan Coleman. 

Horse Judging Contest boys and girls 14 years of age and under

Anita Eyma. 

Horse Judging Contest boys or girls 15 to 20

Joy Gainor. 

Gymkhana Events By Anita Eyma Kessler, 1998. 

Leading Race boys and girls 12 years of age and under 

  1. Jay Eyma 
  2. Anita Eyma 
  3. Ken Macmillan 
  4. Johnny Poynter. 

Musical Chairs boys and girls 14 years of age and under 

  1. Peggy Jean Robertson 
  2. Edward Jull 
  3. Sheila Robertson 
  4. Anita Eyma. 

Musical Chairs boys and girls 15 to 20 

  1. Stewart Robertson 
  2. Dolores Bowlen 
  3. Neil Harvie 
  4. Edith Edge. 

Walk, Trot, and Run Race boys and girls 13 to 20 

  1. Joy Gainor 
  2. Donna Johnson 
  3. Norman Edge 
  4. Douglas Johnson. 

Potato Race boys and girls 14 years and under 

  1. Peggy Jean Robertson 
  2. Anita Eyma 
  3. Cliff Butler 
  4. Johnny Poynter. 

Potato Race open to boys and girls 15 years and over 

  1. Larry Way 
  2. Donna Johnson 
  3. Neil Harvie 
  4. Bob Orr. 

Bending Race boys and girls 15 years and over 

  1. Don Edge 
  2. Larry Way 
  3. Neil Harvie. 

Guy Gibson’s Challenge Trophy bareback relay race, boys and girls 12 to 16 years 

  1. Jay Eyma 
  2. Bob Orr 
  3. Peggy Johnson 
  4. Peggy Jean Robertson 

Indian Riding Class 

  1. Johnny Lefthand 
  2. Sykes Powerface 
  3. Ross Smalleyes 
  4. David Bearspaw 
  5. Alfred Labelle. 

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 round 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 late Pierre Eyma preparing for the potato race. He always wore a yellow shirt so anyone needing help could find him easily. Beaupre Creek School Grounds 1950. Photo courtesy Anita Eyma Kessler

The Ghost River Pony Club’s 50th Anniversary and final show were held at the Beaupre community grounds on 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 Burners, and Hamish Kerfoot. Our judges were Bud Wyatt, Western, and John Simpson, English. The later grew up competing in this show and were pleased to help and shared their memories with everyone. In appreciation, the two judges and each director received a bronze belt buckle made by the late Mac MacKenzie that incorporated Cathy Wills’ insignia of the lovely gold commemorative 50th Anniversary pin she designed as a souvenir for all the patrons.

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. 

Ghost River Pony Club

 Results of 50th Anniversary and Final Show August 16, 1998. 

Halter Class – Foal 

  1. Kathy Fenton 
  2. Laura Hughes. 

Halter Class – Yearling 

  1. Gloria Cross 
  2. Holly White 
  3. Laura Hughes 
  4. Kathy Fenton 
  5. Duncan Kerfoot. 

Halter Class – Two-year-old 

  1. Kathy Fenton. 

Halter Class – Mares, three years old and over 14 hands and over 

  1. Mary Pearson 
  2. Laura Hughes 
  3. Wayne Jubb 
  4. Patsy Parker 
  5. Catherine Stewart 
  6. Clem Kirk. 

Halter Class – Geldings, three years old and over, 14 hands and over 

  1. Heather Craig 
  2. Twylla Bruhn 
  3. Janice Hepburn 
  4. Duncan Kerfoot 
  5. Robin Willet 
  6. Marri Keith. 

Halter Class – Mares and Geldings, three years and over, 14 hands and over 

  1. Brenna Managhan 
  2. Curtis Kronlund 
  3. Liam Kronlund 
  4. Jordon Tresidder 
  5. Ian Stewart. 

English Equitation – 17 years and over (horse not to count) 

  1. Rosemarie Jubb 
  2. Donna Butters 
  3. Patsy Parker 
  4. Heather Craig 
  5. Leslie Anderson 
  6. Janice Hepburn 

Western Equitation – 9 to 12 years (horse not to count) 

  1. Kayla Welsh 
  2. Courtney Arneson 
  3. Justine Simpson
  4. J. D. Watt
  5. Danielle Kilbourn 
  6. Tyler Fyten 

Western Equitation – 13 to 16 years (horse not to count) 

  1. Alison Barr
  2. Claire Arneson
  3. Kim Groves. 

Western Equitation – 8 years and under (horse not to count) 

  1. Carlee Edge 
  2. Susan Griffin 
  3. Austin Fyten 
  4. Tereasa Keith 
  5. Montana Renwick 
  6. Amber Lynn Beeby 

English Equitation – 9 to 12 years (horse not to count) 

  1. Catherine Stewart 
  2. Jessica Kronlund 
  3. Curtis Knonlund 
  4. Brenna Monaghan 
  5. Danielle Kilbourn.

Western Equitation – 17 years and over (horse not to count) 

  1. Rosemarie Jubb 
  2. Holly White 
  3. Leslie Anderson 
  4. Anita Panjwani 
  5. Ron Hanson 
  6. Sonja Hustad 

English Equitation – 8 years and under, (horse not to count) 

  1. Elizabeth Stewart 
  2. Liam Kronlund 
  3. Ian Stewart. 

Western Equitation – 13 to 16 years (horse not to count) 

  1. Megan Wiltshire 
  2. Colby Simpson 
  3. Sarah Willet 
  4. Marri Keith 

Lead Line Class 

Carlee Edge, Okie Iredale, Caitlin Fyten, Sam Edge, Skylar Iredale, Carlee Poynter, Jordon Jubb, Emily Adlington, Amber Lorenz, Colby Stonham, Braden Poynter. They all won prizes. 

Junior English Pleasure – 16 years and under 

  1. Alison Barr 
  2. Curtis Knonlund 
  3. Claire Arneson 
  4. Catherine Stewart 
  5. Kim Groves 
  6. Jessica Knonlund 

Senior Western Pleasure – 17 years and over 

  1. Holly White 
  2. Rosemarie Jubb 
  3. Janice Hepburn 
  4. Leslie Anderson 
  5. Twylla Bruhn 
  6. Anita Panjwani 

Pony Class – 14 years and under (12.2 hands and under) 

  1. Liam Knonlund 
  2. Brenna Monaghan 
  3. Susan Griffin 
  4. Jordon Tresidder 

Senior English Pleasure – 17 years and over 

  1. Donna Butters 
  2. Mary Hilderbrandt 

Junior Western Pleasure – 16 years and under 

  1. Courtney Arneson 
  2. Kayla Welsh 
  3. Justine Simpson 
  4. Colby Simpson 
  5. Sarah Willet 
  6. Megan Wiltshire 

Sack Race – 5 years and under 

  1. Susan Griffin 
  2. Carlee Edge 
  3. Sam Edge 
  4. Colby Stonham 
  5. Emily Adlington
  6. Okie Iredale 

Sack Race – 6 to 8 years 

  1. Samantha Watt 
  2. Ian Stewart 
  3. Teresa Keith 
  4. Montana Renwick 
  5. Jordon Tresidder 
  6. Liam Knonlund 

Junior Jumping – 10 years and under 

  1. Curtis Knonlund 
  2. Elizabeth Stewart 
  3. Liam Knonlund 
  4. Brenna Managhan. 

Intermediate Jumping – 11 to 14 years inclusive 

  1. Catherine Stewart 
  2. Jessica Knonlund 
  3. Claire Arneson. 

Senior Jumping – 15 years and over 

  1. Alyssa Butters 
  2. Jessica Knonlund 
  3. Alison Barr. 

Junior Pole Bending Race-10 years and under 

  1. Riley Jones 
  2. Elizabeth Stewart 
  3. Samantha Watt 
  4. Susan Griffin 

Intermediate Pole Bending Race 11 to 14 years inclusive: 

  1. Courtney Arneson 
  2. Colby Simpson.

Senior Pole Bending Race – 15 years and over 

  1. Stephanie McKinnon 
  2. Ron Hanson 
  3. Twylla Bruhn. 

Junior Potato Race – 10 years and under 

  1. Riley Jones 
  2. Carolyn Kolb 
  3. Samantha Watt 
  4. Susan Griffin 

Intermediate Potato Race 11 to 14 years, inclusive 

  1. Colby Simpson 
  2. Danielle Kilbourn 
  3. Pat Griffin 
  4. Claire Arneson 

Senior Potato Race – 15 years and over 

  1. Ron Hanson 
  2. Ken Iredale 
  3. Corrine Coverdale 
  4. Laura Hughes. 

Junior Musical Tires – 11 to 14 years, inclusive 

  1. Mary Keith
  2. Catherine Stewart
  3. J.D. Watt
  4. Colby Simpson
  5. Meaghan Groves
  6. Claire Arneson. 

Senior musical Tires – 15 years and over 

  1. Megan Wiltshire 
  2. Ron Hanson 
  3. Brandy Wiltshire 
  4. Kathy Fenton 
  5. Joe Simpson 
  6. Terry Edge 

Junior Stake Race – 11 to 14 years, inclusive 

  1. Colby Simpson 
  2. Claire Arneson
  3. J. D. Watt 
  4. Courtney Arneson. 

Intermediate Stake Race – 15 to 20 years, inclusive 

  1. Corinne Coverdale 
  2. Whitney Repic. 

Senior Ladies Stake Race – 21 years and over 

  1. Stephanie McKinnon 
  2. Laura Hughes 
  3. Lauren McArthur. 

Senior Mens Stake Race – 21 years and over 

  1. Ron Hanson 
  2. Ken Iredale 
  3. Terry Edge. 

Ghost River Special (open to first place winners of last four stake races) 

  1. Stephanie McKinnon 
  2. Ron Hanson 
  3. Colby Simpson. 

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 après 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.

Ghost River Pony Club Branded Brick Program

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Bell-Irvings

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by Percy Kerfoot pg 355 Bill Hill Country 

My grandfather Bell-Irving, on my mother’s side had large holdings in South America in a textile manufacturing industry, in Demerara, Georgetown, Guiana (now Guyana). The foreman of this plant let the insurance lapse and everything was lost in a fire. Instead of being well-off the family had to watch its spending. As a result it was decided to educate the family, or some of them in Germany, as good education was cheaper there. 

All Saints Cochrane Cemetery Mitford

My uncle, Harry Bell-Irving, graduated as a civil engineer and worked in that capacity for the C.P.R. from Regina to Vancouver. My uncle Duncan was a doctor and practised in Vancouver. He and Uncle Harry started the Anglo British Columbia Packing Company. My uncle Will was in partnership with my dad in a very large lease from the Government. They bought stock enough to stock this lease and the Government cancelled the lease. They were left with too many cattle for the land they owned and lost money quite heavily. The Government offered them a chance to buy leased land at one dollar an acre but they were not able to buy much. By building a dam on Grand Valley creek and digging ditches to prove that the land could be irrigated, they could buy additional land at one dollar per acre. The little dam was on the SE 14 27-27-5-5. 

At first, my grandmother Bell-Irving had a half section which is now under Glenmore Lake. She called the place Bonny Blink. After my mother married my father, W. D. Kerfoot, Grandmother sold her land to Joe Robinson of the Chipman Ranche and homesteaded just west of my parent’s home in the Valley, and had a log house built. This she used for a summer home. She spent the winters in Banff. 

My father had an Indian [sic], named Moses, working for him. One day Moses went to Morley, expecting to be back the next day. After four days passed with no sign of him, Archie and I became very worried and were sure that he had become lost. The next weekend my grandmother took us with her to Banff and on Sunday morning we went to church. In his sermon, the minister told that Moses wandered for forty days in the great and terrible wilderness. Little Archie stood up in church and announced, “No he didn’t! He came back last Friday.” 

I am the “baby” of the clan – born in 1900. Some of the stories of the past I was told, some I remember myself. When I was a baby we had a large coyote hound named Joe that was broken to drive. He pulled me around on a sleigh with a box on it. One day Joe sighted a coyote and away we went on high, till we hit an A fence which stopped everything. In later years Joe used to haul our sleigh up the hill which was both high and steep. He would gallop down behind the sleigh. After doing this about three times Joe would get lost. 

In those days grub lining was a common practice. In the late fall, a man would ride in and stay all winter, doing some chores and cutting wood for a warm bed and grub. Ed Thompson, who had a small ranch, had a man come in to stay the winter. In the spring, Ed arrived over at our house in a bad temper and told my mother his boarder had left, taking Ed’s bridle and silver-mounted spurs with him. 

My mother said, “What’s the matter with the man. Has he got kleptomania?” There was a pause and then Ed said, “I don’t know if he got that but he got most everything else in the house.”

photo Courtesy Cochrane Today

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Chapman Brothers

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by Ruth Vanderburgh Big Hill Country pg 208

Andrew and Robert Chapman, twins, were born in Argyll, Scotland. They came to Canada, arriving in Calgary in 1899. Robert went on to Banff, Alberta, and found work in a general store owned at that time by Dave White. Andrew remained in Calgary, finding work with the C.P.R. where he remained until 1902, at which time he decided to go to Banff and join his brother, Robert. In 1903, in partnership with Dave White, Andrew came to Cochrane and set up a general store business. Robert came to Cochrane with him and went into the carpenter business. The carpenter business proved to be more lucrative so Andrew sold out his interest in the store and he and Robert formed a contracting business and worked in and around the Cochrane area. Their first large building was the C. W. Fisher block. In 1909 they built the Saint Andrews United Church. Other buildings erected by them, some still standing, are the Gulf Garage, and the two-storey brick house beside the garage, where Mr. and Mrs. Chapman made their home. The garage was built in 1918. In 1916 they built a butcher shop for Ernie Andison; this is used today for a laundromat. They put up many farm buildings, among them a frame house and barn for the Countess Bubna and a large home for Arthur Crawford. 

Andrew went into local politics and in 1906 became the Mayor of Cochrane village. In 1912 he became Postmaster, a position he held until 1949. When they built the Chapman Brothers Garage, Robert took over the management of it and continued to operate it until it was sold to Marshall and Jim Baptie in 1935. 

Andrew was a member of the Orangemen’s Order, Superintendent of the Sunday School, and both he and his brother took a keen interest in curling. Robert was an avid fisherman. Soon after the sale of their garage, Robert passed away. He had never married. 

In 1918 Andrew married Margaret Seal. She joined him as Postmistress and worked with him until his retirement in 1949. Andrew was also Police Magistrate in Cochrane for six years. He and his wife did not have any children. 

Upon retirement from the Post Office, Andrew and his wife moved to Victoria, British Columbia. Margaret passed away in 1959 and Andrew in 1961. Both were cremated and their ashes were strewn on the Juan de Fuca Straits, near Vancouver. 

The following was taken from Andrew Chapman’s memoirs and was sent by his sister-in-law, Ruth Vanderburgh. 

