CHAPS is restoring a luggage cart once used at the Cochrane Railway Station.
Mike Taylor and Lonnie Basiuk are leading the project. They have disassembled and examined each of the parts. While well constructed, they’ve discovered most of the wood needs replacing. The metal parts will be sand blasted. The cart will soon be painted, reassembled and join the collection of the Cochrane Historical Museum.
Years ago CHAPS sponsored the creation of 100 Stories for 100 Years. Last year we created a YouTube channel that highlights these local stories. The producer of the series is Barry Thorson of Lone Wolf Theatre Company.
This video is the first we’ll highlight on our website blog.
Author Fred Stenson talks about the history of the Cochrane Ranche and his book Lightning.
We have a good supply of Cochrane bricks. Tell us about your project and we may be able to help.
CHAPS recently sponsored the installation of 5 more historic signs. Each sign details a bit of the history involved with the site and why it’s important to our local story.
They include the Range Grill, Murray Hardware, Camden House, Shoemaker shop, and Meat Locker plant.
Thanks to all the volunteers and contractors that helped with the construction and installation. These signs help CHAPS fulfill our mission of educating people about the history of our beautiful town.
Today was my first chance to get back into the Cochrane Historical Museum after flood damage this past spring. The exhibits on the first floor were unharmed but the archives, work area and meeting space on the lower floor were significantly damaged.
I am sure impressed. Not only have repairs been done but it looks better and more functional than before. The area is divided into an Archives, meeting space and research space that is more attractive and useful than before.
Meeting area and one research station
The chance of future flooding reaching the Museum has been eliminated by adding a berm.
Berm to reduce flooding
Access to the lower floor has been improved by making changes to the original stairs.
Improved access to lower floor
Thanks to all the volunteers, donators and contractors that made this possible. The history of our beautiful town can again be displayed.
Alberta has a rich history and no end of Museum’s to record and educate. Local CHAPS members recently visited Innisfail’s Historic Village to learn more about Central Alberta.
The yearly planned activities of CHAPS was suddenly interrupted and altered during the late evening of March 23rd, 2019. The Big Hill Creek overflowed it’s banks resulting in the flooding of our Museum basement.
Thanks to members of the Cochrane Fire Department and CHAPS volunteers, many historical and cultural artifacts, books, photo albums and other objects were saved. We were very fortunate to not of lost our entire basement and contents.
This event shattered our sense of safety. Though heartbroken and devastated, CHAPS members and volunteers rallied together to repair the damages. This publicly demonstrated how CHAPS members and volunteers are dedicated and devoted to help protect, preserve and maintain the history of Cochrane and the surrounding areas.
As a result, many individuals, non-profit organizations and local businesses made financial donations to help recoup our losses.
Remember “out of tragedy, good things happen”. Human nature cannot live without the news. Through the local news print and social media applications, information about CHAPS has spread very quickly. This raised public awareness and visibility has helped mobilize people to support our identity, goals , values and purpose.
We must keep and improve this “recognition process” moving forward in 2020. We must move ahead with vigor, passion and fixed determination to achieve our goals. We all need to keep going.
Thanks to Malcolm Strong for donating Cochrane bricks to CHAPS. They were from the Moore house on Ross Ave. & William St. There are 8 pallets with about 200 bricks per pallet.
CHAPS has been contacted by a resident of Downey, CA about an Estate sale for Findlay’s who once lived in Cochrane. Apparently, they had quite a lot of memorabilia from the area including this site plan from 1914. It would be extremely helpful if someone in Downey could give these treasures a look on our behalf.
The mystery of Where’s Waldo finally solved as he has been working at the Cochrane Historical Museum for the past two years as part of a contest
— Read on www.cochranethisweek.com/wheres-waldo-mystery-solved/
Archeologists dig up the past along Highway 1A.
— Read on www.cochranetoday.ca/local-news/archeologists-peer-into-cochranes-past-1621442
Are you #staycationing this year? Be sure to #MeetYourMuseum. #CochraneHistoricalMuseum
CochraneNow.com – Cochrane, Alberta’s latest news, Sports and Ag news, as well as Classifieds, Community Events and Business Directory.
