Rocky Mountain House as I remember……….a woman’s view        contributed by Mrs. W. Paskall

My first remembrance of our trip was in England when our Mother and Dad talked about going to Canada as immigrants. So after preparing and packing, we set sail for Canada on the first of April, 1908, leaving from Liverpool and landing in Halifax. We then traveled by train to Edmonton where we lived for two years in a two storey house sharing it with Bruce Williams' (they had the upstairs, we had the downstairs). The Williams' had three children, Bruce, Susan and Harold. Our sister Constance was born in Edmonton on August 16, 1908. Jasper Avenue was just like a ploughed field at that time, very hard and dry. Arthur and I had our first business venture there selling papers. While living in Edmonton Dad met George Thomson and Ves Hayworth who told Dad about Rocky Mountain House, as they were settled there. So in the winter of 1910 accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Williams and family, we traveled to Red Deer by train staying at the Arlington Hotel. I had a pet cat and Dad had made a cage to carry it in. The cook at the hotel gave me food for it. I thought then, and also now, that he was very kind to do that for me. We waited in Red Deer for Mr. Harry Bertrand to come for us with his double wagon box and sleigh. The next morning real early we all left Red Deer with Harry Bert rand. He had a very nice team of horses. There were five adults and six children with all the supplies they needed for the journey to keep us warm as it was rather cold at the time. The first stop we made was in the Hespero area. We had crossed over the corner of Snake Lake which is now Sylvan Lake. There were a couple more stops before we reached Rocky Mountain House. The furniture went on with other settler effects. One of the other settlers was Mrs. Andy Klein. The young folk enjoyed the trip, sometimes running behind the sleigh. Arriving in Rocky Mountain House we stayed at Mr. George Bertrand’s. Mrs. Bertrand had supper ready for us and needless to say, being children, we were hungry. The William s family stayed on for a while as well. Ves Hayworth offered us his cabin to live in while ours was being built. When our cabin was finished we chinked it with moss that Arthur and I had pulled off the trees in the swamp while we stayed at Ves Hayworth’s place. Then we moved into our cabin and Dad took his blanket roll and some food and walked to Lacombe to work. Lacombe is where Dad met Miss Mabel Fleming who became the first school teacher in Rocky Mountain House. While Dad was gone we had some really heavy rains. The roof was just sod laid over some poles, so it rained inside just like outside. Mother hung her umbrella over her bed. It filled with water and broke. Oh! The bed sure got wet. We had a very nice neighbour, Mrs. Hayworth. She had three sons, Earl, Ves, and Joel. Also four daughters, Eva, Alfreda, Elsie and Sylvia. Mrs. Hayworth drove a team of oxen, named Dime and Andy. They also gave us milk and vegetables that first summer. Arthur and I would go over almost every day and carry them home. One morning Ves came over very early and asked mother if the youngsters were alright, as he had found bear tracks following us home. After that we went a little earlier for the milk. We got mail about once a week, usually on a Tuesday. The Post Office, which was called Prairie Grange, was on Mr. and Mrs. Scott McKenzie's homestead, which was situated at the confluence of the Clearwater and Saskatchewan rivers. The Rocky Mountain House School was named Confluence School. It was a nice trip to get the mail when it did not rain. Mr. George Bertrand used to go to Stauffer about once each week and brought supplies for the settlers around about. Later on Mr. Jack Killick started a general store across the river on Tom Gray's homestead. So then was needed a way to get across the river. A ferry was then put in. The first operator was Beryl Gray, Tom Gray's brother. Our mother was one of those who crossed on the ferry the first time it crossed the river. The ferry was operated by cables and the power was the current of the river. Of course, the trolley cables were anchored in strong cement blocks on each side of the river. There was also a cable car so one person at a time could cross when the river was too high or too low for the ferry to cross. Later on a school board was formed, and our dad was appointed the secretary-treasurer. Miss Fleming was contacted and she consented to be the first school teacher at Rocky Mountain House. She was eighteen at the time. Soon after this event the two railroads made their appearance, which helped to open up the country. They paralleled close to each other and joined just east of the depot. The A.C.R. built to the bridge and also constructed the bridge. The bridge builders camped in tents. Our Dad didn't get work building the bridge, but he mended shoes for men, and Mother did the laundry and also mended their socks. The C.N.R. went right through to Nordegg. Soon a tent store was erected by Fred Towler and R. Young. This was known as Tent Town and Rag City. Later when town site (by the way I think the old Bertrand house is still intact) it was changed to Old Town. Then Towler and Young built a store on Centre Street just south of the Mount View Hotel. Later on Bob MacLaren bought them out and opened a hardware store there. Jack Killick took over the groceries and opened just across the street but a little further down. Kirby & Driscoll store and Mr. William Kirby became the Postmaster. Later on the