In 1903 when I arrived in Cochrane there were three churches, all well attended, one store and one hotel. People were honest folk then, a locked door just wasn’t. The Presbyterian Church 

School Tax Receipt June 1905 signed A. Chapman

which I attended, had services in the afternoon and evening. It became too small and a new one was built and except on special occasions, it has been too big ever since. We had no police force in residence back in 1903, but there was an occasional patrol made by the N.W.M.P. I do not want you to think because of what I have said that there was not any crime; we had a murder in 1905, a man of Hungarian nationality was working on the C.P.R. section all summer and one night he disappeared. He was in the butcher shop in the evening and when he left the shop that was the last time he was seen alive. The next morning the section foreman was short one man, and while questioning his crew he noticed that one of the men had a badly scratched face. When asked about it, the man said he had scratched it on some brush. About three days later the man with his face scratched, up and disappeared. The mounted police were notified. They suspected murder and a search took place. Several local townspeople and the mounted police went out but they were unable to find anything. In the spring, Mr. Howard who was a partner in the store business with me, went out to look at his horses on the flats west of town; he came upon what appeared to be a grave. He came back to the store, told me what he had found, and we called the police in, also the section foreman, Mr. Barrett. Even though it was late at night we went out to the spot. Using shovels and lanterns we started to open up the grave. When we got all the loose earth out there was nobody; we decided that the body had been removed and taken somewhere else so we went towards the creek, and we found a hat which the foreman said was the hat worn by the missing man. We never found the man, but when the fishing season opened up, two boys were fishing along the river. One boy was standing on a big rock and when he looked down there was the body. Needless to say, a track record was broken. That same boy became an engineer on the C.P.R. in later years and we often joked about it. 

About 1908 a smallpox epidemic broke out. The family that was delivering milk to the people in town came down with it first and it spread like fire. Tents were put up down by the river and everyone with smallpox was sent there. I recall guards being put on the roads entering the town so people could not come into the town; guards were even at the railway station. One of the teachers was Miss MacIntosh and she got smallpox. When the epidemic was over, members of the village council had to go to every house with disinfectant. All those residing in the house had to have a bath using it, no bathrooms in those days, just a galvanized tub in the middle of the kitchen floor. When everyone was thoroughly disinfected, the children went back to school. 

A second hotel was built and this was indirectly the cause of a riot. Cowboys of the area formed the habit of having a few drinks at one and then going to the other to see if the liquor was any better. On this particular day, there was an extra gang of C.P.R. workers in town. They were doing the same as the cowboys, going from one place to the other. Both groups met on the sidewalk about midway and neither would let the other pass so a real fight broke out. The C.P.R. workers went to their boarding cars and armed themselves with guns and knives. They came back with every intention of cleaning up on the cowboys. The bricks for putting on the outside of the hotel were all in piles around the building. The cowboys used them for their ammunition; it did the job all right, men soon started scattering, then a chap stepped out on the hotel verandah and with the use of a scatter gun soon dispersed the remaining rioters. Ed Cole, a very innocent bystander, was stabbed in the abdomen. The police were called and some N.W.M.P. arrived from Calgary on a handcar. They disarmed all the workers. Mr. Cole had been taken to Mrs. Howards. He was unable to make a positive identification as to who stabbed him, however, the injured recovered, but some of the Italian workers were sent to jail for awhile.

Research pays off for military historian

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CHAPS was recently contacted by Garrett Lapp, an amateur military historian about photos of Henry McEachen. Garrett recently acquired McEachen’s World War 1 uniform and medals and wants to put a face to him.

As it turns out, my mother,  Dorothy was a favourite of Henry’s sister Flora and inherited many of her memories. That includes a picture of Henry and other members of her family. It also turns out that Mom had a W.W.1 uniform in her closet for many years and only sold it a few years back.

We’ll provide a copy of the photo to Garrett who in return provided these pictures of Henry’s uniform, medals, buttons and matches that were in the pocket.

History of Henry McEachen 183870 - Garrett Lapp

183870 Pte. Henry G McEachen
10th (Calgary) Battalion CEF

Originally from Cochrane, Alberta Henry traveled to Calgary to enlist on December 13th 1915, a few days after his 19th birthday. He initially trained with the 89th Calgary Battalion before being transferred to the 10th Battalion for service in France. He arrived in the trenches on August 27th, 1916 as the 10th Battalion settled into their positions at the Somme. A month later Henry along with the rest of the 10th Battalion helped take Thiepval Ridge despite numerous German counter attacks. By January after many months of living in the mud and blood of the trenches Henry became seriously ill. He suffered from severe bronchial pneumonia to the point where the doctors feared he might die. The severity of his illness meant he would spend the next eight months recovering in England while the rest of the 10th Battalion would go on to take Vimy Ridge and Hill 70. On August 26th, 1917 Henry finally was well enough to return to the 10th battalion at the front lines. From here until the end of the war Henry remained with his unit fighting during the Battles of Passchendaele, Amiens, and the Last 100 Days Offensive to name a few, miraculously remaining unscathed. After some much needed rest in England and Scotland Henry was finally sent home on April 10th, 1919 receiving his discharge in Calgary on the 23rd.

Henry McEachen W.W. 1 Uniform

He got seriously ill while in France with pneumonia, to the point they thought he might die. Luckily he recovered and returned to the trenches. He saw action at the battles of Passchenedaele, Amiens, and the last 100 days offensive

Garrett Lapp Tweet
Henry McEachen WW1 buttons and matches
Garrett Lapp collection
10th Battalion Calgary Cap and Badge
Henrys Medals and 1st Division pin
10th Calgary Battalion shoulder patch

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Kerfoot Family

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pg 388 Big Hill Country

 by James Duncan Kerfoot 

The story of the Cochrane Ranche relates that in 1882, Col. Walker, the first resident manager, resigned, such resignation to be effective as soon as a suitable replacement could be found. That replacement was found in the person of William Duncan (W. D.) Kerfoot, an experienced stockman, who, on August 10, 1882, at Fort Benton, Montana, signed a contract with the Cochrane Ranche to take over as resident manager.

W.D. Kerfoot was born in 1859 at Providence the family estate in the Shenandoah Valley Virginia, son of James F. Kerfoot, a cavalry captain in General Lee’s Confederate Army. 

“W. D.” had ranched for several years in Montana, and came to Cochrane in 1882 assume his new role. He was an experienced rancher and a great horseman, and some of his exploits are set forth in the recollections of his son, Archie Kerfoot. 

In 1884 he married Adriana Bell-Irving a brought his bride to live in the log house still standing on the old ranch site just west Cochrane. Their first-born, Duncan Irving, bo in Calgary in 1885, was an infant when his father parted company with the ranch and homestead just outside the Cochrane Ranche lease. Grand Valley, on SW14 10-27-5-5, his brother law, Will Bell-Irving, having taken up SE1:21 5-5, some two miles up the valley. Here W. raised a family of six: four sons, Duncan I, Adrian R. (Pat), Archibald D., and Percival C.,

all of whom continued to live in Grand Valley on adjacent properties until after the Second World War, and two daughters, Olive Lee who married a Jumping Pound rancher, Victor Saunders; they now live in Sidney, British Columbia, and Valentine McBean, who married W. R. Wolley Dod in 1927, the son of a pioneer rancher of the Fish Creek area; they are both deceased. Their only child, W. R. Wolley-Dod, is an Alberta Land Surveyor living in Calgary, while the only Saunders child, Jean, makes her home in England. She was once a seeded lawn tennis player for Great Britain. 

Of the second generation, Duncan, who married Margaret M. Melly in Liverpool in 1912, lived most of his life in Grand Valley on the property now known as Providence Ranch. He met his future wife in the Valley, as she had come out to stay with her aunt, Mrs. Oswald Critchley, on the Bell-Irving ranch which had passed to the Critchley family around 1910. Also a keen horseman, Duncan was active in the Cochrane Polo Club for many years, as were all his brothers, especially Archie. Duncan imported a fine Thoroughbred stallion (Vambrace) from England in 1924. Always interested in public service, Duncan was a member of the B.P.O.E. (Elks), and he and his brothers played a part in the building of the Elks Hall, now the Cochrane Community Hall. He was also very active during World War Two as District Chairman of the Canadian War Bonds Drive. Duncan and Margaret raised a family of four in Grand Valley, with two sons and two daughters. Margaret (Peggy) the eldest, married Grant Gibson, a Toronto engineer, in 1937, and they now reside in Thornhill, Ontario. William Duncan (Bill) stayed on the ranch and married Shirley Ireland in 1940, just before going Overseas with the Calgary Highlanders. He was killed in action while serving with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment; this Regiment was nearly wiped out in that action. James Duncan, a Royal Military College, Kingston graduate, served with the Indian Army from 1937-47 and saw service on the Northwest Frontier of India in 1938, and on the Burma front in World War Two. He was severely wounded in Burma in 1944 and eventually invalided out of the service. While in the United Kingdom, he met

and married Margaret McNaughton of Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, and returned with her to take over Providence Ranch from his father, who died January 15, 1946. His mother Margaret, meanwhile moved to Victoria where she lived until her death in 1966. The youngest, Joan, having helped her parents on the ranch throughout the war, married James M. Storey, a local rancher, in 1946, and later moved to Waterton and Twin Butte, where they still reside. 

Adrian (Pat) built his own home close to his widowed mother’s Virginia Ranch home, after marrying Marjorie Sutherland in 1918, and there, raised a family of three. His only son, Ronald J., served with the Calgary Highlanders in Northwest Europe in World War Two, after which he married Frieda Von Besseler in Belgium in 1946. Ronald then went on to a regular army career with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, finally retiring as a Lieut. Col. in 1972, after years of service in the Middle East, Germany, and Viet Nam. They now live in Saanich, British

Columbia and Ron is a real estate salesman. Barbara (1924-1972), Pat’s elder daughter, worked for many years in the oil industry in Calgary and travelled extensively for her employers. Valerie, the younger daughter married Scott Finding, a forest engineer, and they now live in Victoria, British Columbia. Pat’s first wife, Marjorie, died in 1939, and in 1946 he married Dorothy Fraser Thomas of High River, originally of the Jumping Pound district. They later moved to Sidney, British Columbia, where he died in 1959, and she still resides. 

Archie married Anita Helen Bell-Irving in 1927 and ranched on the original family property, Virginia Ranch, in Grand Valley till his retirement to Cochrane in 1958. During these years he first raised and schooled polo ponies, then turned to sheep, and subsequently established a fine herd of registered Herefords, being for many years a prominent contributor to the Calgary Bull Sale. Later he purchased and operated the local hardware store for a number of years. Anita died in 1959 and he married Jessie E. Perry in 1960. 

Percy married Lucy Landale in 1935 and lived in Grand Valley until 1950, ranching, and working for the Calgary Power Company. He raised a family of three, the two girls Jean and Tannis becoming Registered Nurses, and the son, Alex, an electronic engineer. In 1950 he moved to Okotoks where they still reside, after his retirement from the Power Company. 

Some ninety years after W. D. Kerfoot first came to live in the Cochrane District in 1882 there are living some 46 descendants. Two-year

old Jeffrey Duncan is the fifth generation of Duncan Kerfoots to live in the Grand Valley. 

In the summer of 1945 Duncan Kerfoot and his son, Jim, home on leave from India, erected a bronze plaque on a rock face looking west from the Wildcat Ridge and shadowed by an ancient rock pine. This plaque honours the memory of their son and brother, Bill, who was killed in action at Ortona, Italy, on December 23, 1943. 

Every year since 1946, Jim and members of his growing family have visited this site on Remembrance Day, November 11, which day was also Bill’s birthday. 

 

W.D. KERFOOT – by A. D. (Archie) Kerfoot 

My father, W. D. Kerfoot, moved to Montana as a young man and established a cattle ranch. It was not too long before he became involved in the sheep and cattle range war that was going on at that time. I think it was in the early part of 1881 that all his buildings and equipment were burned by sheepmen. Soon after that, he was hired as manager of the Cochrane Ranche arriving here in the fall of 1882. 

It is strange that after leaving Montana because of sheep and cattle feuding, he should be the manager of a large ranch that ran both sheep and cattle, as well as a lot of horses. 

My father went back to Montana and brought back eight thousand sheep for the company. Some twenty-five or more years ago I saw in the Calgary Herald’s column, “Sixty Years Ago”, a description of them trying to swim the sheep across the Elbow River, which was in flood, and the Herald said that the language was very colourful. However, they got the sheep across and home. 

I think it was in 1884 and 1885 that the second Riel Rebellion took place and some of the Indians and half-breeds [sic] got on the warpath. The ranch had a large flock of sheep right where Delbeke’s place was later. The half-breeds [sic] set fires on all sides of the sheep with the result that about twelve hundred sheep were burned to death. As a boy, I can remember Father saying what a horrible sight it was to see these poor beasts running, burning as they ran. There was a very good Scottish sheepherder with two good dogs, and at great danger to himself, as the half-breeds were shooting, he managed to save the bulk of the herd. 

Father had to make a report to the head office and in reply, they said it was unfortunate about the sheep, but had Father fired the herder. Father replied that he had not fired the herder as he considered the herder had done an outstanding job in saving most of the sheep. After several letters back and forth it got down to either you fire the herder or you are through, so Father was fired and promptly sued the company for the balance of his contract, and won his case. In 1885, he moved into Grand Valley and ranched for himself. 

When Father first came here in 1882 Calgary consisted of the police barracks, I. G. Baker’s Store and a few tents, but soon after, the railway came through, and Calgary attained town status. The Alberta Hotel was the focal point in town. It was said that if you waited long enough in the hotel, everyone you knew would eventually come there. 

The hotel was run by a couple called Perley and they owned a large black bear which they had acquired as a cub. They kept it tied up with a collar and chain. The bar was always open so it is likely that Father was feeling no pain when someone rushed in and said that the bear was loose and terrifying people on Eighth Avenue, then Stephen Avenue. At this time everybody either rode or drove horses so there were hitching rails along the side of the streets. Father got on his horse and after considerable trouble managed to get close enough to rope the bear and tie it to a post. Then he told Mr. Perley to put the collar back on the bear, but the bear had been scared by the people and would have no part of the collar. Father went into the drug store and bought some chloroform, and watching his chance, dashed in and chloroformed the bear, whereupon Mr. Perley put the collar back on the bear, but sad to say, Father had done too good a job and the bear never woke up. Father was treated as something of a hero by the townspeople but not by Mr. Perley who had been very fond of his bear. 

While I do not pretend to know when the last buffalo was killed on the prairies, I do know that my father killed an old bull, between 1882 and 1886, which he believed to be the last buffalo in the Cochrane District. 

When I was a small boy I can remember being thrilled with various hunting stories of my father’s events which took place in Montana before he came here, in some of which he had very close calls. It would be gratifying to be able to tell an exciting story of the last buffalo killed in this district, but such is not the case. 

Father and some other riders ran onto this old bull while gathering cattle, and as none of them had a rifle along they corralled him with a large bunch of cattle, (which may not have been as simple as it sounds), in the Cochrane Ranche home corrals, where Dad shot him. 

An advertisement which appeared in the Calgary Herald on December 10th, 1884, reads as follows: 

BRITISH AMERICAN RANCHE COMPANY Limited Horse brand C on the left shoulder. Vent – Inverted on left hip. Range – Bow River, N.W.T. Address – Calgary, N.W.T. 

Well-broken horses of all classes are constantly on hand. The undersigned will attend at the Calgary House every Monday to meet parties desiring to purchase horses. A number of good pack horses for sale.

W.D. KERFOOT, Manager In looking for the above advertisement in the old Herald of 1884 I found an interesting article deploring the way the buffalo had been destroyed and saying a few head had been seen recently near Morley, so it was probably after 1884 when my father killed what he believed to be the last one in this district. 

At Fort Benton, Montana, my father entered into an agreement with Jas. A. Cochrane representing the Cochrane Ranche Co. When they took the cattle to the lease south of Macleod they changed the name of the north ranch to Bow River Co. From Frank White’s diary: “May 4th, 1883, Arranged with Kerfoot about plan of round 

up and got him to name his price as Manager of Bow River Co. $2500. and House. Feb. 19, 1884, Meeting of projectors of British American Ranche Company and they concluded to buy the Bow River property from Cochrane Ranche Co. at $55,000.” 

(Senator Cochrane was President of both companies. The cattle were moved to the Kootenai range so that the company could get another 100,000-acre lease down there). 

From Frank White’s diary: “April 9th, 1884, Big Hill, A. M. talking with Kerfoot and looking over the horses.” 

I gathered that Father did not look back on his position with the Company with any great pleasure as it was run from Eastern Canada, and the Company seemed to have the happy knack of getting together a lot of good men and then ignoring their recommendations, usually with heavy loss to themselves. 

My father was considered to be one of the top horsemen of his day and had broken horses most of his life, so it was strange that he should be killed by a gentle horse while riding in the parade at the summer show in Calgary. As the parade passed the grandstand the band started up and scared his horse, causing it to rear up and fall over a cow, breaking Father’s back. He died in 1908. 

My brother-in-law was given an extraordinary education. After attending a good school in England and studying piano there, he was sent to France to learn to speak French and study music – then to Germany to study German and music. As his father had a large business in Russia, Vic finally went to Russia where he became fluent in Russian and kept on with his music. 

It would seem that he had been trained for the diplomatic service or for a career as a concert pianist, but actually, his parents sent him off to Western Canada to take up a homestead. Although ill-equipped for this life, he homesteaded in the Jumping Pound district. 

He was courting my sister, Olive, who claims that whenever he took her driving, little Archie was sent along too. The couple had other troubles. Many on the Jumping Pound line and on the Grand Valley line listened in on their conversations. As the day of the wedding drew near the local interest became intense. To thwart them Vic would send and receive messages through my mother, both speaking in German. South of the river they found a teacher who knew German and would translate for them. So that was out. Duncan, who was running our ranch, had working for him a man named McBride who spoke perfect French, so he and Vic relayed the messages in French. Then a French-speaking neighbour was found to tell the news. About this time Mrs. Saunders came over for the wedding and was staying with us, so the conversations were now between her and her son, in Russian. This stymied everyone on both sides of the river. 

No one even knew what language they were speaking 

Olive and Vic Saunders were married in 1910. 

THE ORDEAL OF W. D. KERFOOT — by A. R. (Pat) Kerfoot 

From Frank White’s Diary: Dec. 31st, 1882. Kerfoot got in after being lost two days and a night. (26 below) 

This laconic comment in the diary which appeared in “Canadian Cattlemen” prompted W. D. Kerfoot’s son, Pat, to write to the magazine as follows: 

As you will remember, Mr. White made very brief mention of W. D. Kerfoot having been lost for two days and a night in a blizzard but said nothing of how horse and rider had weathered the storm. 

In the hope of finding further details, I looked through some of my father’s diaries but found that they were all of a later date. However, I have heard my father speak of this unpleasant little jaunt many times, and it may be of interest to you and your readers to have these few particulars. 

My father was, at that time, manager of the Cochrane Ranche which as old-timers will remember was situated below Big Hill. That fall a number of cattle had been shipped in from Ontario and, in very poor condition, had been turned out on the range north of Cochrane. Just two days before the New Year, my father rode up to look over this herd and had arrived at a point near where Bottrel is now located, when the blizzard struck. In the blinding whirl of snow, his one chance was to hit for the head of Big Hill Valley and follow it down to the ranch. This he tried to do but must have swung too far to the east, for he missed it completely. 

For two days and a night, he wandered on, sometimes riding and sometimes walking to ease his horse but never daring to stop or rest. He knew the risk if he stopped, for once before, when living in Montana, he had had one leg frozen under similar circumstances and as a result was lame in one leg. I can well remember him saying that he was six feet tall when he stood on one leg and five foot eleven when he stood on the other. 

By the end of the second day his horse could no longer be ridden and in fact, could scarcely be kept moving. However, my father hung onto him for he realized that if his own strength gave out he might have to throw the horse to give himself a windbreak and a bit of warmth. 

Fortunately, on the second day, the storm stopped, just before dark, as suddenly as it had begun. My father had no idea where he was and could scarcely see for the ice and snow on his face. However, he kept moving in the direction which he hoped was south and by good luck was met, just before dark, by a rider who was the first person out of Calgary since the storm. I have forgotten this man’s name, but he un 

doubtedly saved my father’s life, for he put him on his own horse and walked beside him while they covered the four miles south into Calgary. My father’s horse had first been unsaddled and turned loose in the hope that he would be able to follow them in, but the poor brute was too far gone and was found dead the next day when a rider was sent out for him. 

My father, except for a few frostbites, was none the worse for his long exposure. However, he told me that on reaching town he found that his palate had become quite numb from eating snow and, this, to a man who enjoyed an occasional hooker of Scotch, must have been pretty trying, I imagine, especially after such an experience. 

I trust that the foregoing may be of some interest. 

William Camden Family

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by Cyril Camden pg 207 Big Hill Country 

My father, William Camden, was born in England and came to Canada at an early age, residing in Winnipeg. He returned to England for a short time and then, accompanied by his wife Ellen, returned to Canada, this time to Calgary in 1912. 

Dad was a stonemason and a stonecutter by profession. He helped in the building of several sandstone buildings in Calgary including the King George School. In 1915, at the request of Charles Fisher, Dad came to Cochrane to work on the large sandstone home that Charles Fisher 

King George School

was building. This home is now being used by the Franciscan Order. 

The family moved to a farm presently owned by Bob Beynon Jr., just west of Cochrane. While there Dad had a dairy business and supplied milk to the residents of Cochrane. He sold his dairy to George Bunney and went back to carpenter work, and the family moved into town. There were four children, George, Elsie, Cyril and Doris. 

Dad helped to construct many buildings in the Cochrane area, and being an expert stonemason, also built many fireplaces in homes around Cochrane, Exshaw and Banff. He helped to build Andison’s Store after the Fisher Block burned. At the request of the Kerfoot family, Dad built a memorial in the Wildcat Hills for a member of the family lost in World War II. For some time Dad was employed at the Exshaw Cement Plant. 

We children all attended school in Cochrane. Doris became a teacher and taught school at Beaupre and Cochrane. She is Mrs. Estabrooks and she and her husband have two children, Ross and Beverly. Elsie never married. She was employed by the Federal Government for many years. 

George and his wife Iris live in Calgary, where George has been a salesman since moving to the city. Prior to leaving Cochrane, he worked at the Chapman Garage. They have two children, Bud and Carol. I enlisted in the Armed 

Services in World War II and after completing war duty became postmaster at Cochrane, a position I held for ten years. I married Mildred Wallace and we have two children, a son Cam and a daughter Wendy. We now farm north of Cochrane. 

Dad was keenly interested in sports of all kinds, but he especially enjoyed curling. He was a member of the Oddfellows and the Masonic Lodges in Cochrane. Mother and Dad were members of All Saints Anglican Church. 

Elsie and Mother both passed away in 1957 and Dad in 1971.

Wallace family

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by Marion Jensen pg 781 More Big Hill Country 1945-1980

In August of 2005, the Wallace family celebrated the 100th anniversary of the farm started by grandparents, Sarah and William Wallace. Our grandparents were among those flocking to the west to prove up on homesteads: the population of Alberta (then the Northwest Territories) quintupled from 1900 to 1910. 

William had put a down payment on a quarter section Sec 12 Twp 25 Range 4 W5M in 1902. His mortgage was held by the North of Scotland Canadian Mortgage Company that handled Canadian Pacific Railway land sales. He paid 8 1/2% interest on land in what was then the Northwest Territories. 

However, it wasn’t until 1905 they sold their little farm near Pakenham in Lanark County, Ontario, and William, loading a boxcar with settler’s effects, headed west. Sarah and the two boys, Harris and Willie, stayed with relatives until William found a farmhouse just west of where the Springbank United Church now stands. They settled there because the Brushy Ridge land had no buildings or houses. William spent the winter hauling hay to feed his cattle five miles to the west. The winter of 1906 was so mild he rarely needed gloves but the winter of 1907 was a different story and his moustache would be a frozen mass when he returned from feeding his livestock. 

The two boys went to school at Springbank until the family moved to the Brushy Ridge land in 1907. The first buildings were of log construction, the house and hen house had sod roofs and they hauled their water from a nearby spring with horse and stoneboat. The house, which still stands, although renovated in the 1960s, was built in 1907 with lumber William hauled from Quigley’s mill north of Cochrane. Carpenters Bill Coates and Bob Anderson earned $2.00 per day! 

The barn was added a couple of years later. In the early 1930’s son, William (Bill) added a cow barn to the south side of the building his Dad had erected, and the original was used as a horse barn. One hundred years later both are still in good condition. 

After marrying Nora Callaway in 1929, Bill and Nora milked cows, shipping cream to Cochrane and to Model Dairies in Calgary. The cream was picked up and delivered to the city by brother-in-law Johnny Arnell who would often pick up grocery orders from William’s Brothers on his return trip. As did most families in the community, Nora and Bill kept chickens, a few turkeys and some range cattle in addition to the small dairy herd. Cows were milked by hand and the cream separator was operated by hand. Electricity arrived in the mid-forties. 

In 1929 William made his last delivery of hay to a livery stable in Calgary by team and wagon. 

Bill and Nora had five children: Marion (Jensen), Kathleen (Beynon), Donna (Morris), Nora Lea (Sinclair), William. Nora Lea died in 1995. The children rode to school at Brushy Ridge until grade nine when they were sent to Calgary high schools. Although there were high schools at Cochrane and Springbank, roads were too bad for school buses. The school division paid the tuition but board and room were the family’s responsibility. 

The farm is now operated by the third generation of the family, William (Bill) Wallace, his wife Kristin and their two daughters, Sarah and Lesley. 

The centennial of the province, coinciding with the farm’s 100th anniversary, created an opportunity to look back and to appreciate the contribution our grand parents, parents and the pioneers of the community made to the history of Alberta. Sarah and William were born just a few years before Confederation and could never have imagined in those horse and buggy days the changes that have occurred in 138 years. They would be amazed to see Calgary and acreage development swallowing up viable farm land. Where once there was a thriving dairy industry, only one operation remains. Much of Springbank is in acreages or commercial development. 

The Wallace farming history that goes back to County Connaught in Ireland will end too. Nora and Bill’s children are the fourth generation Canadian on that side of the family: our great-great-grandparents, Andrew and Isabella, immigrated in the early 1800s to farm in Lanark County, Ontario. Of all their descendants, most of whom farmed, only Bill Wallace remains in the business, and the farm William and Sarah began will soon disappear as the city encroaches more and more on rural land. 

 

The Wallace Farm 100 Years By Kathleen Beynon 

The Wallace family celebrated the one-hundredth anniversary of the farm their grandparents homesteaded in August of 2005. Sarah and William came west from Lanark, Ontario in 1905, the same year Alberta became a province. 

A group of Edmonton journalists published a book called “Alberta, One Hundred Years a Home”. The picture on the dust cover is a picture of the Wallace Family: William (son of Sarah and William), Kathleen, Donna, Nora Lea, William Jr. Marion and Mother (Nora) are missing. The dog’s name was Jelly Beans. 

The descendants of William and Nora Wallace are all still living in Alberta, except one. Carla Beynon lives in Regina and is an Anchor for CTV, but she is still an Alberta-wanna-be. Alberta is definitely a hundred years a home for our family. 

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Why become or renew CHAPS Membership -2022

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Its time for our 2022 CHAPS Membership drive. We’ve changed our fiscal year to match the calendar year so from here on come January your membership needs renewal.

What do I get out of being a member of CHAPS?

First, some background. While I did grow up here, I left when I was 17 and returned just a few years ago. I am semi-retired and needed something meaningful to fill my time. I became a Director of CHAPS and fell into the role of social media co-coordinator. I was involved in the website refresher project and re-print stories from Big Hill Country, More Big Hill Country, Cochrane Advocate and the Gordon and Belle Hall’s A Peep into the Past newsletter.

I’ve learned that the history of Cochrane and area is as rich as any book or movie. We’ve had royalty from many countries, some of the first and largest ranches in the Canadian west, immigrants from all over have made this place their home, we’ve faced pandemics before, storms, fires and floods have swept the area, we’ve had famous criminals and the policemen that kept the peace. We’ve got stories of early hospitals, how the town evolved, cowboys, artists, poets, horse racing, polo and politicians.

I now know why many of our streets, buildings and landmarks are named the way they are. The people that pioneered this area are real to me and I think that’s important.

CHAPS needs you support to continue operation of the Cochrane Historical Museum. While closed during the pandemic, we still have ongoing costs. We are planning to open this summer if safe to do so and will want to employ students as guides.

So please become or renew your membership. Use the button to get directions on how to do so. Oh, and we have a position on the Executive to fill so please help us out.

You can also help us extend our reach by sharing and commenting on any of our social media sites. It really helps to get our message out. We’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube as well as our website.

Thanks for your time, I hope to see you soon when we resume our monthly meetings.

Memberships

Robert and Kathleen Beynon Family

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by Kathleen Beynon Page 292 More Big Hill Country 1945-1980

Robert George Beynon “Bob” was the third child of Sophie and Jack Beynon, both Welsh immigrants. He was born March 17, 1926, in the big brick house at the east and of town. Alistair Moore and his wife Dolly lived there for many years.

The Beynons lived on the farm on the Horse Creek road until the girls, Molly and Ada, had to go to school They then bought 21 acres west of town that had to be the site of the old brickyard (now the community of Glenbow) and lived there until the girls finished school. They moved back to Horse Creek and Bob rode his horse to Cochrane to finish his education. 

When he was eight years old his mother took him to Wales for a visit. On the boat, he would slip away to another deck where passengers taught him to play crib and poker. As a teenager he would work for local farmers doing whatever had to be done: plowing, haying or stooking. After chores, he’d ride to Cochrane to play hockey or baseball. 

My Uncle Johnny Arnell umpired and coached hockey games and on occasion, I got to go with his family to the games. That’s how I met Bob. I was born and raised south of the river in the Brushy Ridge district. Our family of five rode the two and a half miles to Brushy Ridge School until we reached grade nine. Then we were sent to Calgary. The School Division paid our tuition but board and room were not included so we stayed with our Grandmother Sarah Wallace in the Killarney district. 