— Read on cochranenow.com/community-blog-articles/chautauqua-breathes-life-into-proud-heritage
CHAPS President Larry Want presents the Heritage Award to Janette Whittle for “Grannies Dishes”.
Honourable Mention went to Annabelle Denson for “In the Old Day’s”.
Our rebuilding fundraiser is going well thanks to the nice people at Fortis.
CHAPS thanks the Totem Charitable Foundation for this incredibly generous support of the Cochrane Historical Museum. The museum recently sustained damage by a flood of Big Hill Creek.
“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”
Being a CHAPS Volunteer isn't about how long you've lived here. It's about contributing to the community, meeting new people, learning new skills and having fun.
Thank you to our volunteers
Builders. We can’t thank the folks enough that helped to build CHAPS.
“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”
Every Restoration and/or colourization order during the month of April will
have $25 donated to CHAPS. A restoration originates from a damaged print or
from a print where changes are needed. Removing people, combining photos,
fixing damage etc.
Clients will receive a FREE digital file (via email) of their restored file. This is a savings of $10 per restored image.
Our vendor for restorations has donated $100 to CHAPS via PayPal.
People are welcome to bring in multiple restorations. Should CHAPS need any
restorations completed we would be pleased to extend a discount.
Let me know if you need any further information.
Thank you,
Jennifer Winter
403.932.6787
Winter Photographics foto source
18-312 5th Ave W,
Cochrane, AB. T4C 2E3
www.winterphotographics.com
Sadly, the museum was damaged. Thanks to all who assisted.
Beaupre – a locality north of the 1A Highway about 10 miles west of Cochrane. Named after Louis Beaupre, an early settler who bought squatter’s rights there.
Beaver Dam Creek – rises in the west side of the Weedon district, flows through Mortimer Coulee, and winds on northeast. So named because of the numerous beavers in it.
Big Hill – the hill below which Cochrane is situated. Early maps show it as Manachaban Hill, which is the Blackfoot name. The apex of the Big Hill is about 3 miles east of the town.
Bow River – so named because the Indians obtained wood for bow making, along its banks.
Cochrane – situated on the southwest slope and at the base of the Big Hill. Named after Senator M.H. Cochrane (1823-1903) who established the Cochrane Ranche in 1881.
Cochrane Lakes – named after W.F. Cochrane, son of Senator M.H. Cochrane of the Cochrane Ranche Company. The lakes are 4 miles north of the 1A Highway, and west of Highway 22.
Dog Pound – a locality which derives its name for a Cree name. but its origin is not clear. Presently, it is a hamlet on the Crossfield – Cremona Highway.
Ghost Lake– the flooded area formed by the Ghost Dam. There is now a village on the north shore of the lake. The Ghost River flows into the Bow just above the Dam.
Grand Valley – named after Donald McEachen, who exclaimed “Aye, It’s a grand valley!”
Horse Creek – supposed to have been so named because of a lost horse which was found drowned in the creek.
Jackass Canyon – located northwest of Beaupre. When the C.P.R. came through in the 1880’s, mules were used for building the roadbed. Those mules were wintered in this canyon, hence the name.
Jacob Creek – named after a Stoney Indian Chief who signed Treaty no. 7 in 1877. It flows through the Ghost Dam Reservoir.
Jumping Pound – a locality south and west of Cochrane.
Lochend – a locality 14 miles northeast of Cochrane, named by J.K. Laidlaw.
Lochend Lake – named by J.K. Laidlaw , and derived from the Gaelic name meaning “At the end of the lake”.
Madden – a hamlet named after Bernard Madden, an early settler in the Beaver Dam District.
Manachaban Hill – the Blackfoot name for what is more commonly know as Big Hill.
Mitford -a town between Cochrane and Morley on the banks of the Bow River. Mitford was named by Lady Adela Cochrane after her friend, Mrs. Percy Mitford. The town was abandoned when the C.P.R. established their station at Cochrane, and later a fire burned the buildings that remained; some, such as All Saints Anglican Church, were moved to Cochrane.
