GTC 2018 Day 1

One weekend every July for the last few years, a group of close friends gets together and explores the countryside in search of historic and abandoned places. It’s always an epic adventure, taking in abandoned farms, charming villages, near ghost towns and vintage vehicles long put out to pasture. But truth be told it’s as much about the comradery as it is the things seen. Still, we get to photograph some amazing stuff. Each time it’s a different base of operations and 2018 finds us in an area around Drumheller and Starland County. This is the “Ghost Town Convention”, Alberta edition.

A big shout out to Jason Sailer, who organizes the event. The effort put in to finding locations and arranging access with land owners (where applicable) is no small task and for this we thank him for his hard work. There’s sometimes GTCs in other prairie provinces, but these are hosted by others. Now let’s hit the road…

1) This rugged Jeep “Gladiator” dates from the latter half of the 1960s. Jeep made this model, called the J-Series post 1971, from 1962-1988 with little change. Ones from the 1970s-1980s had a different grill but that’s about it as far as appearance goes. That license plate dates from the late 1980s, so it was on a the road at least until then. Recently they started producing a new Gladiator pickup but it seems targeted at those who look at a vehicle like this as a status symbol and not one to be put to work like Jeep Trucks of old.

2) This one’s powered by an American Motors “327” V8 which was an option on Gladiator Pickups from 1965-1967. It was called the “Vigilante” V8 by Jeep. In 1970s the firm was purchased by AMC and went on the become its most profitable division. Later Chrysler would buy AMC, as a way to get to Jeep.

1) This 1960s “Gladiator”.

3) In Delia, a small burg north of Drumheller. It has a charming downtown, with a few shops and businesses. Here’s the Mother Mountain Tea House, which was closed on our visit – for the record, we like to patronize any small town stores or eateries we see that are open. The building once housed the Crown Lumber Yard and dates back to the early days of the town.

4) This was once the Bank of Commerce building in Delia dating to about 1920 (Delia itself is from the mid-1910s and for a brief moment was called Highland). The building’s today is privately owned and appears in fine shape. Centre top, a caduceus (hard to see), not just a symbol of medicine but also business. We’ve seen other banks identical to this in other small towns.

2) 327 Powered.

5) Still in Delia, a building with a confusing history. It looks like a bank building to us, but a history-stop sign out front calls it the Highland Hotel/Highland Meat Market. We read the write up and are left with more questions than answers. Till we know more.

6) This mural showing what it was like back in the day. Delia had many grain elevators – in fact near every prairie town had at least one if not more. Most are gone now.

7) The former North Side Garage. Fargo was a brand of truck produced in the 1930s-1970s era by Chrysler, available in Canada (and elsewhere in the world) but not the US. They’re often confusing to car buffs based there – “it looks like a Dodge, but…”, went one message to us.

8) Rare things, a “prairie sentinel” flag flying proudly and this early 1960s Chrysler 300 Convertible that just happened to drive by. Nice wheels! The elevator dates from 1940s-1950s with some 1980s-1990s era additions, those steel tanks. The 300 series was both luxurious and powerful and were not sold in huge numbers, especially ones that could go topless. It shone so bright that it was blinding in the midday light. Read more about the elevator and the abandoned rail line out front: Prairie Sentinels – Delia Alberta.

9-11) Scenes from the Delia Museum housed in a 1910s era two room school house. One side is kept as though a classroom. Delia is home to a couple hundred people today. Back when, it was much more.

12-13) In nearby Craigmyle, this here fine brick structure that appears to have been an antique shop at one time. The town is along the same (former) rail line as Delia. It’s can’t be home to more than a few dozen folks and dates from about a century ago.

14-16) In the proverbial middle of nowhere, and taking us completely by surprise, this rural school in use from 1911-1955. Open to the elements, it’s likely not long for this world. Looks like people have been salvaging bricks off it. Respect for old buildings is often lacking it seems.

17) Another school, this one of stone, called Springwater. It’s kept up by an historical group and is open to freely tour. Dating back to the early 1920s, it was last used as a school in the early 1940s, but later found use as a community centre. It’s recognized historically. If you visit, please show it the respect it deserves.

18) Old green paint and doors.

19) How many jackets have hung here?

20) A modern convenience called electricity. Not many rural schools had power and we suspect here it was a later addition.

21) Large banks of windows, a one room school thing, lets in plenty of light. Outside, the vast plains stretching off to the end of the world. Imagine the view mid-January…think remote and lonely.

22) Little things left behind to remind you of what was once here. Stage in back likely was added after it became a community centre. That yellow…we LOVE it! It’s our colour don’t you know.

23) For musical events. In years past, the region’s most well known band, the “Badlanders” played at Springwater. There’s a National Film Board Documentary showing them performing before a packed house here. Look it up. The organ’s not theirs but still it makes us think of them.

24) The old coal furnace in the basement and lots of creepy crawly things. A quick exit is made. Yuck, spiders!