In November 1950 Bob and I were married. We moved to the Horse Creek farm while Sophie and Jack, Bob’s parents, moved into the little brick house on the Cochrane property. During our two years on the farm, our first daughter, Elaine, was born. While I was in the hospital a terrible hailstorm went through the district, breaking windows and destroying roofing. 

In 1951 Bob got a job with Shell Oil at Jumping Pound. He had to drive to Cochrane to catch a ride or take his turn driving. Bob’s first job with Shell was loading sulphur which was trucked into Cochrane from the Jumping Pound plant and dumped by the tracks. He was one of those loading it on boxcars with a front-end loader. It was a terrible job, the sulphur made his eyes red and sore. And it was smelly. Anything silver in the house turned black from his clothes and hands. Bob worked for Shell for 25 years and, after retiring, did some consulting. He went to Little Rock, Arkansas to start a plant there and later did the same thing in Peace River. After that, he tried real estate and sold houses in Cochrane and Exshaw. 

In the beginning, I was left on the farm with no vehicle and no phone, in an un-insulated drafty old house. Later we moved to town to the little house by the cenotaph and it was here that four more children were added to the family: Cathy, Dwight, Nancy, and Trevor. With only two bedrooms and a postage-size kitchen in the 900 square foot house we decided to build. 

In 1961 Bob’s mother was still in the little brick house and we built beside her. In 1979 our land was annexed into Cochrane, but we kept two lots. However, the brick house was demolished. I saved bricks for a flowerbed and each child got some of them. 

In 1979, with Dorothy Anderson, I started a fabric store, “The Fab Bric House”, located in the Old Chapman house and later moved to the Westwinds Shopping Centre. We carried on with it for 14 years. 

As a youth Bob played hockey and ball and rode as an outrider for Gordon Dingwall. We both golfed and curled. We loved to dance and went to one almost every weekend. We travelled to Australia, Hawaii and the British Isles. We had many parties in our new home after hockey, curling games and on New Year’s Eve. 

Bob died on April 27, 2005. The Horse Creek farm is sold, but Trevor is still currently living there. I continue to live in our house in Glenbow. Elaine lives in Calgary, Cathy in Peace River, Dwight in Dartique, and Nancy in Devon. Our family has grown to include 12 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Mens Baseball 1940
Bob skipping sheet 3

Photos courtesy CHAPS Archive

2021’s Favourite Stories Top 5

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Here are 2021’s favourite stories as selected by you. 

Click on any photo, title, or button to see the full article.

Robbers Roost 1934

5. The Eymas

One day in desperation Pierre decided to go to Delbeke and tell him in no uncertain terms to keep his cattle in his own field. Pierre changed his mind when he got to Delbekes and claims he got even with him because Marie Delbeke, the oldest daughter, is now Pierre’s wife. 

The Eymas
Norman and Shirley Edge Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame

4. Norman and Shirley Edge

 With the formation of the Western Heritage Centre, a joint venture of the Historical Association and the Stockmen’s Foundation, Shirley was its first president. The memorable 1990 Cattle Drive to raise funds for this centre was indeed most successful. Both Norman and Shirley were inducted into the Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame in October 2007. 

Norman and Shirley Edge
Dartigue Hall - Mrs. Florence Stearns

3. Dartigue Lodge

Before 1933 dances and parties were held in homes or the one-roomed schools. As the population in the district increased the houses were all too small for parties. Often all the furniture in the houses was set outside on party night, which was fine if it didn’t rain.

Dartigue Lodge

2. Clarence and Rose McGonigle

Rose and Clarence have taken on many responsibilities in service clubs, the church and sports groups, including actively campaigning for new facilities that have been built for sports and activities new to the area. 

Clarence and Rose McGonigle
Grahams Pharmacy. Alice and Bob

1. Grahams Pharmacy

In those days there was no mixed drinking allowed in Calgary bars so people travelled to Cochrane to the local hotel. Many ladies in distress were left on the streets of Cochrane by their companions.

Graham's Pharmacy

2021’s Top Stories Part 1

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We hope you enjoy Part 1 of 2021’s top stories as selected by you. Stay tuned tomorrow for our top 5.

Click on any photo, title or button to see the entire article.

Towers and Wearmouth Cattle being run in for branding

10. Towers family

Leslie was born in a log house at the junction of the Bow and Elbow rivers at Calgary in 1884. At that time Calgary was mostly tents. Leaving Calgary, Frank began to accumulate some cattle and by the time the C.P.R. reached Mitford, he had approximately 90 head. The railway inspector came along one day and told him he could not hold two jobs and advised him to take up land and look after his cattle.

Towers family

9. Ghost Ranger Station – Hills

Disoriented hunters were common and often a source of amusement, as in their words “they weren’t lost, just didn’t know where they’d left their vehicle.” They always got out okay, though after a couple of nights in the bush huddling by a campfire or taking refuge in an old trapper shack, their faces and clothes often so black with soot their own wives probably couldn’t recognize them.

Ghost Ranger Station - Hills
Cochrane $20 Dollar Specimen featuring Norman Frank Edge

8. Talk about Traditions, Edge family

During the 1974 Calgary Stampede, Norman, together with Eddie Watrin and Pete Vandermeer was honoured as old-time cowboys. Each was presented with a framed picture and Silver cufflinks. The inscription reads: “Norman Edge in appreciation for your contribution to rodeo, Calgary Exhibition and Stampede 1974.”

Traditions, Edge Family
Cattle drive on the Copithorne Ranch - Flickr

7. Copithorne a true Alberta builder

Building the Fort Vermilion bridge was one of Clarence’s major projects as highway’s minister. This is the largest, most northerly bridge in North America

Copithorne, Alberta Builder
Kitchen

6. Bates Bar J Ranch

We went on trail rides every morning and afternoon, went swimming at the swimmin’ hole, ate in the common area, slept in chilly dorms, learned how to build shelters out of boughs, shot bows and arrows, and went on hayrides. Just about the perfect place for kids.

Bates Bar J Ranch

There they are, 5 of our most popular stories from 2021. We hope you find them entertaining and stay tuned tomorrow for our top 5.

Cochrane Roots of Roland Gissing

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pg 56 A Peep into the Past Vol 2 1994 Gordon and Belle Hall

Roland Gissing was born in England in the year 1895, the son of Algernon Gissing. He was a nephew of the well-known English novelist and critic George Gissing and a brother of Alvin Gissing, who, for a short time was in 1927 owner and editor of the Cochrane Advocate. 

Roland came to Canada in 1913 hoping to make living as a cowboy. He worked at various ranches in the district and even tried homesteading in the Raven River country west of Innisfail. In 1916 Gissing went to the western United States. There he became friends with Will James the writer and cowboy artist. Here Roland became interested in sketching cowboys and horses. 

In late 1918 Roland Gissing joined the forces but contacted the Spanish flu in Quebec and was discharged. In 1919 he was back in Alberta where he had many friends who called him Gus. Gus worked at Delbecks and Brooks sawmill and D.P. McDonald calf camp. 

Gissing bought some land just north of the Ghost Lake bridge on the east side of the lake. He helped Major Mortimer who ran a roadhouse on the south of Gissing’s property. He was rewarded with a set of oil paints that had once belonged to Lionel Barrymore. Gissing started to paint in earnest at this point. He sketched cowboys and horses but his main interest was oils. In 1925 myself and my father went to the West Coast with the Peter Welsh stable of show horses in which father was a trainer. Gus gave us 25 pencil and ink sketches to take with us to try and sell them at $1 each. There were two left and Gissing gave them to us and I still have them. 

“If you see an oil painting so truly beautiful that it makes you proud, and perhaps a little homesick for the Alberta foothills, then it is probably a Gissing landscape.”

A broadcast over CFCN, CFRN, CKRD, CJOC Tweet
Roland Gissing courtesy Glenbow Archives

Gissing’s first exhibition was held in Booths Galleries in Calgary in 1925 and was quite successful, but it was not until 1932 that he was able to make a good living at art. His art has been exhibited and sold all over the world and has won many awards. In 1933 Roland married Enie Gillies, one of his nearest neighbours. Some of his hobbies included weaving on a loom he built himself. He prepared and dyed wool and wove saddle blankets. He made model trains, exact in every detail and with every type of passenger and freight cars. He built lengthy railway tracks beside his house with bridges and tunnels. His four-wheel-drive locomotives of the British type were a wonder to behold. 

Disaster struck on Friday, March 3, 1944, when Gissing’s house and studio burned. They lost their home, art, library and steam trains. Gissing built a new home but soon sold out and went to Okotoks. Enie Gissing passed away in the 1960s and Roland remarried. His new wife was Ester Glockgin (nee Skogheim), a native of Hardisty. Roland died in 1967 and Ester still makes her home in Calgary

Frank Hennessey, Gordon Davies & Hamish McNaughton Kerfoot with unknown Gissing painting
Roland Gissing Paintings 1928

Additional reading

A history of the Bow River Horse Ranch

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pg 5 A peep into the past Vol 2, 1994 Gordon and Belle Hall

The Bow River Horse Ranch was a spinoff of the Cochrane Ranche. It took over the leases held by the British American Ranch Co. The British American Ranch was formed in 1884 by the original shareholders of the Cochrane Ranche. In 1888 a new company known as the Bow River Ranch Co. was formed and took over the British American Ranch leases. This new ranch occupied part of the old Cochrane Ranche territory and extended eight to 10 miles along the south side of the Bow River. John Morrison was the manager from 1888 – 1890 after which time Mr. Goddard was appointed to the post. Gilbert Edwin Goddard was born in 1861 in South Devon England. In 1881 he left England and after working in the U.S.A. for a time, came to Canada and in 1888 became a bookkeeper at the Bow River Horse Ranch. 

In 1893 Goddard formed a partnership with two brothers, E.H. and W.P. Warner and acquired control of the Bow River Horse Ranch. The Warners were from Quorn Hall Loughborough, England, the same part of England the promoters of the Quorn Ranch came from. Gilbert Goddard married Luella Grasse, the only daughter of Peter Grasse at Innisfail in 1900. She was an accomplished horsewoman. Goddard built up the ranch with barns, fences and corrals. French Coach and Clyde horses were imported and bred for sale to the mounted police and on the English market. Purebred Angus cattle were imported, and crops of oats and barley were raised. Goddard was remembered by a large lake named after him. Goddard Lake lay north and a bit west of the Springbank Airport. The old Banff Coach Road ran around the north side of the lake. However, the lake has now dried up and the lake bottom has been farmed. In 1918 the ranch was sold to a prince from Naples, Italy and the Goddard family moved to Victoria B.C. The prince, however, couldn’t pay for it and the ranch was repossessed. 

In 1925 it was finally sold to Barons Joseph and Endre Csavasay, Hungarian noblemen. Many ranchers of the early days had at some time worked on the Bow River Horse Ranch. Teddy Harrison of Jumping Pound, Alex Mackay of Cochrane and Clem Gardner at age 17. These are just a few who have worked at the Bow River Horse Ranch.

Images courtesy former Glenbow Archive

Beside stables. Barons Josef and Endre Csavossy purchased Bow River Horse Ranch, Cochrane area, Alberta in 1925. They changed the name to Bow River Ranch since they did not intend to focus on raising horses. Legacy Identifier: na-1019-23 Unique identifier: CU174714
Beside barns. Barons Josef and Endre Csavossy purchased Bow River Horse Ranch, Cochrane area, Alberta in 1925. They changed the name to Bow River Ranch since they did not intend to focus on raising horses. Legacy Identifier: na-1019-22 Unique identifier: CU174807
Staircase right. Barons Josef and Endre Csavossy purchased Bow River Horse Ranch, Cochrane area, Alberta in 1925. They changed the name to Bow River Ranch since they did not intend to focus on raising horses. Legacy Identifier: na-4312-36 Unique identifier: CU1118588
Bow River Ranch Dining Room 1900

Just Home Ranch home to many families

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pg 40 A Peep into the Past 1990 Vol 1 by Gordon and Belle Hall

 

The Justhome Ranch was the brainchild of Harry and Jack McConachie. They bought the C.W. Fisher mansion and property from Jack Tweddle in or about the early ’40s. They also bought three-quarter sections on the north side of the Big Hill Creek, also a section of land on Horse Creek, known as the old Garson section. 

They built a big barn and sheds, also workers residences on the C.W. Fisher site and also finished the big stone house. Harry and Jack had two or three carpenters working steadily. The foreman of the carpenters was a Bob Henderson. The McConachie’s were related to Grant McConachie, president of CP Airlines. Grant McConachie started out as a bush pilot and Uncle Harry bought his first airplane, and also financed him in his ventures. 

The Justhome Ranch was home to a number of families: the Sam Bloods, the George Morris family, Jim McPeak family, Scotty and Terry McConachie, Charles and Olive Clark and Pete Tindal and family, to name a few. Across the creek where the Boothby’s now live was Bob and Mary Hogarth Sr. The McConachies built a big barn on this property too, as well as a large modern granary and machine shed. 

 

Boothby Ranch Barn and Outbuildings built by McConachies

They stocked the ranch with cattle from the Justamere Farms at Camrose. Horses were Percherons from Jonathan Fox at Lloydminister, American Saddle Horse from Fulkerth at Didsbury and sheep from the P.J. Rock Farms at Drumheller. 

I started working at the home place in the fall of 1943, and Belle and I, and Ronnie lived in the stone cottage next to the big stone house. Our pay was $100 per month plus eggs and milk and free lodging. The McConachie’s left quite a bit of money in the country one way or another. They broke about 500 acres of land on the north quarters and on one field got 105 bushels per acre of oats.

Drawing titled Meadow Creek from A Peep into the Past

An amusing thing happened one fall. Old Jack at noon collected the workers in various fields and brought them home for lunch. He was supposed to take us out again at 1 p.m.; however, Jack loved to have a snooze after lunch and sometimes it was 1:30 p.m. before he showed up. This galled Harry, so one day, while everyone was having lunch, he placed a smoke bomb under the hood of the Chev panel attaching the fuse to the sparkplug. Jack arrives about 1:30, turns on the key and poof, there was black smoke coming from under the hood. Jack jumped out yelling “fire,” and the workers were running for fire extinguishers. However, upon raising the hood, the joke was discovered. 

The McConachie’s kept the property until 1949 when the home ranch was sold to the Franciscan order as a retreat house. The land north of the Big Hill Creek was sold to the Boothby’s and progeny from the Percheron horses are being raised by Jack Bates of the Bates Bar J Ranch. 

JW Boothby buys Just Home Ranch

More Reading

Rocks and Stones littered Main Street in Early Years

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pg 58 A Peep into the Past Vol. 1 1990 Gordon and Belle Hall

The main street in Cochrane, in the early days, was something to be desired. The street was dirt with huge rocks and stones on it, plus many mud holes when it rained. The first main street ran from one end of the village to the other. In the east end of the village, the avenue called Pope Avenue, which runs north and south or north from the new R.C.M.P. building was the road going through town and up the hill. It ran up the hill to the first plateau, went on the south side of Copithorne’s place and made a wide sweep around the hill to the east. 

