Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"A7 RANCHE 100 ANNIVERSARY"

Date

1986

Materials

WOOD, PAINT

No. Pieces

1

Height

19.5

Diameter

5.7

Description

BROWN GLASS BEER BOTTLE WITH A LIP FOR A TWIST-OFF CAP (NO CAP). "85" IS IN RAISED LETTERS OF GLASS AT THE BASE OF THE BOTTLE. THERE IS A SEAM VISIBLE DOWN THE CENTER HALVES OF THE BOTTLE WHERE IT HAS BEEN FUSED TOGETHER. CREAM-COLOURED RECTANGULAR LABEL WITH GOLD TRIM PASTED TO ONE SIDE OF THE BOTTLE. LABEL READS "a7" WITHIN A RED DIAGONAL STRIPE RUNNING UP THE WIDTH OF THE LABEL WITH "BEER" PRINTED BELOW. THE BOTTOM OF THE LABEL READS: "BREWED AND BOTTLED IN CARLING O'KEEFE BREWERIES CALGARY, ALBERTA" IN ALTERNATING BLACK AND RED FONT. THERE IS A STAMP THAT STATES "100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 1886-1986" IN THE UPPER LEFT SECTION OF THE LABEL. CONDITION: SLIGHT WRINKLE VERTICALLY DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LABEL. SLIGHT SCUFFING ON THE GLASS OF BOTTLE.

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

MERCHANDISING T&E

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

INDUSTRY

History

A NOTE ABOUT THIS BOTTLE WAS WRITTEN BY THE DONOR, FRANK LIGHTBOUND, AND PROVIDED TO THE MUSEUM AT THE TIME OF DONATION STATES: “THE SPECIAL LABEL ON THIS BOTTLE IS ONE OF A FEW HUNDRED PRINTED TO HELP CELEBRATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY (1886-1986) OF THE A7 RANCHE (OLD SPELLING), THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF WHICH BORDERS THE OLDMAN RIVER NORTH OF LUNDBRECK IN THE MAYCROFT AREA. THE RANCH WAS ESTABLISHED BY A. E. CROSS OF BIG 4 STAMPEDE FAME AND THE FORMER CALGARY BREWING/MALTING CO. (HORSESHOE AND BUFFALO LABEL). THE RANCH IS STILL OWNED BY THE CROSS FAMILY. THE BEER WAS SERVED DURING THE CELEBRATION BAR-B-Q AND THIS BOTTLE WAS GIVEN TO ME BY VAL DENNIS, SOUTH RANCH FOREMAN AT THE TIME.” ON 22 MARCH 2017, GALT COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED LIGHTBOUND ABOUT HIS DONATION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE BOTTLE FROM A7 RANCHE BREWERY. THIS BOTTLE COMMEMORATES THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE A7 RANCHE. OF THAT, LIGHTBOUND STATES, “WELL, I MUST HAVE ACQUIRED IT SOON AFTER THAT THEN – IN 1986. IT WASN’T GIVEN TO ME DIRECTLY. I KNEW THE FOREMAN OF THE SOUTHERN BRANCH OF THE A7 RANCHE [VAL DENNIS], AND HE HAD SEVERAL OF THEM, AND HE GAVE ME ONE...THE DENNIS FAMILY HAVE A RANCH ON THE OLD MAN RIVER JUST OUTSIDE THE FOREST RESERVE, WHICH IS ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE A7 RANCHE.” THE BOTTLE WAS GIVEN TO LIGHTBOUND EMPTY. WHEN ASKED WHY HE WAS COMPELLED TO SAVE IT, LIGHTBOUND REPLIED, “WELL, [IT REPRESENTS] AN INTERESTING PART OF THE COUNTRY. I WAS AT THE GAP RANGER STATION FOR FIVE YEARS AND THE DENNIS FAMILY HAD THE FIRST RANCH EAST OF THE FOREST RESERVE, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD, BETWEEN THE ROAD AND THE RIVER. I GOT TO KNOW THE FAMILY BACK AROUND 1965 AND THIS WAS [FROM] 1985. I STILL VISIT WITH THEM AND I HELPED THEM WITH THEIR RANCHING OPERATION...I SAW ALL THE FAMILY GROW UP, ALL THE KIDS GROW UP. VAL WAS ONE. WHEN I FIRST MET HIM, HE WAS A KID IN GRADE SCHOOL, AND NOW I THINK HE’S ABOUT 60 YEARS OLD, AND HE’S NEARING RETIREMENT AS AN RCMP OFFICER. SO A LOT OF YEARS HAVE PASSED. SO, OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF HIS HEART, HE THOUGHT I’D LIKE TO HAVE THAT BOTTLE AND I TOOK IT, AND I HAD IT DISPLAYED—IT WASN’T IN THE LIVING ROOM—BUT IT WAS IN THE CUPBOARD AREA IN THE DINING AREA.” ACCORDING TO THE A7 RANCHE HISTORY PROVIDED ON THEIR WEBSITE (ACCESSED ON 4 MAY 2018), THE RANCH’S FOUNDER – ALFRED ERNEST CROSS – “PICKED THE ‘A7’ BRAND TO SYMBOLIZE HIMSELF AND HIS SIX SIBLINGS. IT IS SAID TO BE THE OLDEST RANCH IN CANADA STILL IN THE HANDS OF THE ORIGINAL OWNERS, RIGHT THROUGH TO PRESENT-DAY OWNER JOHN CROSS.” THE WEBSITE CONTINUES, “A. E. CROSS IS BEST KNOWN FOR BEING ONE OF THE “BIG FOUR” CATTLEMEN WHO FOUNDED THE CALGARY STAMPEDE IN 1912. HOWEVER, HE HAD MANY OTHER BUSINESS, PUBLIC, AND CHARITABLE INTERESTS, LIKE THE CALGARY BREWING AND MALTING COMPANY, OIL AND GAS, AND THE BUDDING MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY. CROSS ALSO SERVED AS THE MLA FOR EAST CALGARY IN THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES...” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION, A7 HISTORY AND DONOR’S NOTE.

Catalogue Number

P20140032002

Acquisition Date

2014-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail