It’s been a busy week at the museum! We’ve had many visitors from Italy, Amsterdam, Nova Scotia, and even some of our locals from Hanna.
This week our Tea in the Ranch House featured the life of a Hand Hills doctor, Dr. Lawson. After the talk, guests were served coffee, juice, and some homemade treats. Following the tea, we had a very interesting lady stop by from Havre, Montana. This is her third time visiting the museum, as she likes it so much.
The Fall Fair featured many entries, some fun activities, a creative scarecrow contest, and a parade. Thanks to Dave Ness, the museum’s parade float had lots of candy to hand out.
This week we are featuring..hold on, I think I hear a door opening. Hello? You’d like to learn about the Hospital? What a coincidence, that’s the building we’re featuring this week! This is Hanna’s very first cottage hospital. It stood on 1st Street East between 3rd and 4th avenues facing east. The hospital opened its doors on June 1st, 1918 with a staff of two, Miss Keith and Miss Kate German. The hospital served the town for four years until the Alberta Hospital Act had been passed which called for a bigger hospital. The new hospital was opened in 1922. The cottage hospital stood unused for several years until it became an addition to a school for several years. Once it was no longer needed, Kirby Cartage Co. bought it and redesigned it as an apartment building. After many years of use, it was sold again and renovated to make a single residence. When the Alberta Government bought the town block the hospital was on, the Historical Society acquired the building and added it to our Pioneer Village. The hospital has since been furnished to resemble what it would have looked like back then. To find out more, stop by for a personalized tour from our three capable students!
Coming up, on August 15th will be our next Tea in the Ranch House. On September 8th we’ll have a barbecue at Fresons Brothers. On September 9th, the museum will be attending the Teen Fair.
Must go as I have patients that need tending to, but before I go I encourage you to stop by the Hanna Museum and learn about our own fascinating history. You won’t be disappointed.
Author:
Ashlyn McCormick