In later years, about 1927, it was made farther up the hill, near the village, to where it turns now down into town, in line with the new post office, then west down the main street. In front of the new post office, the village fathers planted an eight-inch round post in the center of the street, then put boards around the post to make a square box, which was about six feet high. The signpost acquired the name of the “Silent Policeman”. The Silent Policeman had a sign and arrow on it pointing out the route to Calgary. The post stood there until the next Halloween when some small fry (not me this time) got a large wooden toilet on some kind of wagon or truck. They backed up to the Silent Policeman and dumped the toilet over it. The post of the Policeman came up through the hole, and there she sat. 

The next morning, someone had put up the dining room sign from the hotel over the door of the shanty. There was quite an uproar as to how the toilet could be raised up over the post. Chapman Bros. garage tow truck was brought into play as it was the only apparatus in town with a winch on it; a hand winch at that. It took the better part of the day to get the toilet high enough to clear the post. Then after all this work, the town fathers thought they should put a cement Policeman there. They built it big and strong; about four feet across at the base and about two feet at the top. In the face of this huge block, the workmen installed a big red reflector. One of the local farmers, who had too much to drink at the local watering hole, drew up to it with his car and waited half hour for the light to change to green. However, as time went on and traffic got heavier, there were some bad accidents on the turn at the bottom of the hill such as the Police barracks smash. The powers that be decided to move some houses and make a straight run through town. That is the way the road is now, with some more changes contemplated.

Silent Policeman 1920
Copithorne Diary on current site of Glen Eagles Golf Course
CPR Station from Main Street. Webster family photo

Small Pox swept village in 1908

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pg 35 A peep into the past by Gordon and Belle Hall 1990

There were not too many buildings in evidence in Cochrane in a picture taken in 1895. The Anglican and Catholic churches are in the picture., along with a few houses, and the building where MacKay’s Ice Cream is located. The Murphy House or hotel is in the picture, along with about eight 10 other houses. 

From this point until the first world war, was boom time for the little village. Around 1900 the Orangemen from the Orange Lodge #1813 built the hall that the Rebekah Lodge had. This hall was used for many years for dances, concerts, minstrel shows and many other activities. The lighting for the hall was gas lamps. These lamps hung on the wall and with copper lines were fed from a pressure tank. Kerosene lamps were also used. 

In 1908 a smallpox epidemic hit the village, and going through the old council minute books, I find council ordered a supply of tents from Calgary. The tents were erected down near the Bow River and the smallpox patients were all put in isolation there. Whoever looked after the patients were not allowed near the town, and foodsstuff and medicine was left near the compound. May be a tough way to do things, but smallpox was very deadly. 

Medical Record 1916 E. Davies No smallpox scars

More reading

The roaring game has changed in Cochrane

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pg 34 A Peep into the Past Vol.1 Gordon and Belle Hall

The “roaring game” curling was known as. It took up the winter as a sport. The old rink was located the next lot south of where the senior centre or old post office is and in early years just north of the blacksmith shop. 

It was natural ice with water being hauled up from the creamery well by a tank wagon. With a sidewalk down between two sheets of ice. five barrels of water were placed about 15 feet apart, then filled with water and all turned over at once. This flow of water, about 225 or so gallons, levelled itself and froze. 

One amusing thing happened when I was working for Frank Fletcher, the carpenter, in 1930. We were sharpening saws in our shop, which was Bailey’s Old Bakery which stood where the senior centre stands. Seems the curlers had gotten tired of hauling water and were digging a well in or under the coal bin in the front part of the rink. Whoever was digging had struck a massive rock about the feet down, and they had hired Arthur Kirkland from Cochrane Lake area to cope with it. Arthur decided to blow it up with dynamite. Baron Cyvossey had a Tiger Moth airplane which he used to fly up the river from his home at Bow River Horse Ranch. Guess what. This day here comes the Baron about 200 feet up, and of course, everyone went outside to see the plane. 

He just got overhead when Arthur’s dynamite cut loose, Now Kirkland may have been a good well man, but he must have put enough powder into blow up half of Cochrane. Rocks and dirt and pieces of the roof of the shed went sky-high, and there wasn’t a world war vet who wasn’t laying in a ditch or wherever else they could find. Anyhow, Arthur got rid of the boulder, the rink got a well, and put a pump in and had their own water to make ice with. People found out later that the Baron wasn’t trying to bomb Cochrane after all. 

Chinook winds were hard on curling ice, the sheets of ice would become sheets of water until another cold snap came along, then curling resumed. It seemed every one of any importance curled, like the Chapman brothers, Bob and Andy, the Beynons, the Davis’s, F.L. Gainer from the station, Jim Maguire, Earl Whittle, Arthur Crawford, the Moores, Earl Gammon and many more. 

There were a few club rocks but a lot of curlers had their own, some large, up to 48 pounds down to 42 pounds. I remember a small pair of black granite rocks about 38 pounds that belonged to Father Hermus. The ladies were involved too: Mrs. Maguire, the McNamee’s, Elsie Camden, my own sister Doris Hall, Vi Hogarth and Mrs. Garson, to name a few.

Cochrane Curling Rink 1970s

The Simpson Cup was played for by the men. Banff Canmore and Cochrane, they played 16 ends. Whoever won took the cup home. Then there was always the McDonald Briar playdowns. The Banff Carnival was good for a week’s curling. Weather permitting, there would be one or two teams going to Banff. Our own bonspiel was a week long affair with two sheets of ice at the rink and then they would make another four or so on the skating rink, outside mind you. 

Visiting teams brought their own rocks, as did teams going to Banff or Calgary had to take rocks with them. There was usually coffee to be had at the clubhouse and somebody would be playing crib or king pedro which I haven’t seen played since. 

As the year’s passed, a new rink was built by the United Church, artificial ice was installed, the style of curling changed. We got the slide delivery which I think aims the rock instead of throwing it from the hack. Shirt sleeve curling, the rink was warmer, better lighting, and of course more money for dues. Now, we have gone to a fully modern rink with less curlers it seems, and I am sure they have no more fun than we had years ago playing the roaring game.

Curling Rink W Laidlaw (caretaker), Unknown, E Davies

More Reading

McEachen Family

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 by Flora Garson and Henry McEachen  pg 396 Big Hill Country

In 1887 Donald McEachen came to Canada from South Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. On South Uist, the croftland lay along the centre of the island between high hills.

Perhaps it was the memory of his old home that prompted him to homestead in Grand Valley. He could not have made a better choice for it is one of the loveliest valleys in Alberta. He homesteaded the NE 14 34-26-5-5 and bought the NW14 of the same section. On the west, he had the Wildcat Hills which reminded him of home, on the open east slopes of the hills he had good grazing land for his stock, and lower down he had rich farmland where he could raise forage and grain. Later he acquired more land in the same township: the W1/2 of Section 26 and the N12 and SE14 of Section 27. A few years later Mr. McEachen’s half-sister Katherine came from the old country and homesteaded the SW14 of Section 34. For a while, she lived on it with her children, Dennis and Annie Blaney. Mr. McEachen also bought the SE 14 31-27-5-5. 

 

In 1888 Marjorie McDonald and Mr. McEachen’s sister Jessie came to Canada from South Uist. Jessie later became Mrs. H. B. Atkins. She passed away in 1901. 

For a year Marjorie McDonald worked for Dr. Lafferty in Calgary, and in 1889 she married Donald McEachen. They built a comfortable home and other farm buildings on the homestead. At the spring on the property, they had a stone building put up and used part of it for a dairy. On the upper floor, there was a dance hall. 

Mr. McEachen was a hard-working, upright man, a bit stern but very kind. For a while, he worked on the Betsy line as a brakeman. He even found time to break a saddle horse for Donald Morrison, for he told that one morning when he

was late for his work on the Betsy, he jumped on this bronc and it took him to his job in record time. 

Mrs. McEachen was a wonderful woman, amazingly strong, very capable and a good neighbor. The McEachen home was considered one of the most hospitable in the district. For years they raised sheep as well as horses and cattle. Mrs. McEachen washed the wool after the sheep were shorn, carded it, spun it on her old spinning wheel and knitted it into socks and underwear for her family. For fifteen years straight her butter won first prize wherever she showed it. She always had an extra place at the table for a wandering cowboy and was good to the Indians [sic] who brought her prairie chickens and traded them to her for groceries. One day when Mr. McEachen was liming his henhouse an Indian [sic] came and said he wanted some of that white stuff. Mr. McEachen thought he meant the lime and gave him some; the Indian [sic] thought he was getting flour. When he came back he said, “My wife put water in – and fizz-fizz-fizz!” 

The McEachens had five children: Jim, Flora, Jessie, Katie and Henry. Jim was a big, quiet lad with a keen sense of humour. He was good with machinery, made the repairs and did the blacksmithing. Flora worked out from time to time. She often visited Dave McDougalls, where they thought the world of her. Jessie passed away at the age of two and one-half years. Katie always lived at home. She was a wonderful cook, milked cows and worked in the hayfield. Henry was good with horses. He won many stake races with his horse, Shorty, and he was in 

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demand as a pickup man at local rodeos. All four children attended the Grand Valley School in their youth, and Mrs. McEachen boarded several of the schoolteachers. 

In 1924 Marjorie Atkins, Mr. McEachen’s niece came to make her home with her uncle. After the ranch was sold she married Robert Baptie Sr. 

In 1924 Flora married Andy Garson who owned land northwest of Cochrane. They made their home in Cochrane where Flora kept milk cows. She inherited her mother’s ability and won first prize for her butter, seven years running, in Cochrane, Calgary and Edmonton. One year at the Calgary Exhibition she took first with her cake, second with her biscuits and third with her pie when entries were so numerous that she thought she would have no chance. 

Mr. McEachen was instrumental in getting the Agricultural Fair started in Cochrane. At the Cochrane Fair, Flora once entered seventeen classes and won fifteen firsts and two seconds. She was also an ardent curler and competed in many bonspiels, usually coming home the victor. 

Mr. McEachen leased the road allowance which ran along the east side of his land. There was no road there but he put gates in so that people could travel it if they wished. One day he spotted Ewen MacKay driving along with his housekeeper, Jeanie Smith. They left the first gate open – and the second. Mr. McEachen, angry because his cattle could get out, met them at the third gate just as they prepared to drive away leaving it open too. He jumped in front of the team, seized the horses by their bridles and backed them through the gate. The wagon cramped too sharply, one wheel dropped into the survey hole and the wagon overturned. Mr. McEachen said he could not see Jeanie at all – her petticoats were over her head! They righted the wagon and shortly after Mr. MacKay got home they saw him heading for town on a saddle horse to tell the police. The case went to court but was thrown out, the judge ruling that the gates should not have been left open. 

In the First World War, Henry enlisted in the 89th Battalion and was transferred to the famous 10th Battalion. These were trying years for his parents as he was away from December 15, 1915, until 1919. Fortunately, he came through the War without being wounded. He later returned to the ranch, and after the ranch was sold he worked for the Department of Highways for 20 years. 

Mr. McEachen died March 31, 1930, and Mrs. McEachen on October 25, 1934. In May 1935, Katie married Eddie Rowe, a longtime friend. They continued to live on the home place with Jim, Henry and Marjorie until the place was sold to Earl Campbell in 1940 when they moved to Cochrane. A few years later Earl sold the ranch to Norman and Rose Brohman who sold it to the Austins. The place has now been sold to the Alberta Government for parkland. 

Cochrane Advocate 1924
Garson McEachen announcement 1924

Jim passed away in 1943, Eddie Rowe in 1961, and Katie in 1963. Andy Garson passed away in 1969 and since then Flora has made her home in Cochrane. 

Note: Henry passed away in 1974 after this story was written. 

This news item is from the Calgary Daily Herald of September 6, 1912. COCHRANE FAIR SEPT. 10 

The Annual Agricultural Show at Cochrane which takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 10th is always looked forward to by hundreds of Calgarians who enjoy a genuine Western Fair. Cochrane has always been famous for its magnificent horses and daring riders and the many events are sure to be fast and exciting, while the farm products, stock and horse exhibits can hold their own with any in Canada. Train leaves Calgary at 8:15 a.m. returning at 9:30 p.m.

DONALD McEACHEN'S DANCE — by Andrew Garson 

T‘was lately on a Friday night 

Just now about a week ago 

When to Donald McEachen ranch 

To dance we all did go. 

As he did give this social dance 

Just for old friendship‘s sake 

For now it is over twenty years 

Since this man here did locate. 

For the boys and girls they all did come 

To have a jolly time 

To spend a night on this old time ranch 

As in the days of Auld Lang Syne. 

Some drove there in fancy rigs 

Some rode for many a mile 

But each and all were entertained

 In good old Western style. 

For music we had violin sweet 

Which was played in first class time 

  And the musicians’ names 

  I‘ll give below If I can get them into rhyme. 

 The first I will name is Dennis Blaney

 From Quigley’s lumber mill 

He tuned his fiddle and led the dance 

With a merry old quadrille. 

And we have known Johnny Curren 

Who works in the old coal mine 

He made us think of happy days gone by 

When he played the girl I left behind. 

And Jack Gillies from Ghost River 

He played those old tunes with that Highland swing 

He fairly made the fiddle talk 

He made the house to ring. 

And Harry Jones and Johnny Curren 

The quadrilles they well did call 

They put us through without a hitch 

The Gent and Ladies all. 

We had waltzes and we had two-steps 

And the polka heel and toe 

And Highland schottische and Scotch reels 

Which was anything but slow. 

And lots of other dances 

Too numerous for to name 

But I for one did wish that night 

To be as long again. 

For sure we had a jolly time 

We danced until the clock struck five 

And then one another we bid farewell 

And homeward we did drive. 

But I hope we all will meet again 

And have another dance 

On this familiar spot in Grand Valley 

On Donald McEachen ranch.

Donald McEachen

Flora McEachen

Henry McEachen

Jim McEachen

Katie McEachen

Marjorie McEachen McDonald

Family history is often lost

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We use our own books, Big Hill Country, more Big Hill Country and Volumes 1 and 2 of Belle and Gordon Halls newsletters to retell local stories.

I often search old maps and family stories for names to re-publish. Some of the names I cant find are Martins, Wathans, Biddles,  and McConachie. I find that sad as the stories are probably lost as the families have moved away or died out.

CHAPS has a Youtube channel and website blog where a lot of these stories can be captured. If you have a family story that dates back a few years get in touch and we’ll find a way to retell that story for now and the future.

Get in touch

Let us tell your family history
Click Here

Sibbald Family

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ANDREW SIBBALD - by John and Beryl Sibbald pg 780 Big Hill Country

Andrew Sibbald, whose life spanned a century, was born in Ontario, November 19, 1833. Andrew’s father, John Sibbald, along with his wife and three children of Edinburgh, Scotland, immigrated to Canada in 1832 and settled in Ontario. Andrew was the first of their five children born in Canada. 

