Return Ghost Towns of AlbertaMARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
This community center is situated five miles north of
the Canada-U.S. boundary in the west half of the
northwest quarter of Section 31; T. I; R. 24; west of 4; on
the east bank of the St. Mary (or St. Mary's) River, on a
beautiful, low plateau skirting that river. The site is
bounded on three sides-north, east, and south-by
steep, abrupt hills, and on the west by the St. Mary
River. Across the river the terrain also rises to high, roll-
ing hills backed by a few peaks of the Rockies some 25
miles distant with Chief Mountain looming prominently
as a landmark.
In 1899 the first L.D.S. settlers in the area located
two or three miles north of the present townsite -
notably the families of Elias and John Pilling. In that
same area there was already a detachment of the North
West Mounted Police, and an English "remittance man"
- Henry Cope Colles - and his wife. Mr. Colles
operated what amounted to a minor trading post, also
had the post office, and, in time, gave his name to the
first school house and district-called the Colles Public
School District No. 443 of the North West Territories,
officially registered June 30, 1897, at the same time as
the Snake Creek School District, but with a slightly
lower number.
The family of John M. Dunn were among the first to
settle in the Kimball valley in 1890. The same year,
James Kearl and Frank Bevans homesteaded southwest
of Kimball on what is now the Rinehart ranch. Other
families soon to settle in the area were those of the Kim-
balls, John Adams, Levi Wheeler, Monroe Pratt,
Magnus Holm (or Holmes), James Gregson, John H.
Bennett, John R. Wiggill, John Sloan, Nephi Nish, and
many more.
The first L.D.S. organization in the area was a
branch of the Aetna Ward in 1897, called the "East Aet-
na Branch". James Kearl was the Presiding Elder. The
"Branch" met in the homes of members and in the Colles
School house each Sunday of the month except the first
when they went to church in Aetna. There was also a
Sunday School organization with Magnus Holm as
Superintendent; Elias Pilling and J. S. Dawson,
Counsellors; and Ernest Kimball, Secretary.
In 1898 the Alberta Railroad and Irrigation Co. com-
menced work on the irrgation canal, tapping the St.
Mary River with a dam and headgates being built at
Kimball, (though the place was called "St. Mary's" until
1900). This marked the beginning of the commercial and
industrial growth of the area. Other settlers flocked in
from Utah to work on the canal. These included the
families of Zera Wheeler, Alonzo Hovey, Thomas S.
Low, Joseph Powell, Erastus Frodsham, Wesley Gibson,
Wm R. Sloan, and others. Nearly all of these came by
team and covered wagon to seek permanent homes in this
new land. The canal was finished in July, 1900; then
enlarged with a steam shovel in 1906.
In the meantime, John M. Dunn was made Branch
President early in 1899. On December 24, 1899 the Kim-
ball Ward was first organized with John M. Dunn as the
Bishop, and Ernest Kimball as his Counselor, and T.
Owen King as the Ward Clerk. Ada Pilling was the Ward
Chorister; Margaret Dunn the first President of the
Relief Society and Margaret King her Counselor. Next
June, Frances M. Lyman, a general authority of the
L.D.S. Church from Salt Lake City, officially named the
ward "Kimball" in honor of half-dozen or more Kimball
families-descendants of Heber C. Kimball-who
were early settlers in the district.
The completion of the canal did not mark the end of
settlement and development of Kimball. John Adams
built a dance and pool hall with a lovely hardwood floor
in 1900. That same year the L.D.S. people pooled their
efforts and began building a church house, which was
finished in 1901. In 1902 the Colles school house was
moved into the townsite. Between these two buildings the
religious, social, cultural, and educational activities of
the community expanded rapidly.
Up to this point the children had walked or rode
horseback to the Colles School, located on the southwest
corner of the northwest quarter of Section 7; T. 2; R. 24;
West of 4-a distance of two miles. The last teacher at
the original location of the school was a Miss Darling.
She followed the building into Kimball and taught the
next year; and was followed by a Miss Kirkwood. Some
students who attended the Colles School at both
locations and who are still living include. Jack Dunn,
Henrietta (Retta) Thompson Talbot, Julia Wheeler
Wiggill, May (or Mae) Dunn Ady, Dolly Holm (or
Holmes) Preston (in California), and perhaps others.
By 1905 the school population had outgrown the little
one-room Colles school; so a two-story building was
erected. But only the two rooms on the lower floor were
ever used as classrooms. When the name of the school
was changed to "Kimball" is not known. Many promi-
nent and successful teachers- most of them home-
grown-have taught in the Kimball School. The list in-
cludes Helen Kimball Orgal, Dr. Harris Walker, Luella
R. Steed Smith, LaVeda Workman Gibb, Ina Mae
Hummon, Willard Keith, Edward Low, Walter Brown,
John F. Anderson, Phillip Sheffield, Lenore Scoville
McNaughton, Eva May Parker, Muriel Matkin
Neubauer, and many others.
After 1905 the Colles school house-being a frame
building - was purchased by John H. Bennett and
moved to his home at the south end of town, where it
became a blacksmith shop. The building still stands,
though badly warped and weathered.
