Exploring the Lost Town of Garden Plain, Alberta

When you're an explorer of the great plains of North America, you'll understand that there are very few short cuts, no quick ways home. Truly, I have learned from past experiences that the distances involved necessitate some serious route planning to in order to pack in the most in terms of exploration and photography. 

So on the way back from a trip to photograph Jack's Shoe Store in Coronation, Alberta, I decided to take Highway 36 towards Hanna so I could look for and explore the area of Garden Plain. There were a couple of spots that I knew I wanted to visit, including the old Netherby School and the old Garden Plain Community Hall. 

You also hope to find some other unexpected spots and that can add interest to the trip. Sometimes the unexpected locations are the most exciting for an explorer. 

Garden Plain 

The town was named by T.A. Kane who moved from a town of the same name in Iowa. Apparently, he settled in the area and became the storekeeper and owner of a mine. 

It's not clear whether Garden Plain was much of a town.  According to the Hanna Historical Society, there was only a trading post and a post office prior to the railroad.  After the railroad was built, there was at least one elevator located along the siding. I'm not sure if there was more than one elevator, although it would be pretty rare to find only one grain elevator on a siding - usually there was a row. 

As alluded to above, there were also a number of coal mines operating in the area around 1909, and so there was real economic activity. So there must have been some kind go population. 




Apparently, the original town site was moved south from its original location. There were a few buildings at what I believe was the original townsite, including a house and an old barn. See above. 




I believe the community hall visible above is the location for the newer, more southerly location. However, that is guess work on my part. 


Netherby School 

Close by is Netherby School. There is not a lot of information on the internet about Netherby School, but the excellent rural exploration blog The View from Here has the school operating from 1911 until 1960s, but doesn't provide much more detail than that. 

Interestingly, the school was used as the location for a Canadian movie called "Why Shoot the Teacher" which is based on the book of the same name by Max Braithwait. Check it out on YouTube here.




    

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A Few More Photos











Location: Garden Plain, AB T0J 1P0, Canada

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