In June 1875, Andrew Sibbald with his wife, Elizabeth Ann Robins, and their three small children left Stroud, Ontario, to seek a new life in the West. Andrew and his family left Bramley Station on the Northern Rail. They took passage on the Steamer “Frances Smith” and proceeded to Owen Sound, where the Sibbalds joined Rev. and Mrs. George McDougall, their son George; two nephews, George and Moses McDougall; Mrs. Hardisty and her two children, Clara and Richard; Miss Young, who was bound for Edmonton to visit a brother; Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Sinclair; and Rev. and Mrs. H. M. Manning. At Prince Arthur’s Landing, now Port Arthur, the party changed onto the “Quebec ” of the Sarnia Line, bound for Duluth, Minnesota. They then left by the Northern Pacific Junction to Moorhead and from there proceeded down the crooked and muddy Red River to Fort Garry, a distance of five hundred miles. At this point, they were joined by David McDougall, who was to act as a guide for the journey of nearly nine hundred miles across the plains. 

Provisions, horses and oxen, wagons and Hudson Bay carts were purchased at Fort Garry. After all, was ready, the caravan set out. travelling ten to fifteen miles a day, and always resting on Sundays. “We forded all streams in our path,” Andrew Sibbald recalls, “except the South Saskatchewan, which we crossed in a scow.” David McDougall and Andrew kept the travellers supplied with fresh meat. Ducks, geese and prairie chicken were plentiful, but as the hunters had no dog, they were forced to wade the sloughs and streams to retrieve any game 

they shot. In this way, they walked more than two-thirds of the distance from Fort Garry to Morley. They were caught in an early blizzard east of Buffalo Lake on October 3 and forced to make camp. Lacking dry wood they had to collect buffalo chips for fire and dine on pemmican and dried meat. After three days the journey was resumed in two and a half feet of snow. After passing Fort Ellis there was no sign of civilization until on October 21, they arrived at Morleyville. The course laid well to the north, as they wanted to keep away from the Blackfoot country along the Bow River. By the time they reached Morleyville, having taken 104 days from Barrie, Ontario, the trail was like a half-circle, with the bend to the north. 

Andrew had trained as a master carpenter in Ontario. After an accident in which he lost his left hand, he trained as a teacher. It was in this capacity that he accepted a position as an instructor to the Blood Indian Tribe. He was, however, still skillful as a carpenter and had brought west the all-important parts for a sawmill. Andrew, with the help of willing hands, soon had the sawmill assembled and in operation. The school, church and other necessary dwellings and buildings were erected. A village, with a population of approximately five hundred Indians [sic], seemed to appear from nowhere. Sibbald’s sawmill was the first in the district and he supplied lumber for the first church to be built in Calgary. The lumber was floated down the Bow River from Morley to its destination. 

The women who came west in the early days faced many hardships. Often in history books, their role is underplayed. On the journey west, Mrs. Sibbald had in her care their three young children, Howard, nine years old, Frank, six and Elsie, three years. Their youngest son, Clarence (Bert), was born after they came to Morley. In 1882 Mrs. Sibbald became ill during a typhoid epidemic in the settlement. Young Albert Boyd made an epic horseback ride to Fort Macleod for a doctor. Despite the round trip made in eighteen hours, using relays of horses, Mrs. Sibbald died of typhoid. Her youngest child was still only a baby. 

For a number of years, until retiring from teaching in 1896, Andrew taught the Indian [sic] children. He taught the subjects which would help them most, the three Rs — “reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic.” He stressed manliness, honesty, trust in God and respect for one’s fellow man. His own children attended the school and they learned to speak Stoney fluently. Andrew Sibbald was the first schoolteacher in Alberta. As a tribute to Andrew, two schools, one in Cochrane and the other in Calgary have been named in his honour. Andrew was also Superintendent of the Sunday School at Morleyville. He was a loved and trusted friend of the Indians [sic]. 

Andrew homesteaded on the hill north of Morleyville, on the W 1/2 30-26-6-5. Ripley Creek rose from a spring on his north quarter. On the 

home quarter he built a large log house. His brand was the Triangle on the left thigh for horses and 2VT on the right rib for cattle. 

In 1892 his daughter Elsie married a young Englishman, Bertram Alford. He took her to live on his homestead on the Little Jumping Pound Creek, the present site of the Sibbald home place, but the young couple stayed only a short time before moving to Pine Lake, Alberta. The homestead was taken over by his brothers-in-law, Frank and Howard Sibbald, to add to their adjoining homesteads. 

Upon retiring, Andrew moved to the ranch in 1896 and built a cabin that is still there, and in livable condition. He later moved to Banff but spent the winter months with his son Bert in Cochrane. Andrew was honoured on his 100th birthday, which he reached, well in mind and body. The Old-timers Association presented this address to Andrew Sibbald: 

“You are today privileged to enjoy the unique distinction and honour of celebrating the one-hundredth anniversary of your birth. Such an honour is rare in human life, and your legion of devoted friends throughout the province join in extending to you their heartiest congratulations and good wishes. 

“Your long life of unselfish service, devoted to the upbuilding of the Province of Alberta, in which you have resided since 1875, the trials and hardships borne by yourself and family during pioneer days cannot fail to be an inspiration to other generations, as they have been to the present. 

“For the contribution, you have made in laying the foundations of Christian civilization in Alberta, we express our sincerest gratitude coupled with earnest prayer, that the Great Giver of all Goodness, who has watched over and guided you during the past century, maybe your constant future guide.” 

Andrew died at Banff on July 13, 1934, and was buried at the Millward Cemetery at Morleyville. Andrew Sibbald, during the fifty-nine years spent in Alberta, left large footsteps for future generations to follow. 

 

ANDREW FRANKLIN SIBBALD - by John and Beryl Sibbald 

Andrew Franklin (Frank) Sibbald, born in 1869, came west with his parents in 1875, at the age of six years. His early education was obtained on the Stoney Indian Reservation at Morley, where his father, Andrew, was the teacher. 

Having practically grown up with the Indians [sic], Frank learned to speak their language and became a very true and trusted friend. In recognition of his hunting skills, the Indians [sic] gave him the name “Tokuno meaning “The Fox.” 

Knowing the country and mountain trails well, Frank was guide and packer for the survey crews of the C.P.R. in 1882-1883. Frank and his brother Howard was with Steele’s Scouts in the 1885 Rebellion. 

In 1893 Professor A. P. Coleman, author of “The Canadian Rockies,” made his third trip toward Mt. Brown, taking with him young Frank Sibbald as a packer and handyman. In that book he wrote, “Sibbald was hardy and resourceful, as Western ranchers are apt to be, was thoroughly familiar with horses, and a fair camp cook, so he served our purpose admirably, though he had seen little of the mountains and did not profess to be a climber. 

“Living in Morley as a boy, he had learned the Cree and Stoney languages from Indian [sic] playmates, so he could talk to the Indians [sic] we met

or travelled with, and pick up useful information from them.” 

Professor Coleman also wrote that “Frank Sibbald was worth as much as two other packers put together. He was not only an excellent horseman but was as skillful in tracking a strayed pony as an Indian [sic], and his uniform readiness and good humour added much to the comfort of the journey in which every side of a man’s character and physique is often sorely tried.” Professor Coleman was happy to learn that Frank Sibbald became a prosperous rancher. 

In 1893 he married Janet Emily Johnstone, “Jennie,” daughter of a pioneer family. Jennie was born in California and came to the Cochrane area in 1884 with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Johnstone. Frank and Jennie were married in the Anglican Church at Mitford. After a wedding breakfast served at the home of Lady Cochrane, they went to live on Frank’s homestead on the Little Jumping Pound Creek. When Frank was away from home, Jennie would keep the table supplied with fresh game and fish. Frank’s cattle brand was The Compass, on the right side for cattle and Jennie’s cattle brand was JS on the right rib. 

In 1915 they enjoyed a trip to California, where some of Jennie’s family lived, and while there learned to play tennis. They so enjoyed the game that upon returning home, they built a tennis court that was enclosed by high wire and had a packed base of fine gravel. This court was 

enjoyed by the family and neighbours and was the setting for many lively matches. 

Frank helped at the Calgary Stampede, particularly with the Indian Village. He was also one of the principals in the organization of the Lord Strathcona Horse and was instrumental in the building of the Jumping Pound Community Hall. 

The Sibbalds were also active in the Banff area. Frank helped with Indian Days. They owned the Hussey bungalow, corner of Moose and Banff Avenue, where they always had open house during the Banff carnivals. 

The collecting of Indian [sic] curios and handicraft work was one of Frank’s hobbies. Many of his most valuable pieces were presented to him by members of the Stoney Indian Tribe in appreciation for acts of kindness on their behalf. 

An 1895 account book is interesting for the prices listed. The wolf bounty was $3.12; horseshoeing was 50¢; overalls $1.00 a pair and boots $1.75. While a bobsleigh was $30.00, you could buy a load of oat hay for $6.00. In the food market, beef was six to eight cents a pound; bacon 12¢; butter 20¢ and a barrel of apples $6.25. During the depression years, Jennie sold a small cow and with the money bought a dishpan and teakettle. Cows were selling for a cent a pound! 

Frank and Jennie had three children: Clarence born in 1896, Wilfred in 1897 and Aileen in 1902. The three children carried on the ranching operations which Frank and Jennie started. Frank passed away in 1941, and Jennie in 1949. 

Frank Sibbald’s love for his ranchland passed from him to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His descendants continue to enjoy and be a part of, the good life along the Little Jumping Pound Creek.

HOWARD EMBURY SIBBALD 1865-1938

A personal narrative by Howard Sibbald, written for the Alberta Old-Timer’s Association in January 1923. The article is printed with the permission of the Archives of the Canadian Rockies, Banff, Alberta. 

In the early part of the year 1875, my father, Andrew Sibbald, had been offered a position as teacher to the Blood Indian tribe in the far west. This offer he accepted and so, at the age of nine years, I, in company with the other members of our family, left Stroud, Ontario, on the 10th of June 1875. The party consisted of my father and mother, a brother Frank aged 6 and a sister Elsie aged 3. 

Travelling by way of Duluth and Moorehead and from there descending the Red River we presently completed the initial stage of our journey by reaching historic Fort Garry. Here we met David MacDougall with his cart train with whom we were to travel into the interior. My father purchased a horse and a light wagon for us to ride in and also secured a cart together with an ox to haul it. In this ox cart were loaded all our personal goods and chattels together with a sewing machine and an organ. This instrument was, I think, the first of its kind brought into the North-West, although some years previously the MacDougall family had imported a folding melodeon. 

Leaving Fort Garry we set out across the prairie, our faces toward the setting sun. To me, a nine-year-old boy, it was a journey of adventure and withal an experience never to be forgotten. Father walked most of the way and with his gun kept the party supplied with meat and game. There being no dog in the outfit I was frequently obliged to act as a retriever, wading into the sloughs for ducks which had fallen to the gun. The game was plentiful at that time and we never lacked fresh meat. 

Travelling on the Old Edmonton Trail we saw no white man until at a point near Bird Tail Creek (now Birtle) we encountered a survey party in which was Mr. Alan Patrick, now of Calgary. This meeting happened on a Sunday and both outfits observing a day of rest, we had an opportunity to learn much about the country through which these men had recently come. 

Long before we reached Fort Ellis our freight ox had become exceedingly footsore and weary so my father traded him off for a partly broken steer. The part which had been broken must have consisted of a very small fraction of the animal because he proved to be an unruly fractious beast upsetting the cart several times. After a few days, my father paid MacDougall to bring our freight along in his train. My mother drove the horse and looked after us children who, sheltered from sun and rain beneath the cover of our wagon, looked out in wide-eyed wonder at the various forms of wildlife then so abundant on the open prairie. Father was quite unfortunate in his choice of draught animals as this horse of ours turned out to be a restless nervous brute. If left standing too long it would become impatient and on several occasions caused considerable alarm by bolting across the prairie, bouncing us youngsters around in the wagon and giving Mother an anxious time until she was able to get it under control and back into the line of teams and carts again. 

The first Indian [sic] we saw came into one of our wayside camps in the evening. Mother was busy preparing pancakes for supper. The Indian [sic], being somewhat of a curiosity to us, was invited to partake of the hotcakes. This he did, bolting them as fast as the astonished cook could turn them out of the pan; while we hungry youngsters watched with awe and wonder the rapacious Redskin [sic] devouring what was to have been our evening meal. This incident was indelibly etched on my memory and I can still recollect that after dark on that evening I lay watching the stars and speculating on just how many pancakes an Indian [sic] could eat were he presented with an unlimited supply of the toothsome edibles. 

After a long and somewhat tiresome journey, we finally reached the foothills and made preparations to spend the winter in the little settlement at Morley. The untimely death of Rev. George McDougall which happened during the winter was an irreparable loss to our small community and had the effect of delaying for several years the establishment of a mission school amongst the Blood Indians. So my father stayed on at Morley, where for some years he taught school and at intervals engaged his time at such seasonable occupations as were to be had in a small rural district far removed from civilization. In later years, when the family had grown up and could be of real assistance, we engaged in ranching near Morley. 

In the early period, all our supplies had to be brought in from Fort Benton. As only one trip was made each year, a considerable train of carts was needed to export hides and furs and to import the necessary food and supplies upon which the settlement depended. So in the spring of 1876, I was quite excited over the prospect of going with the annual supply train to Benton. Our caravan was composed of some forty vehicles. In addition to the animals necessary for hauling the carts, we had a number of unbroken steers, which were to be initiated into the art of hauling in harness as we proceeded on our outward journey. These would then be of service in bringing home our bulkier and heavier imports. These steers were, to say the least, ornery brutes and could only be handled to any purpose when coupled with a steady ox accustomed to the collar. On this trip, I was appointed tutor to a steer hailing from Texas. His horns were long and his list of good qualities was short. My first attempt to lead him nearly proved my last. I was very much afraid of the big hulking brute, so, climbing into a cart to which an old ox was harnessed, I tied the steer to the back end, the other end of the rope being attached to his horns. When the cart ox started ahead Mr. Longhorn reared up on his hind end and brought his fore-end crashing down into and through the bottom of the cart in which I cowered. After recovering from this scare, I persevered with him and soon he was as docile as any animal in the outfit. An ox team depended on a 

great deal on a steady reliable lead animal. A team consisted of six oxen, each one harnessed to a cart. The teamster in charge either rode in the first cart or led the ox at the head of the string. The other animals being tied to the back of the preceding cart were kept in line on the trail. 

Crossing rivers that were too deep to ford, proved to be a tedious undertaking on such a trip and with such a large outfit. A large raft was constructed from four cartwheels which, being entirely of wood, were light and buoyant. Four buffalo hides sewn together were spread over this framework of wheels, the whole forming an ingenious and trustworthy craft. Upon it the carts and their contents were ferried, the raft being pulled from one side to the other by means of a stout rawhide rope. 

We turned our oxen loose upon an island in Sun River; the while the most of the men proceeded to Helena in order to procure material necessary for the construction of the additional carts which would be needed to freight our goods home to Morley. I was left with two of the teamsters to look after the oxen. This island was the home of a very large colony of skunks which I, to pass the time and to impress the others of the party with my prowess as a hunter, proceeded to exterminate. The other members were impressed and said so plainly every time I came near them. 

