Jan 16th 7:30 PM
Cochrane Historical Museum
Cost: Free
CHAPS is planning on having regularly scheduled events to talk about the History of Cochrane and area. This is our first where we plan on opening up our photo archives. We have many more photos than what we’ve been showing on our social media feeds.
Plan on joining us for this free event.
Stay tuned for a new magazine debuting in February 2019. CHAPS and the Cochrane Historical Museum will be a feature.
Existing publications in Cochrane and Airdrie will be merged into a new magazine called “townsizing”.
Bernice, Larry and myself had the opportunity to talk to Carmen about our passion for the history of our town and the spirit of volunteerism that our volunteers exhibit that keeps the Museum and other projects going.
Dewey was born in Roanoke County, Virginia in 1897. He moved with his parents, brothers and sisters to Salem, VA in 1906. He was hired to work for the Barnett family in their home and feed store.
Dewey came to Alberta with the Barnett’s in 1915 to a farm in the Bottrell area. He worked for them for 4 additional years before moving on to work in Dog Pound and Bottrell area.
Later, he found work with the Hogarths tending teams of horses on the Banff-Jasper Highway construction and again with local ranchers in the Cochrane area.
Dewey loved children and as Ivan in “Skippin’ Sugar Cookies”, says spent a lot of money on them.
Dewey passed away in 1970 and is remembered here in Cochrane in St. Andrews Cemetery and Dewey Blaney Park.
from an article in Big Hill Country
Long after Dewey passed away he inspired me.
He was around Cochrane alot when I was small and I also saw him at the Cochrane Racetrack site where he lived. He worked for many ranchers in the area including my grandfather J.W. (John) Boothby.
Dewey inspired my interest in history. I read in Big Hill Country that his grandfather was a slave. That small piece of information made me realize that the Civil War and slavery were not long ago even though 1861-65 sounded so many years passed.
That small fact also made me realize that the study of history helps understand why we are the way we are today.
by Mark Boothby
CHAPS premiered a new Exhibit at the Cochrane Historical Museum. A unique Canadian Red Ensign flag was unveiled at the Museum today.
The flag was donated by David and Jane Raymont of Toronto who have familial ties to the area. Mr. Raymont purchased the flag in memory of local rancher Arthur Scott Lewis who died in W.W. 1 (1885-1918) He and his wife Maude Lewis, purchased a section of Spencer Creek Ranch (Beaupre Lake area) in 1908.
Alberta became a Province in 1905 and the shield of Alberta was added to the other 8 shields on the right hand side of the Red Ensign flag in 1907. The Union Jack was on the left side, so this flag represented all 9 provinces and England. This Red Ensign, or similar one would likely have been flown in Cochrane with great pride after Alberta became a province. It is therefore very appropriate that this flag will be prominently displayed at the Cochrane Historical Museum.
After the flag was donated it became clear that this was an important acquisition that should be restored, preserved and given pride of place in the Museum. Thanks to a generous grant from the Rotary/Lions/Bow Rivers Edge Campground Society, the Museum was able to have the flag cleaned, repaired, mounted and framed. The meticulous work of professional restorer Gail Niinimaa and the painstaking framing of Scott Winter at Winter Photographics has restored, preserved and beautifully displayed this unique acquisition.
Despite the Canadian Red Ensign never being officially approved by Ottawa, it flew over the Parliament Building for several years before being replaced by the Union Jack during the Boer War. Flag manufacturers capitalised on nationalistic feelings and produced several different varieties of Red Ensigns, adding the new Provincial Shields when they were approved by England. The Museum’s flag, like others has the Union Jack on the left and the provincial shields on the right, but unlike most Red Ensigns has a maple leaf and beaver garland around the shields, making it rare and truly Canadian.
Since the ‘Great Flag Debate’ of the 60’s when Canada finally acquired its own officially approved flag, little has been heard of Canada’s original flags. The history of the Red Ensign is in danger of being lost. In their lifetime, many Canadians have only known the current flag, and its a revelation for them to see an original early Canadian flag. The museum will be showing this history along with countless other exhibits when it opens again in June 2019.
Mike Taylor, Cochrane Historical Museum Committee member. The museum is a part of CHAPS, Cochrane Historical and Archival Preservation Society.
December 15, 2018
Gordon and I spent an hour trying to locate 1 of the 3 motorcycle hill climbing areas around Cochrane. We think we’ve found 1. These images are approx. 80 years apart. Do they look like the same plateau and corner of the river?
We are meeting with Ace Hy Motorcyle Club later this month to see their photos of 1930’s hill climbs to see if we can find the other 2 sites.
Hamish McNaughton Kerfoot talks about how he and his father got to the ranch on Grand Valley Road.
CHAPS wishes everyone a joyful, peaceful, loving and Merry Christmas.
