Thursday, June 27, 2019

The Ranch

I am not much of a planner, so true to form, it was a last minute trip that took me on this afternoon trip. Also true to form, I figured why not kill 2 birds with one stone by stopping at the Alberta Central Railway Museum on the way. Fun for me but also something fun for the kiddo before dragging him to take photos of old buildings. The museum and the ranch are only about 20 minutes apart. Perfect. I love it when a non-plan comes together.

The Museum I will post about another time, today is all about The Bittern Lake Ranch.


You might think that by looking at the size of it that it was built for a large family with some money. It was actually built in 1897 for an English aristocrat named William Anthony Stoughton, who came over from England in 1893, accompanied by his cousin James Mansfield.

Mr. Stoughton, a bachelor, didn't spend much time here, only the summers. In 1902 he rented the place to the Chambers family who farmed grain and had cattle and horses. In the Spring of 1907, he traded the ranch to Ernest, Robert and Alice Ochsner for a brewery in Edmonton. After awhile he got rid of his brewery interests and went back home to England. He passed away there in the late 1940' or early 50's.
The Ranch c.1907

c.1966
Robert Ochsner, who had arrived in Alberta in 1894, founded and built the Strathcona Brewery. In 1907, with prohibition looming, he though the trade was in his best interests. He made the deal, stocked the farm with 500 head of cattle and 80 horses and went into the ranching business. He also built a horse barn, cow barn, pig house, granary, machine shed, a bunkhouse, a smoke house and even a double toilet. One side for men, one for women. The ranch had plenty of hired help.

But what about the beer?? In case you were wondering what became of the brewery...after prohibition ended it became Northwest Brewing, then was bough by Calgary Brewing and Malting, sold again in 1973 then closed in 1975. The only remaining part of the original brewery is home to part of the Edmonton Archives. Quite the history! Maybe I should start a beer blog.

Over the years, the ranch was owned or rented by various people. Harold Doel, the final occupant, bought the ranch in 1946. He demolished most of the outbuildings and used some of the lumber to build his new farmhouse nearby. The old ranch, sadly became a granary.





Interesting to see a homestead like this with so many different people having lived in or owned it. You might expect a place like this to be on the same family land and passed down to the next generation. Not the case for this once fine old home. The house is apparently braced but one may wonder who long it can keep holding this pose before finally collapsing.

References: Treasures Memories: Gwynne and District; Coinoath Sarsfield

39 comments:

  1. Those are fabulous photos, Jenn. My favourite is the first one, because of the sky. The heavens are protesting.

    Beautiful!

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    1. Hi Marie! It was a day of sun, rain, sun, more rain, storm clouds, sun, rain lol! I didn't mind!

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  2. What a beauty! Great photos and commentary as usual...

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    1. Thanks Steve, just down the road I found an awesome grain elevator for your collection!

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  3. Well done, love the historical pictures as well.

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    1. Thanks Coinoath, I appreciate your help on this one!

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  4. ...great history to go along with your fabulous images! I'm glad to see that your camera still works.

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    1. Thanks Tom!! I was beginning to wonder...but I will just keep clicking! lol

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    1. Oh heyyyyy thanks for commenting! Byeeeeee

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  6. I would be surprised if it's still standing in a year. Five years, no longer.

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    1. I will have to check up on the old girl from time to time.

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  7. Fascinating history and photos. Is this part of a music or heritage site?

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    1. Hi Glen, I don't think it's a designated historic site or anything. Just an old house.

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  8. The B&W works so well for these!

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    1. Thanks RedPat, I always like to include at least one b/w.

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  9. The house looks haunted in the first photo. I love the sky in that photo too. Great shots of the old home, its days are numbered before total collapse. A strong wind just might do it. Nice to see you again.

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    1. Thanks Bill, it's nice to post again and catch up!
      I think the only reason it hasn't collapsed yet is that it was reinforced when it was used as a granary.

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  10. I enjoyed looking at the photos and imagining the lives of those that lived there.

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  11. Looks like it doesn't have much more time left.

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    1. It's amazing how strong some of these places are.

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  12. Great photos as always, Jenn! So . . . . bachelor Anthony and "his cousin" James, eh? Decamping to the colonies where no one knows them, eh? Hmmmm. My gay spidey senses are tingling.

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  13. Gorgeous photos Jenn but oh my that is in seriously dangerous condition. I'm surprised that it degenerated so fast between 1907 and 1966.

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    1. Hi PDP, I thought the same thing...it was used to store grain and our harsh winters and extreme weather probably don't help either.

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  14. That's a great post Jenn. It's true when you think of old places like that, you think generational. The photos are awesome! Debra may have a point there! :)

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    1. Thanks Rain, a really unique place and story for sure!

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  15. Wow!
    Fabulous photographs.

    All the best Jan

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  16. It looks as though you got there just in time to see this old lady do her final curtsy.

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    1. Thanks John...I am glad to have seen it finally.

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  17. Hi - my grandfather was born at the Bittern Lake Ranch in the early 1920's, his father married one of the Ochsner's daughters - I'm not sure if he was a ranch hand or what, but he was originally from England. After the war they lived in Edmonton and later Calgary. The land must have remained in some capacity in family hands as a child I remember my mother getting (tiny) royalty cheques for oil on the land (land owned before 1905 allowed for subsurface rights as opposed to now where it would be considered Crown rights). He and all his siblings have long since passed but some of my aunts have researched this, so it will be nice to share. So nice to see the pictures.

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    1. Hi Jeff, thank for the comment! A lot of history there! Glad to be able to share the photos with people who have a connection to the place.

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