Morley – an Indian Reservation. Established as a mission at Morleyville, by the Rev. George McDougall. Named after Rev. Morley Punshon.
Pile of Bones Creek – presumably so named because of the severe cattle losses suffer by the Cochrane Ranche, whose cattle watered nearby on a quarter set aside as a water reserve (SW 1/4, 14-25-5-5)
Radnor – a flag stop station on the C.P.R. just east of the Ghost Dam. Named in 1884 after Wilma, Daughter of the 5th Earl of Radnor.
Sheep Ranch Hill -the hill just west of Cochrane, so named because the sheep corrals were at its base. Presently its known as Cochrane Crescent.
Sibbald Creek – named after the Sibbald family who homesteaded in the area.
Waiporous Creek – is part of the Ghost River system. It is derived from a Stoney Indian name meaning “Crow Indian Scalp.”
Wildcat Hills elevation 5,135 feet; a range of timbered hills northwest of Cochrane.
Thanks to Sonia Turner who originally wrote this article. This article contains a small number of the locations described on page 21 of Big Hill Country.
I’d originally thought about updating the article but that changed the flavour and doesn’t show how much Cochrane has changed since the book was published in 1977.
The Hooves of History was a fundraising event for the Western Heritage Centre to celebrate our western culture.
I spoke with Ken Aylesworth, Steering Committee Chair, President and CEO of the Western Heritage Center about his memories.
Click on any image for a larger view.
The goal of the event was as a fund raiser to establish an annuity to support the operation of the Western Heritage Centre.
The original goal was to have 2000 head of cattle driven by 1000 outriders. While that ambitious goal was not reached 1000 cattle and 750 drovers made the 55 km ride from Sibbald Flats near the Trans Canada Highway into Cochrane 4 days later.
The drive stopped for nights at a Campground, Tom Copithorne ranch and the last night at the Wine Glass Ranch.
Neil Sanger and Maureen Tynan were married that night on the Wine Glass Ranch by Cowboy Poet Doug Richards along with 50 guests.
A team of volunteers was out front of the drive taking down ranchers fences and pounding posts to tie up horses at every nightly stop. The route was selected because land owners allowed the drive to cross private property many times providing the necessary insurance as well.
While in Cochrane, the cattle were auctioned off, a dance was held in the Western Heritage Centre parking lot, outhouse races took place, stage entertainment including a western shootout, and a Cowboy Church.
Ken says it was a big, big job requiring nearly 400 volunteers.
Jim Bates was responsible for feeding nearly 2000 riders, volunteers and media personnel. 30 Volunteers helped serve food along the drive and another 30 prepared daily boxed lunches. Jim says the meals were not exactly gourmet cuisine but there’s nothing quite like a hot meal cooked on the open plains.
By the time the ride is complete, Bates will have served 4,000 lbs of beef, 4,800 lbs of potatoes, 24,000 eggs, 1,500 lbs of bacon, 12,000 buns, 500 lbs of butter, 72,000 creamers in 35,000 cups of coffee and 6,600 boxed lunches.
People attended from around the world including the rest of Canada, England, Australia, Norway, Holland and many parts of the U.S. Ken estimates 30% of people attending were not from the area.
10 wagons followed the drive.
Besides saddle sores, there was only one injury. Ken’s dad Bob Aylesworth was thrown from his horse minutes from the start breaking his pelvis.
"The day we came down the hill to ride through Cochrane was very emotional. All this work and we were coming to the end of it all. The streets were lined and people were on the roof of the bar. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun."
Brad Dennis, a friend of Kens and an investment banker participated. Ken convinced him to come and he had one of the most incredible experiences of his life with riding a horse and sleeping on the ground. When we stopped he said “Kenny, lets do it again.”
Hooves of History created a wonderful event for Cochrane. Media from around the world were here.
Thanks to Ken Aylesworth, the Cochrane Times and the Cochrane Historical Museum Archive for providing details of Hooves of History 2001.
