Lacombe & District Historical Society

Come warm up with us at the Michener House Museum today!

: #throwbackthursday to 1924! As soon as the ice on Barnett Lake was thick enough, curling games were played. Prior to the curling rink being built in 1912, outdoor games were very common. Once covered ice was available, many curlers moved their games indoors. However, some of those dedicated to playing outdoors – such as Mr. Chisolm and Mr. Calder – would carve houses into the ice and play on Barnett Lake.

#thisdayinhistory in 1917, there was no snow in Bentley! Data for the region state that the average daily temperature in and around Lacombe in November 1917 was about 12C with an average low of -5C. The first winter snowfall wasn’t until December 1, 1917.

Did you know we are hosting Holiday Mini Sessions here at the Michener House this season? You can find out more information here: www.cedarlaneweddings.ca/book
PS. Pets are always welcome for our family photos!

#thisdayinhistory in 1953, the Lacombe Memorial Recreation Center and arena burnt down. The LRC was home to bowling lanes, armature boxing and wrestling facilities, a large gym for basketball and a public library. An attached arena was able to hold 2000 seats. The fire completely destroyed the facility. Red Deer and Rimbey fire crews came to help put out the flames. The LRC and the arena were rebuild on two separate sites in the following year. The new arena burnt again in 1968.

: #throwbackthursday to 1940. The McDermid Drug Company had a very exciting history in Lacombe. N.I. McDermid opened his drug store in the Corner Business Block around 1903. His store at the time was located in the very corner of the building, facing onto Barnett Avenue (50th Ave) and Railway Street (Highway 2A). In 1906, a kitchen fire in the restaurant portion of his business burnt down the drug store along with approximately fifteen other merchant businesses. After the Fla...tiron Block fire, McDermid moved his business into the Victoria Hotel until it burnt down in 1911. After that, he moved back into the Corner Business Block until he set fire to his own business again in 1918. After these three major fires, McDermid struck up a partnership with Oliver Vickerson and the Vickerson-McDermid Pharmacy operated out of the McLear Block. This photo shows McDermid’s Pharmacy in its fifth location, on the south side of 50th Avenue, about where Head Hunters is located today.
See More

#throwbackthursday to 1915! The Jenkins’ Groceteria was a small grocery store located in the Winslow Block along 50th Avenue. Over the years, Jenkins’ competed against general stores, other independent grocery stores and eventually the Safeway Store.

We remember.

Roy Ritz (883172), Harry Ritz (624432), and Jesse Ritz (100806, 624423)
Roy Claude Ritz (seated) was born in Lacombe on September 13th, 1894 to Louis and Emma Ritz. He was a Presbyterian, lived on Burris Street, and worked as a butcher. When he enlisted in the 187th Battalion in May of 1916, he was 22 years old. He is described as being 5'7," having brown eyes and black hair. Illness initially prevented him from going to the front, but in June in 1917 he arrived in France as ...
Continue Reading

#throwbackthursday to 1950! Did you know that the Lacombe Globe newspaper has been printing since 1900? It’s true! The newspaper, then called the Western Globe, was started by J.D. Skinner. The original newspaper office on 50th street didn’t have any electricity so the printing press was powered by a donkey on a treadmill! In 1919, a new office was built across the street, and an electric printing press was installed. This photo shows what the print room looked like 30 years later!

