Material Type

Recording

Date Range

1980

Fonds

Pioneer Researchers Association Oral History Project

Creator

Pioneer Researchers Association

Physical Description

2 cassette tapes; digital copy

Physical Condition

Excellent

Acquisition Source

Pioneer Researchers

Scope and Content

Tape 1 Side A (approx 30 min) - Mrs Ralph S (Leona) Thompson lived and did ranching with her husband in Spring Coulee. - Ralph immigrated from Kansas with his family in 1903 at the age of 10. His father, Will L Thompson and his uncle E E Thompson bought land near Woolford. At that time the narrow guage railroad went as far as Spring Coulee. His Uncle eventually moved to High River where he remained. She names Ralph's siblings. 5c^ ^/+^ - W L Thompson graduated from Aimes University, Iowa. He married Clara Schultz in Indiana. They moved to Nebraska, then Kansas, and then Alberta. He died in 1908 at the age of 48 from pneumonia. The Thompson family attended the Presbyterian Church in Cardston. - Ralph attended school in Raymond, High River, and Calgary. He attended a number of universities before graduating from Cornell with an agricultural degree. - Leona Jones met Ralph in Spokane where she was employed by Ralph's uncle. They married 25 Dec 1918. In the spring of 1919 they moved to the family ranch where they remained until 1969 when they moved to Lethbridge. Ralph continued to run the ranch from Lethbridge. - Leona's impression of southern Alberta. She missed trees. - Describes Spring Coulee in the 1920's. It was bigger then it is now and had a hotel, bank, butcher shop, school, blacksmith. It was at the end of the railroad line. - Early ranch. The family owned almost a township which they divided into 8 farms. Each farm had a house. Ralph ran 4 of them and 4 he leased out. The Thompson's also raised horses, and ran sheep and cattle. They leased pasture land near Lumpy Butte to run the sheep and had land next to the Mclntyre Ranch where they ran Hereford cattle. - It was difficult finding hired men to work the sheep. Sheep sold for 20 Ib during depression. SideB - Continue about livestock. - They employed around 40 men in the spring and during the fall. Most stayed in the bunkhouse. Information about some the employees: Jack CurlisJworked for them for about 30 years, Ernie Molton, George Wildman, Dow Roberts, and others. - Community gatherings. - Joe Smalniky (?) from Austria worked for them as a sheepherder from 1923-1930. After saving enough to bring his family over he moved to Magrath, then Coaldale, and then purchased their own farm. - Spring Coulee information: pool hall, hotel, stores, bank, butcher shop, the school built circa 1905 was also used for Presbyterian services on Sunday until the church was built around 1908. Names teachers. - Sunday night gathering: the group held debates, plays, and had various speakers. - Member of the Ladies Aid and Women's Institute. Tape 2 Side A - Continue Women's Institute. - Information about Paul Boetcher, blacksmith in Spring Coulee. -1919 was the only year they did not get a crop. Crops were poor until 1939 and the bank had to carry them. During the depression wheat sold for 200 Ib and cattle 20 Ib. Grasshoppers and gophers were bad. They poisoned the gophers with strychnine. Dust storms. - Thompson's had to give up 1400 acres of their best crop land when the St. Mary's Dam went in. The government only paid them $20-40 per acre. - Roads and transportation in area. - Livestock diseases. - Information about Fred Resser, a resident of Iron Springs. - Hutterites. SideB - Continue with Hutterites. - General information about Natives in the area. - Information about the George Irwin family of Spring Coulee. - The Thompson's have a cabin in Waterton. From 1909-1922 the family camped each year in Waterton. In 1923 they built a log cabin. Describes Waterton. - Entertainment: Chautauqua, plays, Dumbbells, 3-D movies. - Mathesis Club: Leona joined in 1927.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

19921008042

Collection

Archive

Less detail