Archibald Cranston arrived in Calgary in 1901 at the tender age of 20 with just $20 to his name. To make ends meet, the Ontario-born ‘Archie’ worked as a field hand from place to place before applying for a homestead south of the city.

To his delight, Cranston was granted possession of a quarter section that had been abandoned just six weeks earlier. He made several improvements to the property and only lived on it for a short time before he went to work as a labourer for one of his neighbours. He even spent a few winters working at the old Priddis sawmill.

By 1905, once he built his first home and erected other buildings and facilities, Cranston declared himself a rancher, although he only owned 15 head of cattle, four horses, and one pig. The original house measured 14 feet by 16 feet and a 12-foot by 16-foot addition was added later. At the time, the whole structure was assessed at $300.

His neighbour’s sister, Ellenor Dunn caught his eye, stole his heart, and they were married in 1904. However, at age 20, just eight months later, Ellenor died. It is said she died during childbirth and that the child also died.

Several years later, in 1910, Archibald Cranston took on a new bride – Florence Mildred McConnel, whose family settled the Shepard area in 1890. The couple acquired another 142 acres with easy access to the Bow River plus an unobstructed view of the mountains. Their next house was a 464 square foot two-storey structure.

In subsequent years, the Cranstons added more parcels of land to their holdings and continued to build more features, such as a barn, milk house, and chicken house. They used salvaged wood from an old house to erect four grainaries.

Archibald and Florence raised five boys and three girls (Frederick Clayton, James Orrin, Robert Joshua, Lloyd George, Clarence Evert, Mary Elizabeth, Agnes Margaret, and Florence Millie. Sons James, Lloyd, and Clarence joined the army and fought in Europe during World War II, while Frederick and Robert tended to the farm. However, in 1943, Robert drowned while crossing the Bow River.

Frederick, who married his wife Margaret in 1947, inherited the property in 1958. The Cranstons farmed the land until they sold their property to Township Farming and Ranching Ltd. in 1976. Local land developer Carma acquired the land in 1999 and honoured the Cranston family with the enduring legacy of a 62-foot windmill,  the landmark symbol of the community of Cranston, which is said to represent their pioneering spirit.  NL


*(Historical Resources Impact Assessment, McKenzie-South by Gerald A. Oetelaar and Matthew Boyd, Department of Archaeology, University of Calgary for Carma Developers Ltd., January 1997)