Much anticipated local history book to be released May 29

KBPV Curator Farley S. Wuth keeps a constant eye on Pincher Creek History
C. Davis file photo

• "From Prairie Grass to Mountain Pass" revised and much expanded

KBPV press release

Have you ever wondered how Pincher Creek was named? Which rancher was removed by the Hudson’s Bay Company from his picturesque foothills ranch? Who was the pioneer nearly blown off the steeple of St. Henry’s Church during the windstorm that embedded its hilltop construction into our collective folklore?

96th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge

The Battle of Vimy Ridge, painting by Richard Jack,
Canadian War Museum/Wikimedia Commons image

At 5:30 am on April 9, 1917 the Battle of Vimy Ridge began.

This World War One military engagement pitted four divisions of the Canadian Corps against three divisions of the German Sixth Army and was a defining moment for the then nascent Canadian identity, leading to an increased recognition for Canada's role on the international stage by our allies and (then) foes alike.

Co-op donates $6,000 to Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

David Crowell, Louis Patterson, Colleen Cyr
C. Davis photo

Pincher Creek Co-op donated $3,000 to Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV) on March 26, 2013.  This represents the second payment that Pincher Creek Co-op has donated toward the creation of the Co-op Display that is taking place on the east side of the original museum building on the south end of James Avenue.   The total of the two donations adds up to $6,000.

"It is a very worthwhile cause for the community at large, and it's great that the facade that will be made by the benefactor of this money is really going to show the history of the Co-op over the last 91 years," said Co-op General Manager David Crowell.

Stuckey family memories

Joanne Parsons, Contributor

Pincher Creek's Stuckey family
 May 28, 1918

Back row: Gordon, Lewis, Percy and Wilford
Front row: Arthur, Herald, Richard, Margaret, Samuel , and Grandpa

     Richard (Dick) and Margaret married in Luther county, Ontario in 1882 and had three boys. Samuel (1883) , Aylmer (1885 ) who died in 1889 and Percy in 1889. Dick joined a brother Samuel in Nelson B.C. and became a partner with Samuel in a sawmill in 1890. Dick brought his wife and family to Nelson in 1991 and another brother Lewis joined them. While in Nelson four more boys were born to Dick and Margaret: Wilfred (1892 ), Stanley (1894 ), Lewis Rodney (1895), and Arthur in 1898.  Dick's brother Lewis married in Nelson in 1899.  Lewis and Dick left Nelson and filed for side by side homesteads in the Chipman District near Pincher Creek in 1898. A seventh son for Dick and Margaret, Harold,  was born in Pincher Creek on February 1, 1906.

Dick left the farm in 1909 and lived in Calgary during the war years and then went on to operate a garage in Duchess in 1920. In 1924 Dick and family moved back to Pincher Creek.  Lewis,  Dick's brother, stayed on the farm and his decendants are still living on the original homestead to this day. Dick and Margaret celebrated their 60th anniversary in the old Fram Hall on April 12, 1942. All seven boys and their families were present.

Fowl times at museum

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Ducks at KBPV

Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV) welcomed some new fowl additions to their popular barnyard exhibit this week, with the arrival of ducks.

The chicks that have been in residence since Easter are growing fast.

KBPV Chicks
C. Davis photos

Upcoming events at Heritage Acres

Heritage Acres
25th Anniversary
commemorative buckle
C.  Davis photo

Heritage Acres Director Mike Barkwith was also at the Ranchland Mall to share their plans for the upcoming seasons.
Heritage Acres will be holding a Spring Community Garage Sale on Saturday, May 12.  Tables will cost $10 each, there is free entry for buyers, there will be concessions and refreshments, and the museum will be open for the day.

After reporting their most successful year to date last year, and with many big projects in the works or recently completed, this promises to be another banner year for the organization.

Province broadens scope of provincial cultural celebrations

Albertans will have the opportunity for broader exposure to the many facets of Alberta’s culture during this year’s annual celebration in September.

Based on input from the recent Culture Forum 2012, Alberta Arts Days has been renamed Alberta Culture Days. Participants felt this change would help encourage broader participation and support the efforts of Alberta’s arts, heritage, nonprofit/voluntary, multicultural and youth serving organizations. It also reflects the importance of increased collaboration and partnerships across the relevant sectors.

Willow Valley School to celebrate 100 Years of Learning and Rural Recreation

Wendy Davies, Contributor

Students at Willow Valley School
(unknown year)

In 2014 the Willow Valley School #3200 will celebrate 100 years of education and community spirit.  Volunteers are planning a centennial celebration and will publish a small book with photos and personal anecdotes of school life.

The school was built and the doors opened to students in 1914.  Although the school closed in the 1950's, the building remains a cornerstone for local community gatherings.

Willow Valley School circa 2007

Willow Valley School Grade 9 class, 1931

A day in the life of a student is much different today than in 1914.  That being said, some things never change:

Quilters draw a winner

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Colleen Cyr and
Virginia Delinte
T. Lucas photo

     December 16th was set for the date for the long awaited Prairie n' Peaks Quilt draw. The draw was held at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village.  The Pincher Creek Quilt Group donated the queen-sized hand-stitched log cabin quilt before the Prairie n Peaks Quilt Festival began in June of this year.  The festival was held at various locations in Pincher Creek and the Crowsnest Pass.

