Turn of the century businesses that were an integral part of Okotoks’ streetscape a century ago are making a comeback in the museum’s latest exhibit.
The Okotoks Museum and Archives is using maps, artifacts, photographs and newspaper clippings to tell the story of more than a dozen businesses such as the millinery, creamery and flour mill that flourished in Okotoks in the early 1900s in its exhibit Lost Okotoks.
The century old home’s kitchen and living room décor have been replaced with fake storefronts to create a streetscape of these critical pieces of Okotoks’ beginnings in the early 1900s and will be on display until Oct. 29.
“It’s looking back at all the businesses that don’t exist anymore in town, whether they were destroyed by fire or were simply torn down, or in some cases became obsolete because of technology or progress,” said Kathy Coutts, Okotoks Museum and Archives specialist. “It’s really like walking down the streets of Okotoks 100 some odd years ago.”
Coutts said each storefront contains artifacts relating to the featured business, with text panels and photographs.
Museum staff, volunteers and summer students spent a year looking through history books and issues of the Okotoks Review newspaper from 1900 to 1920 to create the exhibit, said Coutts.
“With each business I wanted to find out the who and the what, but I also wanted to research people’s memories of those businesses,” she said. “We appreciate the different types of businesses that existed back then. I couldn’t include them all but I think we captured a good representation.”
They turned to history books and newspapers at that time to dig up information about the businesses, said Coutts.
“In the early days everything was put in the newspaper - announcements of businesses being constructed, change of ownership and products they had for sale,” she said. “There was also want ads.”
Some businesses lasted for decades while others were short lived, said Coutts.
“I think early businessmen and women put great faith in making a go of it here,” she said. “They had determination, they were hard working, they made an investment in the community and I think their stories needs to be told.”
Among them is the Okotoks Millinery, owned by Mrs. Metcalfe.
“A millinery was considered a bit of a luxury,” said Coutts. “Not everyone could afford handmade women’s hats. It was a narrow market. They wore them to teas or book clubs and outings with their family. Living in a small prairie town was probably a lot of hard work and a hat brought back that femininity, that style that perhaps was lacking in the day-to-day work of a small prairie town.”
What makes the millinery particularly interesting is it was one of the few Okotoks businesses owned by a woman at that time. The millinery was destroyed twice by fire, but Metcalfe refused to give up.
“She had three different stores in Okotoks from the early 1900s into the 1930s,” said Coutts. “She showed great determination to carry on her business.”
Also popular in the early 1900s were the livery stables for the Alberta Hotel, Royal Hotel and Grand Central Hotel, said Coutts.
“The liveries served those who stayed at the hotel if they were needing a wagon and a driver or a horse to take them from point A to point B, much like travelers today travel by train or plane and need to rent a car,” she said.
Coutts said the exhibit not only allows viewers to delve into the history of some of Okotoks’ most popular businesses in the early part of last century, it also showcases artifacts and photographs the museum hasn’t had the opportunity to display previously.
“I have some wonderful artifacts related to shoemaking but I’ve never been able to incorporate them into an exhibit before because it’s not enough to create it’s own exhibit,” she said.
Lost Okotoks can be viewed Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