Phyliss Hart talks about how her father, Hedley Hart brought ice cream to his drug store in 1934 to bring people into the business. The video “The Five Cent Article” is from the series 100 Stories for 100 Years produced by Barry Thorson.
Hedley Hart purchased the drugstore from Dr. Waite who often closed the business when he had calls in the country. While business in Cochrane was better than in Gadsby, AB it wasn’t enough to support a family.
One day, Max Thibodeau, with Union Milk and Crystal Diary in Calgary came in to sell an ice cream machine and everything to go with it. Thibodeau must have been quite the salesman or visionary to sell $1500.00 of equipment when ice cream sold for just .05 cents.
It didn’t take long before the name was established and Hedley was staying up until 2 AM to keep up with the ice cream demand. He purchased a couple of new machines to help out. It wasn’t long before it became a Sunday pastime for Calgarians to drive to Cochrane for a Hart’s ice cream cone or a thick shake.
The store was an agent for Brewster, later Greyhound Bus Lines. Bus drivers would buy ice cream and it wasn’t long before passengers did the same. At the time, Cochrane was on the Trans Canada and ran right through Cochrane. It wasn’t until years later that the Trans Canada Highway was routed miles south.
In 1956, Hedley Hart sold the drugstore and ice cream business to Bob and Alice Graham. Hedley Hart, then 70 retired with family to Calgary. A year later, the Trans Canada Highway was developed south of Cochrane and the Grahams decided to sell the ice cream business to Jimmy MacKay.
from files supplied by Phyllis Hart.
Aileen Copithorne talks about the freedom experienced growing up in Cochrane. CHAPS Cochrane has a YouTube Channel with over 40 interesting stories of Cochrane.
Aileen Davies grew up in Cochrane in the home that is now the Cochrane Historical Museum.
She has many stories of growing up in a small town.
She tells a story of biking with friend, Dorothy Reed when Mr O’Keefe, the Bank Manager once offered them ride to 12 Mile Coulee to watch the Stampede Fireworks. They left their bikes behind Andisons’ store. Not thinking that fireworks were after dark they didn’t get home until late. Both parents had searched river and creek areas looking for them. “Our parents were so glad to see us we didn’t get in too much trouble.”
“Dorothy and I had stick horses which we rode over the hill to the brickyard. We also had stilts made by uncle Jack. The family across the road had tall stilts and used to sit on roof of house across the street just to watch people. Their name was Kinsley.”
Aileen went to school in brick school that used to be where Holy Spirit currently sits. She remembers looking south one day to see the Brushy Ridge fire. Students were glued to the windows and the smoke was horrendous.
“I was the lone graduate in my class of grade 12. It was very lonely in high school.” She had classmates in earlier grades but they did not stick it out to Grade 12.
“School was very regimented. Our Principal had a hand bell to call us back to class. If you didn’t behave you got hit with the bell. We used to have to line up girls then boys and march into school.”
“Cochrane used to be divided into east side and west side. You didn’t have friends from the other side of town. You visited the other side if you had relatives but there was little mixing. Many homes in Cochrane had barns behind them for horses and carriages. Homes had large gardens.” Aileen remembers Auntie Annie feeding a lot of men when they got off the train with food from the garden and from local chickens.
She attended a very rigorous 3 year Nursing program at Calgary General. “The first year you felt basically a slave, we were paid $6.00 per month, had no days off, had to attend lectures from Doctors during our off time and had a 10 PM curfew. Year 3 you were a Senior and had more freedom.” Occasionally she came home on the midnight train. The uniform was black stockings, striped blue and white dress, with apron and bib with white hat. “The stockings were terrible.”
Since the train used to stop in Cochrane it was used to get into Calgary.
Aileen married John Copithorne and moved to their family place that originally sat where Gleneagles Golf Course currently is.
Aileen tells a story about John’s dad when driving their first tractor. He ran it through a fence into McPherson’s. When asked about his accident he said he hollered “Whoa but the damn thing didn’t stop”.
Aileen says they were lucky to grow up in Cochrane in an uncomplicated time.