Government wanted to up-grade the Beef and Dairy herds in the area and made one animal available for whosoever desired to upgrade their stock. Mr. Scott McKenzie was chosen to handle this. About the same time Dad decided to get a bull for our own use, which he did, a purebred Ayreshire from J.J. Richards at Red Deer. He was shipped to Rocky Mountain House by train and Arthur and I went to get him. We took the team and went to the spur to unload the animal. It was difficult as there was no loading dock there. We had to make him jump out of the box car, but we did and got him home okay. His name was Sir Netheral, 18 month old. Dad showed him at the exhibition and he took first prize. Of course we were pleased. Dad had purchased a herd of milk cows from Jack Carl, who had come to town to start a milk business. Dad let him pasture his cows in our pasture. Jack batched in a tent down in a grove of pine trees on the farm. When it rained or was too cold, Jack would not deliver the milk so he decided to sell his herd of cows and Dad bought them. Then Arthur and I became the milk boy and milk girl. Washing milk bottles was quite a chore. Dad made boxes with dividers in them to hold the bottles. Those boxes had to be cleaned with lye water to keep them clean. Dad was careful in these things. Then included with the sale of the milk was silver cos lettuce, radishes and young vegetables. The hotel used to like to serve them with meals. The town continued to grow and Paul Austin started a milk delivery from across the river. When the ferry was unable to be used, his son and daughter, Paul and Mary, carried the milk across the bridge which was a scary job, for sometimes they were in the middle of the bridge when a freight train crossed. They sat on the edge until the train would pass. Mary said she was scared. Later they moved to Australia. Mr. and Mrs. Austin were fine people. I'm not quite sure of the date, but the baby of Eva Haworth and George Thomson, a baby girl Virginia, was the first baby buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery. Mr. A. Klein performed the ceremony. The first Sunday school was held at Mr. and Mrs. Slaghts. They and their daughter Ruth and Mr. Klein were the teachers. When the Mission was built, M r. Klein was appointed Sunday School Superintendent. Before this time people used to gather at different homes and hold worship services. Mr. Stanley Wilson held them for a while. Also in those days there was no butcher shop. Dad and George Thomson used to do most of the butchering on George's farm about three miles west and north of our place. There were no wages paid and Dad used to get the tail, tongue, head, heart and liver in lieu of pay. To help out in this way for the table, Art and I used to shoot rabbits, prairie chickens and partridges. We both had our own .22 rifles. Later Jim Chalmers came and started a butcher shop. Our brother Daniel was born October 12, 1915. I used to take him around with me when I delivered milk or took the team down town. Sometimes in 1916 or 1917 Dad started working on the section of the C.N.R. William Paskall was the foreman. In the fall of 1917 Dad and the family went to Haynes, living on the back part of the station, which were the living quarters. There was also an upstairs for the station agent. When an agent was sent there he was single and he boarded with our family. Then in the early summer Mother wanted to come back to Rocky. So the packing was done and moving arrangements made. Mother, Constance, Daniel and I moved back. Dad and Arthur stayed working at Haynes. We moved into a house on the south of the tracks. This house belonged to Mrs. Fleming. Our house had been leased to William Ellenburg and the lease had not yet expired. When the lease expired we moved back to the farm. There were several moves in those three years. In 1918 the C.N.R. section house was built. In 1920 the section foreman, William Paskall, being single didn't need the whole house so Mother, Dad, Constance, Daniel and I moved in. William Paskall boarded with us. Arthur started working on the railroad August 5, 1918, so he wasn't living with us. September 1920 we all moved back to the farm. December 25, 1920 William Paskall and I were married in the Pearce Hall which was used for church at that time. The hall was located at the top of the Centre Street hill on the west side of the street. We were married by Rev. Mr. McKechnie, who was blind, a very fine man, loved by all who know him. Constance, my sister, was bridesmaid and Mr. Fred Cummings was our best man. Lucian Simons played the organ. We rode to the church in a democrat driven by Mr. Bert Parsons. It was snowing but the sun did come out going to the church, also on the way back to the farm where the reception was held. We went to the section house after the reception, living there for 31 years where we raised our family. Joyce Grace now Mrs. Jack Striegler living in Surrey BC Alfred William residing in Calgary Violet Emma, Mrs. D. Reese of Ponoka Rose Anne, Mrs. Wes Mar of Calgary Sheila, Mrs. John Puskas of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Lois Charlotte, Mrs. Richard Goodwin, west of Ponoka Keith Stephen died at the age of 7 years 5 months James Robert living in Edmonton Dennis Charles and Wayne Kenneth, twins, Dennis living in Brooks and Wayne living in Calgary Lloyd Stanley living in Delta, BC Harold Gordon living in Calgary Linda Mae died at age of 17 Margaret Alice, Mrs. Kenneth McDonald of Calgary

This article was copied from the book "The Days before Yesterday". Reprinted for legibility only. LSP