In continuing our 100 years of Armistice posts - today's topic focuses on local Women's effort during and after wartime.
In a time when many men were going off to war, first by choice, and then by conscription, the women felt no less strongly. Mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and nieces banded together to produce patriotism in another form. Women organized local Red Cross Societies, in order to send funds to the parent organization, were primary donors and supporters of th...e Patriot's Fund, Salvation Army and other community initiatives to raise funds to support the war effort. They knit socks, sent food and sundry, ran the farms and businesses in the wake of missing young men, and made quilts for the men braving this new type of war abroad.
Admired author Grant MacEwan said of women's organizations at the time; "Of all the organizations in the community since the beginning settlement of Lacombe, the Lest-We-Forget club accomplished the most". The work that these women did, establishing Lacombe's Memorial Centre and Cenotaph, now stands as a tribute to these dedicated women for generations to come.
One woman in the Lacombe and District area stands out considerably during this time. Irene Parlby became the first president of the United Farm Women of Alberta in 1916. Believing that her contributions were important in the wake of social reform, Mrs. Parlby advocated relentlessly for farmer's rights, war widows and orphans, and The Red Cross during the Great War. She was a leader in many rights (becoming the first woman cabinet minister elected to the Alberta Legislature in 1921), and a poet and strong social speaker at heart. In January 1918, she roused weary U.F.A. convention goers with an impassioned speech about the war. The heart of her message was:
"Today the world is bleeding to death in its efforts to conquer a false ideal of nationalism, but the only true nationalism, the only true internationalism, is a spirit of mutual sympathy and understanding among all the people - in other words, the spirit of unselfishness which is the essence of this thing called cooperation." Irene Parlby, January 1918.
Parlby was a lifelong advocate for rural women and children, was elected to the Alberta Legislature in 1921. She was appointed Minister without Portfolio — the first female Cabinet Minister in Alberta history and only the second in the British Empire. She is known today as one of the Famous Five, joining her fellow suffragists Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney, Nellie McClung, and Henrietta Muir Edwards.
See More

100 Years Ago Today...
In 1916, many men from Lacombe enlisted in the 151st Battalion as part of the "Lacombe Section." When the 151st arrived in England, it was absorbed into several reserve battalions, from which men were then taken to reinforce front line battalions. A number of men from Lacombe were transferred to the 78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers) in November of 1916. This Battalion was part of the 12th Brigade in the 4th Division of the Canadian Expeditionary Forc...
Continue Reading

Looking for family holiday photos? We have a great opportunity right here at the Michener House Museum with our Holiday Family Mini Session Fundraiser by local photographer Cedar Lane Weddings!! See the post below for more information Www.cedarlaneweddings.ca/book

#throwbackthursday to 1940! The Campbell Block, now home to Nowco Home Hardware, was first built in 1896. In 1901, A.M. Campbell owned the building and over the years, the store expanded. In 1920, the formerly wooden building was resurfaced with brick as per a town bylaw that passed in 1907. Disaster struck in 1940 when the original wooden structure caught on fire. Thankfully, the building itself survived because of its new brick façade. You can see a mural of this fire in the back alley behind the Royal Bank!

Many of you know and will recognize Bill from his work in the community and at the Lacombe Blacksmith Shop (the oldest working Blacksmith Shop in Alberta!). We were honoured earlier this year to nominate Carl William (Bill) Marquardt for his outstanding volunteer work over the past 40 years in the community of Lacombe at the bi-annual Alberta Historical Resources Foundation Heritage Awards. We were THRILLED last month to find out he won and was going to receive a Lifetime Ach...ievement Award on October 25, 2018, at Government House in Edmonton.
“We congratulate Bill on his well-deserved award,” said Jennifer Kirchner, Lacombe & District Historical Society President. “Volunteers like Bill play a critical role in local heritage preservation in communities like Lacombe. Their contributions and knowledge provide insight into our past and helps form the basis for interpreting our community history.”
The Lacombe & District Historical Society is always looking for more members and volunteers - if you are interested in joining our exciting team, please contact us!
info@lacombemuseum.com
See More

#throwbackthursday to 1906! This photo shows local farmers on Barnett Avenue preparing for hog day. Perhaps these pigs were going to local auction or perhaps they were going to be sent to the butcher. In any case, pig farming was very popular in Central Alberta and Lacombe even genetically engineered its own breed of pig at the Research Station!

#throwbackthursday to the mid-1910s! Barnett Avenue was, and still is, a busy street in Lacombe. This photo, taken around 1915, shows the road facing west. The buildings along the right side of the photo are the Day Block, a merchant business and the post office (the small wooden buildings), and the Morrison & Johnson Hardware Store. The Corner Business Block is the large building on the left.

#throwbackthursday to 1927! These gates marked the entrance of the Research Station in Lacombe to celebrate Canada’s 60th birthday! The Diamond Jubilee was a very exciting event and many special celebrations were held throughout the year.