Partner City
Okotoks
Life Astride the Sheep River
The Town of Okotoks is located near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in beautiful southern Alberta. Okotoks gets its name from the Blackfoot word for the giant glacial erratic, the Big Rock, located just west of town. Built near ancient fords over the Sheep River, the village first took root to serve travelers on what became known as the Macleod Trail – the wagon and stagecoach trail that linked Fort Macleod to Fort Calgary. Two early settlers, Kenneth Cameron and John Macmillan, each established stopping houses in the area and this entrepreneurial spirit helped lay the foundation of what would become Okotoks. Today. Okotoks’ historic downtown is home to many heritage buildings and unique businesses that exemplify the community’s proud historic past.
These photos and tours are possible through the generous support of our partners.
Historic Walking Tours
Life in Okotoks
Growing up in an Alberta town
The Sheep River
The Land and the People
Vanished Okotoks
The Places that have been Lost
Working in Okotoks
The Jobs, Industries, and Characters
Then and Now Photos
Okotoks Archives F64f1p3 & On This Spot Enterprises
Homeowning - 1905
The house in this photo was owned by Robert Hamilton and Matilda Fiske, and continues to survive to this day. The way homes were designed and meant to be lived in were quite different than they are today. On the inside the home represented a space for the family, and the domestic space for women, while exterior decoration represented the style of the time, giving us a window into small town Alberta culture over 100 years ago.
Okotoks Archives F64f1p9 & On This Spot Enterprises
Paterson Store - 1905
Paterson Store on North Railway Street in Okotoks, before the lettering was painted on the front. On the back of this photo James J Morrison wrote "Paterson Store in Okotoks. I was working there when it was taken before I was married when the new store was first opened up" L-R J J Morrison, unknown, John Paterson, unknown, unknown. Note. When this photo was taken the name had not yet been painted on the front of the store.Okotoks, Alberta. 1905 or 1906.
Okotoks Archives F64f1p4 & On This Spot Enterprises
James J. Morrison - 1906
James J. Morrison stands out in front of his home just before he marries.
Okotoks Archives & On This Spot Enterprises
Mary Daggett - 1911
Mary Daggett sits on a piling overlooking the Lineham mill pond. The Daggett family was one of the few families who had a camera in early Okotoks and Mary was one of their daughters.
Okotoks Archives & On This Spot Enterprises
Mrs. Scott's House - 1915
A flood in Okotoks causes the water to rise to the doorstep of Mrs. Scott's house.
Okotoks Archives & On This Spot Enterprises
Lineham House - 1928
The Lineham house on Elma Street was near the Willingdon Hotel. John Lineham owned the lumber mill in Okotoks and was a wealthy man prominent in the community.
Okotoks Archives F1f8p15 & On This Spot Enterprises
Cars on the Bridge - 1928
Cars drive across the bridge over the Sheep River in the late 1920s. As cars were popularized in the early twentieth century the landscape of small towns on the prairies began to change. Bridges and roads had to change to accomodate cars rather than wagons and gas stations began to pop up replacing livery stables. Additionally, towns were faced with created traffic laws as the amount of vehicles increased.
Okotoks Archives F63f3p1 & On This Spot Enterprises
Okotoks South East - 1940s
Looking southeast we can see the Ben Hood house in the right hand corner and the Okotoks arena in the background.
Winter - 1950s
Looking south over Okotoks in winter we can see the Hessel residence and the Elks Dance Hall.
Okotoks Archives & On This Spot Enterprises
Derailment - 1972
A train derailed in Okotoks in the early 1970s.
