Recently attending the tenth anniversary of the opening ceremonies of the Cochrane Ranche site, I was reminded of the history that is now largely forgotten and very seldom mentioned of the 105 years of past history associated with this site.
Pete Collins’ brickyard was situated about 300 yards directly south of where the old Cochrane Ranche house sat. The house and property at that time was owned by Beynon and Davis, who operated a dairy and pig farm from 1919 until about 1948. However, the year I am writing about was the summer of 1928, which was the last summer the brickyard was in operation.
Today’s post is from pg 29 of More Big Hill Country. This section of the book contains histories of early businesses. The Big Hill Country had many sandstone quarries in the early years and many of the buildings in downtown Calgary are built with this sandstone. The Shelley Quarry Company opened in 1908 and from … Read more
I remember Dewey Blaney, Nick Cosis, Yee Lee’s Laundry, Brodie’s Barber Shop, the brickyard and creamery, Dave Murray’s blacksmith shop, George Bunney’s milk delivery by horse and wagon.
The building has undergone several renovations since then, and is now the location of HQ Coffee Co., Old and Crafty and Pots and Peppers.
When the well reached a depth to use dynamite, Tom and Frank let Orr down the hole in a bucket on the windlass. Orr set the dynamite in a hole in the rock and lit the fuse. They pulled him up and sat at a safe distance from the hole then waited and waited. Finally, Orr, against the advice of the other two, persuaded them to let him down the hole again, as he was sure the fuse had gone out. When he got near the bottom of the hole he yelled, “Let me up! Let me up! It’s lit!”
The main town lies at an altitude of 3,760 feet, at a Latitude of 51 11 ‘and Longitude of 114/28 W. The annual precipitation averages between 17-19 inches and droughts are rare. (This includes an average annual snowfall of 72.5 inches and a rainfall of 11.42 inches). Chinook winds which sweep over the mountains help to modify the winters with their warmth.
Anne heard that the brick house on First Street, known to locals as the ‘Chapman house’, was in jeopardy of being tom down for a small high rise. She approached several people including Lydia and a group of about twelve people met at the CPED (Cochrane Partnership for Economic Development) Boardroom in January of 1999.
My first impression of Cochrane was from the cab of a Canadian Pacific Railway engine. My uncle was an engineer was on the run from Calgary to Banff and had a stopover at Cochrane for the brickyard
Our 25th is coming up. Won’t you join us August 25th. Looks like fun for everyone. Our History Lydia Graham, then Mayor of Cochrane and Anne Richardson, an interested resident of the town, instigated the idea of establishing an historical association in Cochrane. In July of 1999 a meeting was held at which time … Read more
