"As an autumn breeze whispered across the prairie grass that September day in 1754, an intruder from the east gazed at the sight that unfolded before him. That man, Anthony Henday, did not realize that the winds of change would cause this land to become a part of the Province of Alberta, or that the site on which he stood would become a successful farming community."

"The land was covered with prairie wool, and brightened by Tiger Lilies and Fireweed. There were no large forests, or even small ones on these vast tracts of land. The only trees that grew naturally were Poplar, Balm of Gilead and Birch; with willows growing near the sloughs and creeks, and Saskatoon berry, and Chokecherry berry bushes scattered throughout the plains."

"Wildlife was in plentiful supply from small rodents such as the gopher to the largest and most important of the prairie mammals - the buffalo. Great herd of buffalo roamed the plains at will, moving from one feeding ground to another as the food supply dictated. Deer, coyotes, and badgers could also be sighted on the plains and beaver could be found in the rivers and streams."

"With the disappearance of the buffalo, the way was opened for the arrival of settlers who would rid the land of it's natural growth and replace it with crops which would sustain them in their new homes. The winds of change had swept across the flat lands near the Ribstone Creek. Where dark-skinned Blackfoot children had once played near the entrance of the family teepee, light-skinned surveying crews were mapping out the course of a new railway line which would result in the birth of a community - Edgerton. The land would not be the same, yet the winds of change continue to blow."

-Written by David R. Groves. Taken from "Winds of Change"Edgerton & District History Book compiled by the Edgerton and District Historical Society.


The Village of Edgerton was officially incorporated September 11, 1917 and the winds of change continue to blow eighty-six years later.