Our HistoryThe first people to live in the Bearberry valley were First Nations families of the Stoney tribe from Morley. Three or four families came each summer to hunt deer, moose and sheep. Bearberry was one stop on the route from Morley to Nordegg. When enough deer and moose meat was dried for winter, the families moved farther into the mountains to hunt sheep. After snowfall, they trapped small fur bearing animals, before returning to Morley in late December.
The land survey of the Bearberry area began in 1902-03. The first homestead was filed in October 1906. When Bearberry was opened up for homesteading, the small town of Olds situated along the C.P.R. railroad tracks, was the jumping off place for the homesteaders who flocked into this West Country.
Before any store was opened in Sundre, the settlers took turns driving a team and wagon about once a month to Olds for supplies, and in the fall getting a winter’s grub stake from Calgary. Everyone baked their own bread and buns and kept a few hens.
In November 1924 a country store was opened with George Pearce as proprietor and postmaster. There were several changes during the years. In July 1942 the post office and the store made the final move to the hill beside the Community Hall and school. Mr. Battensby donated a corner of the NE Quarter of 28-33-7-W5 for a school. When this building burned down in 1928, classes were held in the old hall until a new schoolhouse, which is now part of the present Community Hall, was built on the SE Quarter of 27-33-W5. (SOURCE: Chiniki Band of the Stoney Tribe, Stoney History Notes, 1983, Morley, Alberta and “Recollections of the Homestead Trails”, published by the Bearberry Wapitana Society). |
When these first nations people crossed the Big Red River, they followed along the banks of Bearberry Creek and up and over the big hill, where the homesteaders who followed in later years stopped to rest their teams and look over the lovely valley below. This way into Bearberry, now a forgotten trail, was at one time the quickest way into the valley, over Hill Twelve. Several old first nations people graves can still be found if you know where to look.
Some of the settlers hired teams and wagons to transport them and their supplies out West. Others made their way north from Calgary with horses, or by train, once the railroad reached Olds in 1890. From there, they followed the dusty trail west from Olds along the dusty trail. In the early years, the small settlement of Sundre was our closest town.
The first post office No. 0865 was opened in Bearberry in 1909, with Mrs. Agnes Battensby as postmistress. Mail was delivered to Sundre once per week. Together with the mail, small supplies were hauled into Bearberry when any settler ordered them. In later years, the postmaster also kept plug tobacco, salt, sugar, tea, matches and other supplies for the community.