When the party returned from Helena, they brought a number of old cannon wheels upon which they made the mounted cart bodies. With our augmented caravan we then proceeded to Fort Benton. At that time the Fort was a busy bustling place. It stood on the Missouri River which was navigable up to that point. It also formed a base for prospectors going into the Black Hills country in search of gold. 

While at Benton we heard of the Custer massacre and in consequence when about to start for Morley we were all armed, my particular weapon of defence being an old rimfire thing, which was liable to be as deadly at one end as at the other. However, our fears were groundless, as we saw no hostile tribesmen on our long journey back to the Valley of the Bow. 

An experience that stays fresh in my memory had the Sweetgrass Hills for a setting. There, one morning at dawn, I rubbed my eyes awake and went out with one other man to round up the oxen. On locating the animals we were surprised to discover an old bull bison quietly grazing amongst the oxen. I ran breathlessly back to camp and got an Indian [sic] of our party to come and shoot the great shaggy beast. One of our cartwheels had broken down and so the hide of this bison was made use of at once in repairing the damage. This was accomplished by sewing part of the green hide over the fracture and when it had shrunk and dried it made the wheel as serviceable as ever again. We took the best of the buffalo meat but the weather being hot and sultry, it soon spoiled and we were obliged to throw it away. 

One night instead of sleeping as usual under a cart I crept in under a cover and found a most comfortable sleeping place amongst some sacks of flour. In fact so snug was I, that it was ten o‘clock next morning when I awoke to discover the whole camp in despair of ever seeing me again. They had been out searching for me all morning, and I sure did get a calling down for delaying the outfit a whole five hours. We usually broke camp at five a.m. 

On another occasion, I went to Benton to meet my mother and returning had a disagreeable mishap. I had purchased ten gallons of coal oil, and the jarring of my cart caused the cans to leak so that when I reached Morley the precious oil had entirely disappeared. We had to revert to candles as a means of illumination during that winter. Every time I read of an oil strike in Southern Alberta it reminds me of that incident. 

When I. G. Baker established stores at Macleod and later at Calgary, it relieved us of that long trip south to Benton. 

In the fall of 1877, I was permitted to accompany the men of Morley on a hunting trip. They proposed to go after a supply of buffalo meat. These animals were becoming somewhat scarce over the plains. After being out scouting for them for a few days, we finally sighted a small group near the Bow River and at a point some distance west of the present town of Gleichen. It was almost dark then so we decided to camp. A half-breed Indian [sic] and I went towards the river‘s edge to cut some poplar for the campfire. As soon as my companion laid the axe to a stout tree there was a most unearthly clatter and a shower of bones came rattling about our ears. Unwittingly, we had desecrated the last resting or roosting place of a long-departed Blackfoot brave. 

Some time previous to the coming of the railway to Calgary, I rode a horse in a race against a number of half-breed [sic] jockeys. This race was run on the open prairie almost where Eighth Avenue in Calgary now stands. 

During 1882-1883, I freighted goods from Calgary to Kananaskis for the surveyors who were working on the line of the Canadian Pacific through the Rockies. I also hauled and skidded the first saw logs for Col. Walker’s mill in Calgary. In 1885 I was out with Steele’s Scouts in the capacity of a teamster. From 1886 to 1892 I was employed as a foreman on the cattle ranch of George Leeson. At that time he held the Indian [sic] meat contract. For the next seven years, I acted as Indian Agent [sic], spending five of them at Morley with the Stonies, and the remaining two at Gleichen with the Blackfeet. During the construction of the great cement plant at Exshaw, I operated a store in that village. Since then I have been with the Parks Branch of the Dept. of the Interior and at the present time (1923) have

supervision of the Game and Fire Protection staffs in all Western Parks. 

Banff, Canada. Jan. 1923

Howard married Rettie Grier, daughter of William Grier, one of the first Indian [sic] agents at Morley. Howard and Rettie had seven children, six girls and one boy – Alma, Mary, Dell, Georgina, Hugh, Kina, and a seventh little girl who died very young. Hugh, Mary, Georgina and Kina moved to Los Angeles. Dell married James I. Brewster of Banff, and Alma married G. E. Hunter, also of Banff. 

In 1923 Howard was appointed Superintendent of the Kootenay National Park, a position he held until his retirement in 1928. After retiring, Howard spent his summers in Banff and his winters in California. 

Rettie Sibbald died in 1938, and Howard died two months later in Banff at 73 years of age.

Towers Family

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by Mrs Leslie Towers Big Hill Country pg 786

Francis Towers, born in 1848 in Birmingham, England, left home at the age of 18 years. Having heard so much of Canada, he decided he would manage to get there some way. The captain of a cattle boat took him on as a helper and he worked his way across to Canada. Upon his arrival, he found work on a dairy farm at Kingston, Ontario, where they milked 120 cows. Four men were employed for the job. Needless to say, there were very seldom four, as it was a continuous job, milking by hand. He stayed there for two years. Hearing of work on the C.P.R., he left the dairy and headed for Toronto. 

Upon reaching Toronto, Frank, as he was called, met and married Elizabeth Glover, who had come to Canada from the Guernsey Islands, just off the coast of France. The doctors had only given her six months to live, but she was determined to come to Canada and lived to a ripe old age of 88 years. Her first child died of tuberculosis. 

Frank continued working for the C.P.R. and was promoted to foreman. He was given the job of laying rails to Calgary from Winnipeg, which at that time was the end of the line. He had 40 men working for him. Anxious about his job, as jobs were hard to get, he had been working westward two weeks, when he suddenly remembered that he had left his bride in the immigration shed in Winnipeg. He rushed back to 

find she had searched the town, going from door to door asking for work. Luckily a Mrs. Miller, who had a large family, took her in to sew for them and kept her until Frank came back. From Calgary, the family went back to Winnipeg. Wanting to get to Vancouver, there being no passage through the mountains at that time, he and his family travelled via San Francisco and on to Vancouver where he worked on the Waterfront Hotel until it was completed. He then went back to the C.P.R., which at that time had reached Mission, British Columbia. Their son Walter was born at Yale, British Columbia, in 1879. 

At that time the C.P.R. had brought over 1000 Chinese to work on the track. One day someone hollered “Fire!” Every worker dropped his tools and headed for Vancouver. They had to come back or be deported. At Yale, the mosquitoes were so bad that despite lining their tents with netting and paper, the family found it impossible to put up with them, so left the C.P.R. again and journeyed back to Alberta where he rejoined the company. Frank was promoted to foreman and stationed at Cheadle at the time of the Riel Rebellion. 

Elizabeth Towers and her children, along with the telegraph operator, were alone when word came that the Indians planned to attack Calgary that night. The operator immediately crawled up into the attic. Fortunately, Frank arrived back and waylaid two Indian [sic] scouts. He locked them up for the night and by getting word to the Police, he was able to stop the Indian [sic] attack. 

Many were the stories they told of their experiences with the Indians [sic] stealing cows and chickens. Mrs. Towers had many close calls. An Indian [sic] appeared at the door one day and asked her if her man was at home. She said he was. The Indian [sic] didn’t believe her, after knowing he was up the track. She kept backing up to the stairway, the Indian [sic] following. Suddenly there was the sound of boots scuffing over the upstairs floor. The boys had been asleep and on wakening had slipped into their dad’s big boots. The Indian [sic] tore off as if shot! 

Leslie was born in a log house at the junction of the Bow and Elbow rivers at Calgary in 1884. At that time Calgary was mostly tents. Leaving Calgary, Frank began to accumulate some cattle and by the time the C.P.R. reached Mitford, he had approximately 90 head. The railway inspector came along one day and told him he could not hold two jobs and advised him to take up land and look after his cattle. 

Frank and Elizabeth finally settled on their homestead on the NW14 20-25-4-5. By this time, seven children had been born to them. Three died in early childhood, leaving Walter, Leslie, Harold and Vera. The Towers built their log house near the Jumping Pound Creek. William Edge and Charlie Pedeprat dovetailed the logs and helped complete the house, which was comfortable and quite spacious for the time. The

Copithornes were their closest neighbours, and the families were always ready to help one another. They shared the beef whenever butchering time came around and helped each other in various ways. The Copithornes had come to the district and settled two years after Frank and Elizabeth. It was a friendship that lasted all their lives. 

The time came for the children to go to school and Leslie and Harold stayed with the John Copithornes so that there would be enough pupils to open a school at Jumping Pound. Later the three boys rode to Mitford to school where Miss Monilaws taught. They also boarded at the James Quigleys where, according to reports, there was more mischief than learning. One Hallowe’en the young fellows locked all the Chinese in Cochrane in the outhouses and loaded them onto a boxcar. They landed in Calgary the next morning. 

Mr. and Mrs. Towers drove by wagon to Calgary for a six months supply of groceries in the spring and fall, always stopping at the Bob Wallaces or the Frayns in Springbank. Mrs. Towers said when they first settled she was two years without seeing a white woman. She made all her soap and candles, all the boys’ overalls, smocks, etc. Like all pioneer women, her life was very hard – bearing most of her children without a doctor and sometimes only an Indian [sic] woman as a midwife. While Frank was working for the C.P.R. she cooked for as many as 50 men, mixing bread every morning in a big round washtub. She was a very small person but had wonderful stamina and was known as a very hospitable, gracious person. She said that often she would come downstairs in the morning and have to step over ten or twelve cowboys sleeping in the dining room, in order to get breakfast for them. As an old lady, she talked of the large herds of cattle scattered over the hillsides where the different ranchers claimed their own, following roundup. 

Half a mile down the creek there was a buffalo jump where the Indians [sic], years before, had run the animals down the coulee and over the bank. Many a load of buffalo bones were taken out of there for years after. 

Mr. and Mrs. Towers left the ranch in 1914 to live at Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver but would come back to Alberta in the summer. In 1928, Francis Towers divided his ranch between two sons Leslie and Harold. He was a very hard worker and a good friend to everyone. He died in 1936, at the age of 85, pushing a wheelbarrow of wood for his fireplace on the beach at Kitsilano. After his death, Mrs. Towers lived alternately with her sons and daughter and died in 1939, at the age of 88 years. 

Of their children: Walter married Miriam Edge, and they had three children, two girls and one boy. Walter tried various ways of making a living. He went into the butcher shop business with Ernie Andison in Cochrane for a time but his wife’s health was not too good. They went to Vancouver where he worked for British Columbia Electric for 25 years. He died there and Miriam lived in their home for quite some time before moving to a Senior Citizen’s home, where she died. 

Vera Towers married a Scotsman, Robert Shaw. They lived at Penhold, Alberta, for four years then moved to Carstairs, where Mr. Towers had bought the Sam Scarlett ranch for his son Walter and his son-in-law Robert. This ranch was the only place between Calgary and Edmonton where travellers were sure of getting water for their stock. Mr. Scarlett charged twenty-five cents a pail for the water. Robert and Walter farmed this place for a short while. Walter did not care for ranching and left Robert to continue with the farm. Robert and Vera had three sons, Alex, Frank and George and one daughter, Bessie (Mrs. Ivan Pointen). Vera passed away in November 1963, at the age of 79. 

Harold Towers was born in the section house at Radnor. He married Dorothy Fitch in 1915, and they had three daughters: Kathleen, now liv

ing in Winnipeg, Betty in Victoria, and Shirley in Vancouver. Harold sold his part of the ranch about 1946 and moved to Calgary, where he bought two large apartment houses, with which he has been very successful. He is now 83 years old and a very prominent member of the Calgary Gun Club, winning a prize for the best shot at 83. 

Leslie Towers homesteaded SE 14 28-25-4-5 and continued ranching, which he loved. He was known for the quality of his cattle. At one time, he and Harold kept 60 head of horses but as the cattle increased, most of the horses went. 

In 1917, Leslie married Edith Callaway, and they had one daughter Alice Vernice. 

Ranching was never too profitable a way to make a living. Every fall when the steers were sold, the bills were all paid and in the spring we were back to the bank again for money to buy bulls. If there was any profit, it went back into buildings and fences. In April 1938, Mr. Coppock of the Merino Ranch and Leslie decided to ship ten carloads of cattle to Chicago, the price was so low here. The cattle were trailed to Cochrane Stockyards by way of the old steel bridge, by Rattrays. At times they had great difficulty crossing the bridge and the cattle would break through the fences, into the swift Bow River. The riders would have to follow through the water, which was very risky. Finally, they hit upon a plan. They roped an old milk cow and dragged her across the bridge, and the rest of the cattle followed. This procedure would take five or six hours and the buyers would still insist on the three percent shrinkage. One carload of Leslie’s cattle topped the market at $8.75 per hundredweight in Chicago. We sold fat cows that same year at 114 cents per pound, $15.00 for 1200 pound cows. Harold Callaway sold oats for eight cents a bushel. We finally decided to milk a few cows to pay our grocery bills and other small expenses. I made 75 pounds of butter a week and found a ready market. Between milking and raising hogs we managed to get through the 1930s. In 1936, we lost all our hay in the big fire and shipped the cattle to Olds, to winter at huge straw stacks.

During this time the government was paying men $5.00 per month to work on the farms and ranches and paid the employer $5.00 for board and room. Looking back and comparing circumstances today, the comparison is hard to realize, if one had not been through it. We all had to work very hard but took it for granted. It was the life we had chosen and there never seemed to be the resentment that came with the more affluent times. I feel the Depression was a good lesson for all who went through it. We were never hungry, depending on our gardens, milk and eggs. Our pleasures were simple, skating, playing cards and games around the kitchen table by the coal oil lamp in winter. 

There were also special occasions: The Fireman’s Ball, Ladies’ Ball, Bachelor’s Ball, and many others. Everyone went dressed for the occasion, in lovely evening gowns, belonging to the better-off folk, or the shorter dresses, to the ankle, never above! Two bachelor brothers never came without their white gloves – a protection for the ladies’ dresses. There were popular card parties at the different homes during the winter. We rode horseback or drove by buggy. There were picnics in the summer. The mothers were never too busy to bake all the day before, loading everyone into the democrat and driving five to six miles and getting back in time to do three hours’ chores in the evening. On cold nights in the winter, we would put hot bricks, for warmth, in the bottom of the sleigh and drive to the neighbours or to the dances. It was a wonderful thing when the little heaters with charcoal were invented. 

Our daughter Vernice married Hugh Wearmouth, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wearmouth of the Glendale district. Leslie took Hugh into partnership with him and after Leslie’s death, September 16, 1963, Hugh managed the ranch. Hugh and Vernice had four children; the first boy died at birth. A second son Douglas is now with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after spending two years on the City of Calgary Police Force. Irene graduated as a Registered Nurse from the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary and is presently working at the Calgary General Hospital. Edith trained as a Certified Nursing 

Aide in Calgary and is working for the City of Calgary Health Department. On August 18, 1973, she married Lindsay Ecklund, a Saskatchewan boy, who is working with Hugh on the ranch. 

