With the rocky mountains stretching across the western horizon, this barn and house were built in 1912 on a scenic piece of the Alberta prairie. The current owners, the Woodleys, acquired the land in 2010. They were happy to let me take photos, creating memories of a structure that may fall after a couple of heavy snows. They gifted me a book that was found in the house titled “Our Country And Its' People” by W.D. McDougall and Gilbert Paterson . Inside the book, I found clippings containing information on some of the animals that were found in the area. I can imagine the owner studying the area before his long, difficult journey to the place he and his family would call home for generations to come. The Woodleys purchased the land from an elderly lady who didn't have any remaining family, so many of the details are now lost to time.
Dorothy Elevator
This photo is included for the month of November in this year's Alberta Motor Association calendar. I took the shot on the morning of Christmas eve, during the unusually warm winter of 2014. On July 22, 2015 a storm ripped the roof off of the elevator and damaged other structures in the hamlet of Dorothy, Alberta.
The Alberta Pacific elevator was built in 1928, alongside two others. An Alberta Wheat Pool and a United Grain Growers elevator completed the row of three. After the last train went through, the elevator fell into disuse. Although it's future is uncertain, the elevator still stands as a reminder of the past and serves as an iconic landmark as you leave the Red Deer River valley, heading East on highway 570. Here's hoping that this historic piece of our prairie heritage will be preserved.
W. Mays Barn
This magnificent barn was built in 1925 by Walter Mays, a carpenter originally from England. It was home to a half dozen milk cows. The current owners still use the barn today, mostly for calving. Their parents acquired the property in 1948-49. A pair of great horned owls roost under the hay loft peak during the day. They have returned every year for the last five years, nesting in the nearby trees. The first thing that caught my eye were the ornate cupolas on the roof. Their purpose is to provide ventilation for the fodder stored in the hayloft, preventing it from molding or catching fire. Originally cupolas were made of wood but, by about 1910 most were manufactured from galvanized steel.
The Stories Behind The Structures
For many years I have enjoyed photographing old homesteads and landscapes found on the Alberta prairie and surrounding area. During this time I have seen many structures fall to the ground, never to be seen again. I have decided to gather as much history as possible on these subjects and share them with you on this blog. These historic structures are disappearing from our landscape, I feel that photographing them is an important form of preservation, meant to honour the structure's existence as well as those that built and cared for it. Barry Broadfoot wrote a book titled 'Next Year Country : Voices Of Prairie People'. One sentence has really stuck with me over the years. He says that “Every old home place in the west today is a monument to their (the settlers') determination”. If it wasn't for our forefather's hard work and perseverance we wouldn't enjoy many of the comforts that we have today.
If you own or know of any historic structures that you would like to share please contact me so that we can arrange a photo shoot.
david@stubblejumperphotography.com