This year, Cochrane’s Historical Ranche Site is celebrating its 135th birthday.
As the community continues to rapidly grow, some residents may be unaware of the Ranche’s history and why it is an important part of the town.
Cochrane Ranche Company Incorporated first owned the entirety of Cochrane, including the Ranche Site, in 1881. The company was started by Senator Matthew Henry Cochrane and used the land for cattle imported from Montana.
The land was used for Alberta’s first large-scale livestock operation. It is also worth noting the Cochrane Ranche Company registered the 19th brand in Alberta, the trademark “C” that the town now owns and uses.
“The Cochrane Ranche was 100,000 acres … eventually the company entered a lease at Waterton Lakes because they decided this area was too cold for them,” said Jana Wilson with Stockmen’s Memorial Foundation.
Over the span of roughly nine years, Cochrane Ranche Company eventually sold off the remainder of their livestock and land and settlers then took over the area.
The village of Cochrane was then formed in 1903. The land the Historic Ranche Site occupies was still largely undeveloped at this time as the community began to expand.
According to Wilson, the last family to use the land was the Gilberts, whose house is still on the property. The house is now known as the ClubHouse and is used by the town for summer day camps. Decades later in 1979, the province declared the Ranche Site a historic site.
“At the official park opening is when they put up the “Men of Vision” statue. At that time, the cabin wasn’t there and the museum wasn’t there … There was basically no trees either,” Wilson said.
With the formed partnership between the town and the province, the Historic Ranche Site began to develop into the land we recognize today – a portion of it was developed into a parking lot, a stage was erected as well as bathrooms, hiking trails were formed, and markers were set up to honour buildings once on the site.
The town took over maintaining the site from the province in 2003
In 2015, the Cochrane Historical and Archival Preservation Society undertook the project of moving Cochrane’s ‘old hospital’ into the Historic Ranche Site. The ‘old hospital’ is now known as the Cochrane Historical Museum and is seasonally open providing free tours to the public.
The site has grown to become a pillar of the community as it hosts a multitude of events in the summer, the Historic Ranche Site hosts the Cochrane Farmers’ Market for example. Wilson says the Historic Ranche Site is important as it links to Cochrane’s past.
“It’s the only spot left in town that represents ranchland – it’s referred to it as that … People might think that it’s just a park but it’s not,” Wilson explained.
