The museum is entering its final weeks of the season, but that doesn’t mean we’re completely halting our business! Our weekly teas are still going strong, and the tours never end!
On the 14th, we had our usual Tuesday tea. Drinks and snacks were enjoyed while listening to some stories from our area.
Every town needs a man to uphold the law. For many years in Hanna, that man was Joe Winkler. Hanna’s first constable was born in Texas in 1874, and many would remember how he never lost his southern drawl. Winkler fought with Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders in the Spanish American War. It was during that time he contracted malaria and with a doctor’s recommendation to help with the malaria symptoms he moved to Calgary in 1907. In 1909, Winkler was farming on his homestead 30 miles southwest of Hanna and working on the Bassano Dam project. He moved to Hanna in 1913. After being elected to the constable position Winkler would help uphold the law in the town for 36 years. There have been many stories and accounts of Winkler giving tickets to people for riding horses to fast through town! Hanna has dedicated a park and street to Winkler for his commitment to making Hanna safe.
On a homestead, 18 miles northeast of Hanna lived a man by the name of C.S. Finkbeiner and his wife. Finkbeiner was a reverend and acted as a missionary in the area a few years before the town of Hanna started. In 1912 Rev. Finkbeiner organized a German Evangelical church group which would be referred to as the Metropolitan Church. The first wedding in town was officiated December 16, 1912, by Rev. Finkbeiner and later that month he would host other towns first Christmas concert at the Empire Theatre. In January 1913, the church group had their very own church and would start holding sermons there instead of in peoples houses. This building was set on the corner of 5th Ave and Main Street.
Coming up, we have an art show and our usual tea on the 21st, and an ending tea on Sunday, 28th. That sums up this article, but make sure to stop by and check out the exhibits before we close our doors for the season! Until next time, make history!
Ashlyn McCormick