     Three members of the quilt group as well as president of the Pincher Creek Historical Society, Colleen Cyr were on hand for the draw,  President Virginia Delinte did the honours and drew the names.

Landscaping at Lebel

Lebel Mansion's new look
C. Davis photo

The retaining wall in front of Lebel Mansion was in very rough shape, so last week crews removed it and landscaped the front yard into a gentler slope.

From news to history

Toni Lucas

Toni Lucas

The fine slice between "news" and 'history' can be mere moments.  I am used to looking at history as if it is from the far distant past.  Many feel that an action or event does not pass into history until it no longer has any impact on those that are living.  I do not have delusions that the past has no impact on current events.  Our Canadian parliamentary system sprouted from roots in England that has its' own origins in Rome, that was adapted from Greece, who borrowed  bits from the Babylonians.  What surprised me was the realization that I have been recording the history of our area, albeit as it happens.

Metis mark the death of Louis Riel with flag-raising ceremony at museum

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Shinaya Gamache raises
the Metis flag at KBPV
T. Lucas photo

A respectful crowd assembled to celebrate the raising of the Metis flag over the grounds of Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek on November 16, 2011.  They were gathered on the anniversary of the death of Louis Riel, who fought to have the offspring of European and Aboriginal parents recognized by the Canadian government. A prayer was said by Karen Gamache, President of the Metis Local 1880 Association, and then everyone went outside to watch Metis Youth Advisory Committee Leader Shinaya Gamache raise the flag, with the help of Vice President Kim LeBlanc of the local association.

Metis Week celebrations to be held at Museum

The Métis Nation Of Alberta Assoc. Local Council Chinook 1880 invite you to join them in a Celebration of Métis week .
There will be a Flag Raising at 12:00 Noon at the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Museum in Pincher Creek, followed by a Lunch Social.

In 1884, Louis Riel was asked to negotiate for the  Saskatchewan Métis as he had done at Red River.  Riel saw opportunity to create a Métis homeland, but Canada sent soldiers instead of negotiators.  Metis resistance was defeated at Batoche in May 1885.  Riel was found guilty of high treason and hanged in Regina. Riel's life ended November 16, 1885.

Today, Louis Riel is widely regarded as the Father of Manitoba.

Albertans invited to learn about Heritage Fund progress

Alberta Government press release

With over 15 billion reasons to care about their Heritage Savings Trust Fund, Albertans can’t afford to miss the 2011 public meeting, to be held on October 20 in Edmonton. The annual meeting is hosted by the Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund and provides Albertans with insight into the management and progress of the fund.

Those unable to attend the Edmonton meeting are invited to tune in to the live broadcast of the meeting on Shaw TV or watch the webcast and participate in the online chat on www.assembly.ab.ca.

Museum celebrates Curator's fifteen vibrant years

 A Farley good party!
Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Curator Farley S. Wuth
T. Lucas photo

Curator Farley S. Wuth, of the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village was in for a surprise on Monday, September 26.  The Pincher Creek and District Historical Society threw a surprise party that celebrated his fifteenth anniversary of employment at the museum.   During the potluck dinner, Wuth said he was "proud to be working here, and to be serving this community."  Wuth was presented with a pocket-watch honouring his years of service.  "It will be one of my cherished possessions," he said.

Farley Wuth has been a mainstay in the Pincher Creek area for a number of years.  Growing up here, he recognized early a deep love for history.  He volunteered for the Pincher Creek and District Historical Society while he was still attending Matthew Halton High School in the turbulent 1970s, when it was called the Pincher Creek and District Museum and Kootenai Brown Historical Park.

Heritage Acres hosts the Colorado High Peaks Club

Toni Lucas and Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Bill and Peggy Wolf
Chris Davis photo

The Colorado High Peaks Club (CHPC) made a long pit stop in Pincher Creek yesterday, staying at the Ramada Inn and driving their Model-T and Model-A Fords out to Heritage Acres for a tour of the facility, followed by a tasty feast.

Heritage Acres
Chris Davis photo

Kansas State Representative Bill Wolf and his wife Peggy were back for their second visit. "This is our second year visiting Heritage Acres.  We like being in Alberta," said Bill.  Back home in Kansas Bill is the Assistant Chairman of the Child and Family Committee.  On vacation and traveling in their gorgeous 1914 Model-T, he clearly enjoys being an open-road adventurer, as does Peggy. In 2004 Ford announced that this car, the 1914 Model-T, was the most significant ever built by the company.  It was the first mass-produced vehicle, introducing the assembly line to a world that has been radically changed by the concept ever since. This is the car that was advertised as being available in any colour you liked, as long as you liked black. Bill and Peggy have been with the CHPC for 14 years. "This group gets together every labour day weekend, and we do a couple-of-weeks trip somewhere in North America," explained Bill.

Pam and Bill Most
Chris Davis photo

Restorations continue at museum

C. Davis photo

Chris Davis

The spirit of renewal continues unabated at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek.  The latest structure to get some much needed attention is the front administration building, Pioneer Place.  New steel roofing was installed this summer by JB Construction, and Twin Butte Log Homes is now in the process of stripping and refinishing the exterior of the structure, which is constructed of large logs.  It's a big task, but quite necessary as the extreme weather we face here has weathered the building quite a bit in the ten years since it was first constructed.