25) Scrawled in chalk a shout out to “Vanishing Sentinels” (website and book series), by Jim Pearson, the nation’s utmost authority on grain elevators. He was on this adventure, we called him a friend, but now he’s gone. Lost him late last year, sadly, and the world seems a bit empty with his passing. Interestingly, he was connected to the town of Delia visited earlier, having grown up there.

26) In the restored ghost town of Rowley, a most magical place. It’s got that abandoned vibe, while still well maintained. Here we’re looking down the tracks (put in 1910s, removed 1990s save for a short section in town) at the “Canadian Northern” Station. Know more: Rowley Alberta then and now – CNR Station.

27) Long ago this was once Rowley’s Hospital.

28) Come for the Pizza, but stay for the grain elevators. What, pizza? This: A Rowley State of Mind. That’s a railway speeder used by maintenance crews.

29) Searle Grain was once a good sized player in the industry but have ceased to exist sine the 1960s. Want to know about Rowley’s grain elevators, and the rest of the town? Go here: Rowley Alberta Ghost Town. Today Rowley’s home to a handful of people. Back in the day it was hundreds.

30) The child’s view, in Rowley’s playground.

31-32) At a most curious place, this crushed Mercedes and the incredible Grist Mill Farm. In spite of its name, it never functioned in that capacity (according to what little info it out there) and instead was used as a blacksmith shop for a local farmer. That post is a must read! The skill to make that roof.

33) Taking us back all the way to ’66, this Ford Galaxie, a huge gas guzzling beast from a bygone era. It surely must have been something to look at when new.

34) A gambrel (barn) roofed house off in a field.

35-36) Up the road, it’s the town of Rumsey, the next community north of Rowley. It’s a sleepy place with a wide main street, but no open businesses nor much in the former downtown core. At one end, is the senior’s drop in centre (they spelled it with an American “er”) and a cenotaph, a memorial to locals who served and perished in various world wars.

37) In the town of Morrin, not far away, the gas station is closed but the church still sees use. Morrin is home to a couple hundred people and has one or two open businesses. Still, it’s a rather pastoral place, a backwater well off the highway and visited by few. The town dates from the early 1920s.

38) Strange things this, a real working payphone. When was the last time you saw one? Seems every small town has one but I suspect they’re little used.

3) In the charming town of Delia.

39) A mural on the side of Morrin’s Hotel (still operating) depicting the grain elevators that once stood down there by the tracks not far away. Now they’re all gone, and so are the trains and with that a town dies a little. If the hotel goes, and it’s usually just a watering hole and rarely caters to passing travellers, then it’s curtains.

40) Down some lonely backroad, this here small trailer. It’s not a Boler, but it’ll have to do.

4) A former bank.

41) And the last of the day, this here school (in use 1911-1956) in a field of Canola. It’s the archetypal one-roomer catering to families on nearby farms, with a enrolment counted on one or two hands and with many students related. And with improvements in roads, small rural schools were often replaced by consolidated facilities in a nearby town. Then is was a bus ride to school instead of a walk. No longer was it a ten or twenty mile trek to class on foot over treacherous mountain ranges and battling endless winter conditions that only let up on graduation day.

With this final photo the day is done. Lots of old things seen this fine day, but mostly it was lively banter, spirited chit-chat with many memories and laughs shared. If we never shot a single picture, it’d still be the most fun and interesting time ever. Tomorrow’s another day with many more cool things to see and more chances to pal around. Stay tuned for part two of the Alberta GTC 2018 edition. Can you say old bridges, more grain elevators, abandoned farms? It’s got it all…

The next day…
GTC 2018 Day 2.

And last year…
GTC 2017.

Roaming about…
Wandering Cranbrook.
Wandering Shaunavon.
Grain elevators and ghosts southeast of Calgary.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: July, 2018.
Location: Starland County mostly.
Article references: Jason Sailer who puts the event together, a big thanks.

5) Once a hotel?

6) Scenes of old.

7) North Side Garage.

8) These things rare.

9) A little friend at the Delia Museum.

10) Anticipation!

11) We’ve got a thing for old phones.

12) This wall in Craigmyle Alberta.

13) Closed.

14) At some lonely crossroad.

15) A friend in silhouette.

16) Cascading bricks.

17) Springwater.

18) Wandering about.

19) Little details…

20) All the modern amenities here.

21) To let in lots of light.

22) This shade of yellow meets with our approval.

23) Thinking of the “Badlanders”.

24) Hanging with spiders.

25) Memories a friend since lost.

26) Down by the tracks in Rowley.

27) A fine old structure.

28) Can’t resist a grain elevator shot.

29) Searle was once a big player.

30) Little kid view.

31) Being crushed.

32) A most unique structure.

33) Long parked.

34) Behind barbed-wire.

35) Lost in Rumsey Alberta.

36) Where the old timers meet.

37) Gas Station is closed, but you can still be saved.

38) A strange artifact.

39) What are these towering things?

40) It’s no Boler…

41) Last of the day, a Canola field find.