When researching the history of Glenbow village, the ghost town at the centre of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, I inevitably ran into dead ends. Admittedly, it is impossible to know every detail of any particular person’s life. However, sometimes the tantalizing trace of a Glenbow resident still haunts me. Such was the case with Frank… Continue reading Frank Coombs
Tag: Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park
Ghosts of Glenbow
Join Shari on June 3, for her talk entitled ‘If These Walls Could Talk’ which will be the third presentation in the Cochrane’s Hidden History series, sponsored by the Cochrane Historical & Archives Preservation Society. Come hear stories not previously revealed – either in Shari’s book or otherwise. Those familiar with her work will be… Continue reading Ghosts of Glenbow
Isabella Sarah Gillespie
The exploits of powerful men form the basis of recorded history, while the life experiences of other groups, such as people with disabilities, are often neglected. This skews our view of the past, since in reality, many people face health difficulties due to genetic or infectious diseases, accidents, or aging. The former residents of Glenbow… Continue reading Isabella Sarah Gillespie
Marion Moodie: Botanist
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11 provides a great opportunity to highlight the diverse scientific endeavours of a woman who called Glenbow home. Marion Moodie’s medical career was featured here in a previous article, however she was accomplished in another scientific discipline, as well. Marion arrived in Glenbow in… Continue reading Marion Moodie: Botanist
Auld Lang Syne
At the close of 1909, the people who lived at Glenbow Quarry (located in today’s Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park) marked the New Year with a luscious turkey dinner and lively entertainment, concluding with Auld Lang Syne. More than just a traditional New Year’s Eve anthem, this song is a clue to the lives of the… Continue reading Auld Lang Syne
Evelyn Edwards
Just as in the classic Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, each of us impacts the lives of others in vital (but sometimes forgotten) ways. Like the film’s hero George Bailey, Evelyn Edwards performed a crucial act of bravery one winter during her childhood. Evelyn was born at Glenbow in April 1912, the first child… Continue reading Evelyn Edwards
Christmas Cards of Hope
Several years ago, just before Christmas, I was charged with forwarding the personal possessions of a pioneering Albertan doctor and his family to the Royal Alberta Museum. Although Dr. Andrew Walter Park and his wife Amelia resided in Cochrane, their adopted daughter Lorna had been born to the Wall family of Glenbow (located in today’s… Continue reading Christmas Cards of Hope
The James Family
As we pause for a moment of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we mark the anniversary of the declaration that ended The Great War. For many Canadians, war — especially the one that began this tradition — seems remote. The First World War, although conducted overseas, wasn’t… Continue reading The James Family
Event at Calgary!
Join Shari on Monday, November 14 at 7:00 PM at the Bow Cliff Seniors Centre (located at 3375 Spruce Drive SW) for a presentation about her new book Alberta’s Cornerstone: Archaeological Adventures in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, published by Heritage House Publishing. This event hosted by the Alberta Family Histories Society is also being broadcast over Zoom (contact AFHS… Continue reading Event at Calgary!
Travellers
The vagaries of modern travel are nothing new. People a century ago would have empathized with today’s long lineups, last minute delays and lost baggage. Many of Glenbow’s former residents encountered challenges while travelling. One of the most frightening incidents was endured by the Fitzgerald family, residents of Glenbow from 1905 to 1908. In October… Continue reading Travellers