Claresholm & District Museum
5126 1st Street West T0L0T0 Claresholm, AB, Canada

Today we honour those who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom... such courageous and selfless souls. We salute those who continue to serve today as our renowned Canadian peacekeepers. Thank you.

For this week’s #thenandnow we venture out into the country and to our rural farms to explore how harvesting has evolved over the last century. What now takes two or three people on one or two combines and an offloading vehicle to accomplish, once took up to 25 men, many heavy horses and a lot of wagons and equipment. An interpretive label beside a picture in the museum, of the Lamb Brother’s steam powered threshing outfit of Claresholm (Circa 1920s) reads: It took two cook...Continue reading

As happens every year at this time, today we say farewell to our summer staff as they leave us to head back to University and on to follow their dreams. We always appreciate the contributions of our seasonal staff, but this year particularly so. It was a very different summer at the museum as we were closed to the public because of Covid 19. So, instead of having the community come to the museum, Madison Keys and Ali Hemmaway focused their energy on bringing the museum and Cl...Continue reading

This week’s #thenandnow is going to take a look into the history of Bills Koffee Shop which was located on present day 1st Street West. Bill Hobkirk was the director of the Southern Alberta Canadian Restaurant Association. He enjoyed living in Claresholm and therefore wanted to contribute to his community. In 1932, he borrowed enough money from his parents to purchase a 12 seat coffee shop that sat across the street from the old Wilton Hotel, which was located on 3rd Avenu...Continue reading

This week’s #TimeTravel is on the Claresholm Millinery and the Millinery exhibit in the museums main exhibit hall. Millinery is the trade of designing and manufacturing hats, a Millinery shop is the store that displays and sells hats, and a Milliner is the person who designs, creates and sells the hats. They were typically female shopkeepers who would also have a collection of clothing, garments for men, and handkerchiefs sold in their shops. Gertrude Seymour owned and oper...Continue reading

Today’s #thenandnow is on the Ruby School District No. 3311 Model T School Bus. This school bus is on display in our museum’s exhibit hall and will be open for viewing next season when we are open to the public once again! The Ruby School District No. 3311 was formed on October 9, 1915, and was located just west of Claresholm. The district was reportedly named after the Secretary-Treasurer, William Power’s daughter Ruby Power. The school board passed By-Law No.1 for a deb...Continue reading