Other business ventures came to Kimball after 1900.
Spencer and Stoddard of Cardston built a large general
store there in 1902. It had a John Deere machine agency
attached, and was managed by Thomas S. Low. In 1904
the C.P.R. extended a railroad grade from Woolford to
within a mile of the top of the Kimball hill. This un-
doubtedly spurred development in the valley, but no
track was ever laid over this extension. The town also had
a livery stable run by Ralph Talbot, and later by Sam
Smith. A hotel was owned and operated by Mrs. Alfred
Talbot. There was a blacksmith shop run by Alma
Thompson. In 1900 the ward population was 230; but it
increased considerably after that. The peak of the boom
is estimated to be in 1910 or 11.
Even so, a Chinese cafe was opened in the Adams hall
by a Mr. Sing Lee in 1916; and John and Annie Gould
built a store in Kimball in 1917, which they operated for
three years. But as populations declined, businesses
closed. Town homes were sold and either moved out on
to farms or torn down. The telephone, the automobile,
the radio, and good roads brought many changes in
people's interests. The Kimball school closed in the early
1940's when centralized schools were organized and
children were bussed to school, first in Jefferson, then
Aetna and Cardston. The school was sold to Glen Nish.
It was torn down and the material used to build a home
on his farm. The school bell was sold to East Cardston
Colony for $50.00 The school barn was sold to Dave
Schneider.
The Kimball Ward was finally closed down in 1948,
and the membership was given to the Aetna Ward.
Suceeding bishops of Kimball following Bishop Dunn
were: Wm. R. Sloan, 1903-1907; Daniel A. (not David
R.) Thompson, 1907-1909; Thomas S. Gregson, 1909-
1913; James E. Nielson, 1913-1918; Thomas S. Low,
1918- 1923; John H . Bennett, 1923- 1927; James R.
Frodsham, 1927- 1928; John E. Peterson, 1928- 1939;
Gerald Low, 1939-1941; Edward L. Wolsey, 1942-1944;
and Maurice L. Bennett, 1944-1948.
The people of Kimball suffered many of the disasters
and setbacks of a pioneering community. Two major
floods in 1902 and 1908 caused considerable damage and
heartbreaks. During the 1908 flood, two Indian girls-
relatives of "Old Irons" were drowned while trying to
ford the St. Mary River. In 1920 Ira Bennett was
drowned in the Canal. In 1923 June Frodsham and Con-
nie Brown were drowned in the river.
Two very severe winters of 1906-07 and 1919-20 took
the lives of many livestock, and set the people back finan-
cially. These winters are still referred to as the "hard
winters" .
Whenever an epidemic or other disaster overtook the
people, help was immediately given by friends and
neighbors. Doctor was miles away, and travel was slow
by horse and buggy. Notable among neighborly "angels
of mercy", was Levi Wheeler. When sickness and death
came, the Relief Society sisters, and many of the men
pooled their efforts to help in any way possible.
Shortly after the arrival of Ferdinand and Bertha
Sommerfeldt and their family from Germany in 1905, he
and Wm. R. Sloan were mining coal in Coal Mine
Coulee southwest of Kimball when a cave-in occurred,
burying both men up to their necks. They prayed for
relief; and although Sommerfeldt could not speak a word
of English, they conversed and understood each other un-
til help arrived and they were rescued after four hours of
imprisonment. They escaped with severe scratches and
bruises.
There were many happy times, too, in Kimball. There
were celebrations on Dominion Day and Pioneer Day
(July 24), house parties, and dances. Christmas and
Easter parties and ward reunions were gala events.
Pioneer Day celebrations included parades,
programs, races, and games. Neighboring wards often
joined in and competed in the games and for the "reign-
ing queen". Sometimes there was performed a realistic
pageantry of pioneer days when a caravan of covered
wagons drove into a circle and were "attacked" by "In-
dians" coming down the coulees and shooting it out with
guns, bows and arrows, etc. Occasionally a young white
boy or girl would be captured and carried off.
Ward reunions usually took the form of a program, a
huge banquet, and a big dance in the evening.
These events served to bring everyone closer together
in a bond of brotherhood. There wasn't a lot of money to
spend; but by resourcefulness and faith, the early settlers
of Kimball got along very well. Mrs. Levi Wheeler tells
of going into the first winter with 30 cents in cash, part of
which was spent for a Church magazine.
The menfolk of Kimball were always keenly in-
terested in sports, and participated in baseball, wrestling,
boxing, track and field, and basketball. Baseball games
were a part of every celebration, as were also novelty
races for both young and old of both sexes.
Although the glory that was once Kimball's has
faded, and her pioneers rest in her graveyard a mile to the
north-when the new grass of early spring bathes the
rolling hills in a carpet of green; when the crocuses,
buttercups, and buffalo beans impregnate the air with
nature's perfume; when the bloom of wild chokecherry
and saskatoon bushes turn the hillside to pink and white;
and when the robin, bluebird, and meadow lark sing their
welcome to a new year of productivity and accomplish-
ment; one is convinced anew that the Kimball valley is
still one of God's chosen spots, and that the early settlers
have left a fine heritage to generations yet unborn.
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