They reside in Cochrane. 

I still live in the house we built in 1917 on our ranch, NW14 20-25-4-5. This is the quarter that Francis and Elizabeth Towers homesteaded so long ago. Their original log home is still standing directly across the Jumping Pound Creek from my home. 

The Towers brand is the original brand of Francis Towers, the “Wineglass’ on the left shoulder for horses and on the right hip for cattle. Hugh Wearmouth’s cattle brand is Double S Bar on the right rib.

Bateman Family

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By Bill Bateman More Big Hill Country Page 281

John Bateman was born in Cork Ireland on March 25, 1865. At the age of 22, John left Ireland to see new land and came to Canada, settling in the Jumping Pound district in 1887. John Bateman worked for different ranchers in the area including Captain Gardner, J.A.W. Fraser and Stuart brothers. In 1894 John homesteaded on NE Sec 24 Twp 24 Range 5 W5M and built a log cabin. He attended dances and parties throughout the community. John met Jessie Potts at a dance at Frank and Isabella Ricks’ home. Isabella and Jessie were sisters. 

Jessie was a daughter of James A. Potts who was born in 1828 in Locherbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He came to Canada and settled in Cobourg, Ontario. He married Jessie Johnston and raised a family of six children: William 1862, Isabella 1865, John 1867, Walter 1870, Jessie 1876 and Lucy 1878. In 1884 James Potts, accompanied by John and Isabella, came west with a trainload of cattle for John Graham of Morleyville Settlement. By 1887 all the family was in the west. James Potts worked for John Graham until 1893 when he homesteaded SW Sec 2 Twp 26 Range 6 W5M and in 1905 took a second homestead in presumption. Isabella was married to Frank Ricks in 1887 by Reverend John McDougall. Jessie and Lucy lived at Frank Ricks‘ home while attending school in order to be close to the little log schoolhouse built for white children [sic]. Jessie rode horseback to school by sidesaddle

In 1894 John Bateman registered the BN brand which was used on the Right Rib for cattle and the Right Shoulder for horses. John Bateman and Jessie Potts were married on Monday, November 30, 1896. They lived in the log house on his homestead. Three children were born in the log house including Dorothy Louise on September 17, 1897, John James, June 26, 1899, and William Walter on July 13, 1901. John and Jessie acquired the Stuart Ranch on S Sec 30, Twp 24, Range 4, W5M where the family continued to grow. Charles Joseph was born January 31, 1903; Jessie Isabel April 10, 1905; Edith Lillian December 4, 1906; Francis Joseph January 12, 1909; Lucy Eleanor September 28, 1910, and Thomas Geoffrey May 5, 1913. 

The home built in 1890 on the Stuart ranch was made of logs which were all dovetailed and the house still sits intact today (2007). It was a two-storey house with four bedrooms upstairs, one bedroom downstairs, a living room, dining hall, pantry and kitchen. Running a household in those days meant a lot of hard work. The

firewood was hauled in by team and wagon and cut and piled in a huge stack outside the house, enough to get through the winter. Water was hauled by pails from the spring behind the house. 

The water would be frozen in the pails in the house by morning in wintertime. Jessie recalled once that she had a good fire going and the stovepipe got red hot. She called to John for help and he immediately threw a pail of cold water on it. It was a big mess to clean up with soot and water all over the room! 

John (known as the “Boss”) took over the mail route in 1902 and had the Jumping Pound Post Office at his home. John Bateman’s first mail contract was for the sum of $235.00 per annum for service between Jumping Pound and Calgary via Springbank. He charged $1.00 per passenger one way or a $2.00 return. Freight on 50 lbs. of butter was 25 cents. The family milked 20 to 25 dual-purpose Shorthorn cows by hand morning and night in an open corral, regardless of the weather. Jessie could milk two cows to any other person’s one! The milk was cooled in the spring and the cream skimmed off. John would take the cream to a dairy in Calgary when he went for mail and other supplies by team and wagon. The family grew a large garden with lots of potatoes. Jessie liked to cook the new small potatoes, but John did not approve saying they needed to grow more to be larger and better. Jessie would sneak some out and cover up the potato hill again when John was gone for the mail. Since the post office was right at their home, it was not uncommon to have 20 people sitting down to dinner on Sundays when neighbours came for their mail and other supplies. Stanley Cope was one neighbour who never missed a Sunday for years. The family also took other children in so they could attend the “Little Jumping Pound School”. Two of these children were Albert Saunders and Wilf Darnell. The schoolteacher often boarded with the Bateman family also. 

Dorothy Louise married Geoffrey Bealey Bateman on November 30, 1919. A son, John Robert Geoffrey Bateman was born on August 10, 1920.

 John and Jessie’s life held much tragedy and heartache. Jessie Isabel died March 5, 1906; Charles Joseph died May 3, 1906; John James died December 27, 1921, of spinal meningitis. Francis Joseph drowned on February 18, 1912, in the spring. Dorothy Louise and Lucy Eleanor drowned on August 22, 1931, while swimming in the Jumping Pound Creek. However, the Batemans were true pioneers in spirit and heart and continued on in life. John ran the mail route with the help of his family until his death on January 1, 1942, of a heart attack. Jessie continued to live in their home until 1948 and then with their son Tom and his wife Margaret in their home until her death on May 3, 1951. 

William Walter married Mabel Annie Crowe on April 23, 1926. Their children were born in Calgary; James Norman born on February 28, 1933, and Joan Marie born on November 9, 1935. 

Edith Lillian married Clarence Johnson Sibbald on June 18, 1930, and had four children: Wayne Murray born February 22, 1937, John Franklin born January 5, 1942, Sandra Lynn born February 16, 1944, and Janet Louise born March 21, 1947. 

Tom, the youngest son of John and Jessie Bateman was born May 5, 1913, at Jumping Pound. He attended the “Little Jumping Pound School” and had chores to do before and after school. At the age of sixteen, Tom started to drive and help his Dad with the mail. Transportation gradually changed from horse and wagon to automobile. With this change, John had fewer trips and gradually his family took over as mail carriers, although John preferred a team of horses to the automobile because of road conditions. Jim hauled the mail from 1918 until his death in 1921, then Bill hauled the mail from 1921 to 1926, and then Edith helped the “boss” haul mail for a time. A truck was an improvement from the team and wagon when Tom took over at this time as sometimes it became very difficult with deep snow and drifts or mud in rainy weather. However, the mail and supplies always got picked up and brought to Jumping Pound to the post office where everyone received their mail and supplies. Tom also worked on a road crew when Ollie Edge was road foreman. As well, he rode and checked the power line with Bob Armistead, Ernie Thompson and Mr. Colliday. If there was trouble on the line they may have to change insulators or stub poles. Tom also helped to service and repair the overhead rural telephone lines.

Margaret Isabella Rowan was born in Cranbrook, British Columbia, on November 12, 1910. She came to Calgary with her parents and attended school there. Margaret trained at the Calgary General Hospital and graduated in 1933 as a Registered Nurse. She worked in her profession until her marriage to Tom on March 31, 1937. Margaret met the Bateman family when she would visit her uncle Dave Lawson who owned the XC Ranch in Jumping Pound. Tom and Margaret’s first date was a Saint Patrick’s Day dance in Cochrane accompanied by Scotty Patterson and John Robinson. 

Tom and Margaret lived with John and Jessie Bateman for their first year of marriage before moving into the Calgary Powerhouse across the road from the post office. Their daughter Elaine was born on February 2, 1939. Tom’s Dad passed away on January 1, 1942, and Tom took on the management of the ranch as well as the mail route and post office. Margaret was appointed Postmistress until the post office was closed and mailboxes were established. Tom continued to run the mail route until 1951. 

Tom and Margaret moved back to the home place after John’s death and continued to live there where their two sons were born: James Thomas on February 13, 1942, and William Harvey on May 10, 1946. In 1945 they started building a new two-storey house just east of the original home. The new home was roomy and had coloured glass stucco on the outside. The family moved into the house in 1947. Water for the house was hauled from the spring behind the house and lamps were the only source of light: In the mid to late fifties, the power was installed. What a difference that made to their lives! They now had electric lights, running water, a flush toilet and bathtub, and the furnace was changed from wood and coal to oil and even had a thermostat. Wash days were so much easier with power instead of a temperamental gas motor that sometimes wouldn’t run or would smoke you out or just about deafen you. There was a grand housewarming when they got the power in. Harvey Huggard ran around flicking the lights off and on and yodelling at the same time, which he did with expertise. Jessie moved in with the family in 1948 until her death in 1951. 

Tom ran a trucking service hauling livestock, fuel and supplies for neighbours. He hauled feed for Clem Gardner when he moved his cattle from the ranch on Pirmez Creek to the Ricks’ place or back again. Some of those times moving cattle occurred in the very cold of winter. You could hear the cattle coming from a distance with the crunch of snow and see the steam rising from the heat of the herd. 

Social events were always a highlight for everyone. The family always attended the local dances at the Jumping Pound Hall where Tom was almost always the Master of Ceremonies directing the different dances and he excelled at calling the square dances. Tom and Margaret also sat on the Board of Directors and committees. Dances were also attended in Cochrane, Bragg Creek and Elbow Valley. Tom loved to play the mouth organ and Elaine the accordion. It was wonderful to listen to the old-time music and sing along when Tom and Margaret had family and friends visiting. Card parties and whist drives were held very often at different homes. There were Christmas concerts every December at the hall for all of the local children and adults with Santa making an appearance. Box pie socials were also a popular dance with surprises in store as to who buys. Community picnics were also enjoyed by everyone.

Tom and Margaret were also involved with the Cochrane Light Horse Association attending many local gymkhanas and competitions over the years with children involved as they grew. They were also members of the Southern Alberta Pioneer Association, taking executive positions and attending functions. Elaine, Jim and Bill belonged to the Springbank 4-H beef club under the leadership of Donald Matthews and assistant leader Earl Harwood. Margaret was a member of the Rebecca Lodge in Cochrane and thoroughly enjoyed her years of curling at the Cochrane Curling Rink. 

Work on the ranch was important and everyone helped out, often with neighbours sharing tasks and then helping them in return. Elaine liked to drive the team and rake in the summertime putting up the loose hay in stacks. Jim would man the mower when haying and the tractor when cutting the crop. Bill, because of allergies to hay and grass, was not allowed in the hayfield until he was about 14 years old, and then it was with the aid of a mask and goggles for some protection. By this time they were making square hay bales. It was always great fun in the fall when Lennie Mickle brought his crew and threshing machine to thresh the grain. The threshing and stacking crew always consisted of some of the local native neighbours. There would usually be card games following supper. Someone always organized a baseball pool on the World Series which was always on during threshing time. 

Elaine, Jim and Bill rode horseback to the Jumping Pound School. Elaine started in 1945 and attended Jumping Pound school until 1954. From 1954 to 1957. She attended Mount Royal College and then teachers college in 1957 and 1958. She boarded with the Clark family in Calgary. Jim attended Jumping Pound Schoo from 1948 to 1957, Cochrane High School from 1957 to 1959 and then drove to Calgary to Crescent Heights High School from 1959 to 1960. Bill attended Jumping Pound School from 1952 until 1957, Brushy Ridge 

School from 1957 to 1959, and then Cochrane Schools from 1959 until 1963. Once the Jumping Pound School closed in 1957 Jim and Bill rode the school bus driven by John Robinson. Bill and Jim both played recreational hockey and Bill also played flag football. 

Elaine taught school at Westbrook School for two years after graduating from Mount Royal College. She boarded at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Janz and rode horseback to school. Elaine then taught at Springbank School and lived in the teacherage. Elaine married Norman Hanna, son of John and Edith Hanna, on April 21, 1962. They reside on their ranch at James River north of Sundre and have two sons, Curtis Thomas and James John. 

Jim attended the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to become a machinist and continues to work in this field. Jim married Noreen Teghtmeyer, daughter of Carl and Rachel Teghtmeyer, on June 27, 1964, and they have one son Sean James. After Tom’s passing and Jim and Noreen’s divorce, Jim now resides on the original Bateman property. 

Bill worked with his Dad, Tom, after finishing school and still resides and actively ranches on Bateman ranch property. Bill married Pat McGonigle, daughter of Clarence and Rose McGonigle, on November 12, 1966. They have three children: Shane William, Cody Lee and Jennifer Lynn.

In May of 1974, there was a spring snowstorm which caused the power to be cut out for seven days and roads became impassable. The families always found ways to cope with adversities such as this. Sadly Margaret passed away on June 4, 1977, from cancer, and 17 years later Tom passed away on July 6, 1994, from a heart attack.

We are grateful to so many

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I was looking for the next article to re-publish on our blog. I didn’t have to go far. I re-read the acknowledgements of More Big Hill Country.

I was struck by the goals of the organization and the number of people involved. I shouldn’t have been surprised by either as our town was built by people that saw what could be. It also  shows what can be accomplished by community.


So here are the acknowledgements from More Big Hill Country, Cochrane and Area 1945-1980.

In writing this sequel to the Big Hill Country book, we have attempted to record, the future, the continuing advancements and growth that the descendants– of the pioneers in the early 1880’s and those that have come later, carried on their initiatives and built a town and industry to support themselves and the people of Alberta. 

In some cases, the reader may find some repetition to the Big Hill Country stories, but that was done in order to familiarize the relationships going back many years and the generations that have followed. The newcomers who arrived after 1945, also pioneered in their own right, bringing their talents and fortitude to help make a living in this beautiful country a pleasure. 

We would like to acknowledge the Book Committee of CHAPS for their hard work and dedication. Co-Chairs, Marilyn Whittle, Bernice Klotz, Business Manager Gayle Want; Copy Editor, Margaret Buckley; Typist, Lynda Alderman; Proof Readers and Writers, Ellen Buckler, Arlene Hepburn, Shannon Want, Dorothy Anderson, Bev Genung, Dave Whittle, Ken Thompson, Gordon Davies and Ernie Trosch. Our thanks also to Janette Whittle for the cover drawing and to David Callaway, who with his talent in the publishing business, volunteered to get the book “print-ready” for us. Our thanks also to the many phoners and helpers we needed to complete this task. 

Our very sincere appreciation goes to the Cochrane and Area Community Foundation, Cochrane Eagle newspaper, Stockmen’s Memorial Foundation, the Cochrane Advocate newspaper, the Old Timer newspaper, Cochrane Royal Canadian Legion, Town of Cochrane, Bearspaw Historical Society, Cochrane Times newspaper, Calgary Herald newspaper, Glenbow Museum and Archives, Bearspaw Lions, Sure Print Copy and Tremar Computer Solutions. 

We have attempted to get as accurate information as possible and regret any unintentional omissions. Due to the fact that the Big Hill Country book was printed as a limited edition, we would ask you to visit the Nan Boothby Library or the Stockmen’s Memorial Foundation Library to read any of the previous family or area histories and stories. 

We hope that you will enjoy with us the history of the little town by the Bow River that grew and has prospered in the beautiful surrounding farm and ranch country that has, for so many years, been a great supplier of agricultural products for your table and home. 

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