Our gift to you are some memories of Historic Cochrane from our new Youtube site.
Please Subscribe and Like our Youtube channel. Look for this button in Youtube.
We’re starting of series of blogs based on the 2005 The Live Stories Programme: 100 Stories for 100 Years produced by Barry Thorson and Lone Wolf Theatre Company. CHAPS has had the source material in our archives for years. There are some really interesting stories of Cochrane that we want to share.
The first video is Ron Baker describing how Cochrane’s Rona B shot tower was built.
Ron was a trap shooter who began experimenting with creating his own shot. He came upon a special lead alloy and local shooters began asking him to supply lead shot.
The shot tower was a former oil derrick. The buildings and equipment were home made or adapted from oil equipment. Ron felt his product was harder than any other produced in North America.
Lead bars were melted at the top of the tower, poured through a sieve and dropped to the base to be cooled in a vat of water. During its peak, Rona B used 3 to 4 tons of lead daily. The Tower stood 181 feet top to bottom.
The finished lead shot was used in Olympic shotgun shells and by Western Canadian shooters who made their own shells.
Rona B Lead Shot was started by 1959 by Ron Baker and his father C.W. Baker. We believe the tower was completed 1961-2 and was torn down in 2006.
Mark Boothby from files submitted by Garney Baker.
A bag of the shot produced at the tower. It recently sold on the Internet along with 20 of the bags used.
I didn’t know anything about the topic of making shot so I looked a video up. I’d not seen any other shot towers in Canada. According to the video there were only 3 in England at that time.
This news from the Glenbow inspires me. We have so many photos in our archives with few or no details. I’m sure it’s within the collective memory of our members so we need to record it. This is one of our goals when we open our photo archives; to record peoples memories. Goto to our Activities page for more details on our Photo Archive event.
Here’s is the Glenbow story about recovering the people and circumstances from one of their photos.
CHAPS is planning next years fundraisers. We need your help with that process. Please take 2 minutes and complete this survey.
We are looking at the number and timing of fundraisers, location, meals, content and cost. We are looking for our supporters opinions so please take a couple of minutes and help us out.
We have a monthly Newsletter emailed to our membership.
We’ve just added a Newsletter check box to our membership form. Just click yes to be added to our Newsletter.
Existing members have been added to the list. If you want to change this click the unsubscribe option on the bottom of each newsletter.
We have some great photos and discussions going on our Facebook page. You don’t need Facebook you can see our live page by clicking the image or button.
While we were out talking to people about support for the Fall Fund-Raiser Dinner we realized a need for a media page where certain logos, images and videos are available for download. Check it out.
1906 - 158
1911 - 395
1913 -300
1945 - 800
1969 - 900
1979 - 2308
1989 - 4541
1991 - 5195
1996 - 5195
1999 - 10391
2001 -11798
2006 - 13760
2011 - 17580
2016 - 25853
2017 - 26320
Daryl Bulloch provided this video of a drone overflight of the Cochrane Ranche.
What do you know about this building. Cochrane used to have barns outside many homes to store horses and wagons. Could this barn date from that era?
We’d also like to do further research on Mitford and a variety of other subjects. Interested?, get it touch.
We have other opportunities with membership and fundraising.
We get tons of compliments. Why not share the good news with others. Please rate us on TripAdvisor.
We need your help.
CHAPS fall fundraiser is coming up Nov 17th at the Royal Canadian Legion. We are constructing 5 gift baskets that will go up for bidding. If you can provide a gift card or similar item please contact Lydia Graham at 403-932-2366 or lydia2@shaw.ca.
This past Wednesday and Thursday 100 students from Grade 2 French immersion classes at Elizabeth Barrett visited the Cochrane Historical Museum. Greeted by Frank Hennessey students learned that the building is over 100 years old, was once the the Davies home and Cochrane’s first hospital.
Gordon Davies continued the presentation in French with Jade Lewis’s excellent history of the Cochrane Ranche Video.
We had 18 members attend September 19th. Committees gave an overview of what was accomplished this year.
Next Fundraising Dinner at Legion on Nov 17.
New volunteers needed to help on the following committees
Election of officers
All voted in by acclamation.
This Year:
Looking for ideas to celebrate ie:
notes by Bernice Klotz
These videos are cute.
The Vintage Toys have been a fun display at the museum this summer. We’re going to keep the display again next year and try to tweek it a little and maybe add a few items.
As you’ve been a lender, you have agreed to lend your items until this fall. If you want to let us exhibit them again we need you to sign or initial a change on your forms.
If you’re attending the AGM on Wednesday could you please see Shannon Want to do this.
Thanks so much,
Gayle
Jade Lewis has operated the Museum during the summer for the past few years. She has also created an excellent history of the Ranche.
