History Alive

Nursing Those Wounds

Hanna Museum 2019, History Alive
Nursing Those Wounds

We’ve been pretty busy here with plenty of tours (locally and globally) and our weekly teas. 

No tea was hosted on the 23rd out of respect for Karen Barker’s funeral. Our next tea will be hosted on the 30th and as per usual, we will be providing tea and treats. 

If you’ve watched too much Doctor Who and feel like traveling through time yourself, come see our new Travel Through Time display in the Main Building and our 5 beautiful wedding dresses worn between the years of 1886 and 1953! Nothing like a bit of history to sooth that time time travelling desire.

Speaking of history, here’s your historical tidbit for the week. In 1918 the Hanna area was being swept with the Spanish influenza. Countless people caught the illness, and many of those people didn’t survive. Areas that housed the ill were quarantined from the public in an effort to reduce the spread of the disease. Due to the large amount of sick individuals and the ever-growing need for better care, Hanna gained several hospitals throughout the years. The first being Hanna’s cottage hospital, open from 1918 to 1922. The next hospital was three stories with many more rooms and more modern care available. One of the nurses who worked at this hospital is a featured nurses in our museum hospital – Carolyn Madge. Carolyn graduated from the Calgary General Hospital in 1954 and came to work at the Hanna hospital for several months until she quit to become a full-time mother. Her nursing skills did not go to waste, as rambunctious children have a tendency to get scraped up. Later, as her children were leaving home, she worked as a teacher’s aide in several Hutterite colonies in the general area. Carolyn passed away at the age of 86 on December 13th, 2016.

Coming up, we have our next tea on the 30th at 2:00pm. Stop by if you’d like to hear some of Hanna’s local history and get some free food out of the deal. Our bandstand has been given a complete makeover and looks brand new! In fact, it looks so great we have some tentative plans for putting it to good use during the Fall Fair. We’ll be providing some more details next week. That’s all for now so until next time, make history!

The Sole of the West

Hanna Museum 2019, History Alive

It’s been an eventful week here at the museum. In just a week we’ve been chock-full with tours, teas, and more!

Our first Tuesday Tea of the season took place on the 9th where guests listened to the story of the first woman mayor in Canada while enjoying drinks and treats.

The Michichi General Store has a new addition to add to our ever-growing collection; a 50 year old scale used in the original UFA store in Hanna. 

Speaking of historical additions, here’s another historical tidbit of the week! In the early days when many boys on the eastern coasts of Canada were making their way to the wild west of Alberta, a man by the name of Harry Smith was among them. Smith came to Alberta in 1907 and settled in the Lethbridge area for a period of time where he worked as a harness-maker apprentice. In 1918 he left Lethbridge and moved to Chinook to open a harness store and repair shop. In 1931 he purchased the business of E.A. Adams in Hanna and continued to ply his trade here. As times changed, he adapted and shifted from making harnesses to making shoes. When he wasn’t running a business he was active in the community. Smith served on the school board and represented the town on the hospital board for a lengthy amount of time. Smith passed away at the age of 79 in 1967, leaving his store to his son Dale and his memories to history. 

Coming up, we have our next Tuesday Tea on the 16th starting at 2:00PM. Make sure to stop by if you’re interested in some history and treats. That sums up this week and until then, make history!

Carving Up History

Hanna Museum 2019, History Alive
Carving Up History

Summer has sprung and the Hanna Museum is open once again and ready to get rolling again with our Tuesday Teas, special events, and regular tours!

Starting on Tuesday the 9th of July at 2:00pm, the Tuesday Tea on the Ranch House will be resuming. Stop by for some tea and treats and enjoy some recountings of Hanna’s pioneer days!

The museum’s website (hannamuseum.com) has been revised and now features updated photographs, our other social media links, History Alive 2019 articles, and an events calendar for the months of July and August. If you’re looking for information on buildings, opening and closing times, or previous History Alive articles, don’t worry. That information is on the website as well. 

Speaking of information, here’s your weekly historical tidbit. Hanna has seen its fair share of ranchers throughout it’s time and Levi Kennedy is no exception. Kennedy was raised on his father’s homestead in the Hanna district where, as a young boy, he took a liking to the hobby of carving. As he grew up, Kennedy honed his skills as a horseman and cowboy, and rode in many of his local stampedes. As an adult he was employed at the K&B Ranch and created plenty of carvings, several of which can be found in the museums main building. Kennedy passed away in his 80s but the carvings he created will continue to live on and be cherished in homes across Western Canada.

Coming up, the museum will be hosting the second Tuesday Tea on the 10th. As usual, our doors are open from 10 to 5 so pop by for a tour! That sums up this article so until next time, make history!

Open For Buisness

Hanna Museum 2018, History Alive

Open for Business

The museum has entered its last week of being open, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy! Our Tuesday Teas are still happening, we’ve had an art exhibition, and of course, there has been a steady stream of tours!

On the 21st, we had our usual tea. Guests were treated to coffee, tea, and pastries while listening to some tales of our past. Read more

Men of the Law and the Lord

Hanna Museum 2018, History Alive

Men of the Law and the Lord

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

On The Rails

Hanna Museum 2018, History Alive

It’s been a busy time at the museum lately. From the weekly Tuesdays at the Ranch House, a visit from Communities In Bloom, Summer Reading Program and Epic Adventures groups, along with the numerous tours from visitors near and far, we’ve sure been kept on our toes.

On July 30th, the Library Reading Club visited the Hanna Museum and were entertained by a scavenger hunt through various buildings and finishing off the visit with freezies and a juice box, which was a welcome treat after such a warm day. Read more

Back to the Past

Hanna Museum 2018, History Alive

 

Back to the Past

The museum has been alive with activity this week. We’ve hosted tours for people from across Canada and around the world and sipped our tea while listening to some stories.

On July 7th we had our first Tea at the Ranch House. Unfortunately, due to the rainy weather, the Tea at the Ranch House became Tea at the Quonset.   Read more

Amen

Hanna Museum History Alive

Amen

This week has been alive with action. From the weekly Tuesday Tea, to the yearly Fall Fair extravaganza, to parade float building, our site has been pumping out the action. Oh, and throw in numerous tours for visitors from near and far including Sweden, Montana, Regina, and even a famous face from Calgary.

Our Tea at Ranch House took place on the 15th. Guests were treated to some stories, and after enjoyed some coffee and treats. Read more