A history buff in Okotoks will stray off the beaten path to share more stories about the town’s unique history in a new summer tour.
Karen Peters, a member of the Okotoks and District Historical Society, is sharing historic tidbits about Elma Street and the Macleod Trail for a change of pace in this year’s Historic Walking Tour, July 2 at 2 p.m.
Previously, the 60 to 90 minute walking tours took groups along McRae Street and some side streets in the downtown core, but Peters said there are plenty of stories to tell just on Elma Street.
“There is history there we’ve never gotten to,” she said. “That way they get the history of everyday people, what homes are there and what stories are along that street.”
The society has been offering historic tours of Okotoks’ downtown for years and Peters said it was time for a change.
“People said, ‘Are you going to do something else so I can come again and learn more history?’” she said. “That’s when I realized we were missing stories in other parts of Okotoks. We never did all of Elma and we never did the Macleod Trail.”
Peters will talk about past residents, including John Lineham, who founded the sawmill in the early part of the 20th century, and Beatrice Windham, a school trustee who was known for unexpectedly pulling the fire alarm for drills at Okotoks School.
Peters will also tell the story of the Roselands, who purchased Lineham’s house after he passed away but lost it in the 1930s due to unpaid taxes.
The Norwegian immigrants worked in the meat industry in Chicago, farmed in Minnesota, then moved to Canada to farm in Youngstown and then to Okotoks to run a boarding house, she said. The Roselands lost children to tuberculosis and their oldest son, who fought in the Second World War, was considered a war hero.
Peters will also talk about historic buildings like the Masonic Hall, United Church and the homes of prominent people in town.
“Some of the buildings are torn down, but the history is still there,” she said. “Along that street there are so many good stories. It’s a good street to talk about, not only the houses but the people. The stories are unique and interesting and sometimes even funny.”
A portion of Peters’ talk will touch on the Macleod Trail, a main artery through Okotoks before the advent of the automobile.
“It’s part of what was the old north trail,” she said. “It was a main route between the Rockies and the States.”
Peters will lead the tour up the Macleod Trail, which was quite grueling for stagecoaches and wagons carrying heavy loads a century ago.
The walking tours often inspire a visit to the local museum, says Okotoks Museum and Archives specialist Kathy Coutts.
“It peaks people’s interest in the history of Okotoks and if they want more information will often come to the museum and learn more about the historic house or the family or a particular business,” she said. “They are a lot of fun and informative.”
Coutts said museum staff and volunteers receive frequent inquiries about the tours and sometimes have visitors do self-guided tours using brochures offered at the museum.
“They are popular for people who live in Okotoks, as well as people looking for a day trip out of Calgary,” she said. “There is upwards of 30 or 40 people who have come to them. It really depends on the day and on the weather.”
The tour beings at the northeast corner of McRae Street and Clark Avenue July 2 at 2 p.m. It is free and registration is not required.
