Welcome to Camrose Founders Days Festival Website

Celebrations at Camrose Founders Days Festival August 10th - 12th will mark 100 year milestones for many Camrose organizations. Daily activities take place Downtown on Main Street, Camrose Centennial Museum and the Camrose Railway Station Museum & Park. See the schedule for details. At Founders Square we will honour several Founders with plaques added to the walls of the fountain.

1912 Highlights:

Many things continued to play an important role in the lives of 1912 Camrose residents - education, railroads, commercial growth, health, sports, religion, entertainment and politics.
In 1912 the partnership of Dr. Smith and Dr. Stuart build the Stewart-Smith building, the beginning of the Smith Clinic.
In 1912 a young man by the name of Theo Bailey arrived in town and began an apprenticeship under Mr. Large, who opened the S.E. Large & Co. drug store which operated (in 1912) in a portion of the old Traders Band (located in the approx area of where Lyseng’s Studio used to be). Theo eventually opened the Bailey Drug in Camrose in 1947.
In 1912 Mr. Rogers had a draying and transfer business that he operated until 1916.
In 1912 Mr. Henrickson took over as Fire Chief.
Residents were well read on national and international events. There were stories in the Canadian about discontent between England and Germany, and vague rumors of war.
The continued growth of Camrose Lutheran College was reported regularly in the 1912 Camrose Canadians. The cornerstone for Camrose Lutheran College “Old Main” had been laid with much celebration on July 1, 2011. The “superstructure” (as it was referred to at the time) was built in the summer and fall of 1912, and was ready for occupancy at the opening of the second academic year of the College, October 21, 1912.
The John Russell School opened in January of 1912. Not all of the rooms were required for public school purposes hence an agreement was made with the Provincial Government to accommodate the Normal School students. This arrangement carried on until the Normal school was complete and ready to open.
The first classes of the Camrose Normal school commence in October of 1912 in the John Russell School classrooms. A teachers certificate could be obtained by completing a 2 month course; the first class graduating at Christmas. This first class consisted of 16 women and 4 men. Staff consisted of Dr. James Collin Miller, principal; and Miss Donalda Dickie, assistant.
Unprecedented growth was due to the favorable position which Camrose enjoyed due to the 3 major railway companies intersecting the city. The 3 major railways CP, CN and GTP continued to be front page of almost every Camrose Canadian edition during 1912, as they pushed further afield, connecting Camrose to more of Canada. The local CN yard expanded, the CP Station was renovated. It was rumored that more railway companies were looking to come to Camrose one being the Hudson’s Bay Railway.
Owners and managers of major companies visited Camrose because locating businesses in Camrose was favorable. There was ease of transportation and overhead was much less than in Edmonton and Calgary. One businessman to visit Camrose early in 1912 was Benjamin Moore, looking to locate a distributing centre. It is unclear if he actually did.
New businesses included a machine shop, a steam laundry plant and a brick plant.
The GF&J Galt wholesale groceries was purchased by the Nash Brothers.
The Camrose commercial community was flourishing. Businesses were opening, selling, closing and from all accounts money was being made and employment boomed.
Fire completely destroyed the Camrose Tannery, an important local industry owned and managed by François Adam. With no insurance, Mr. Adam was unable to pursue another business venture; he had hoped to open a local shoe manufacturing site. A loss of $30,000 resulted from the fire of the Camrose Tannery.
A major undertaking in early 1912 was the Camrose Special Car Tour, organized by the Camrose Board of Trade. It was a publicity tour of Ontario and northern United States and required the use of a GTP railway car for the convenience of the members on the excursion. Articles appeared in most of the Canadians for almost ½ a year as they prepared, were gone and then reaped the benefits. The excursion had a board of directors and budget and was very beneficial for the local economy.
Several months later came talk about another train touring across the country, the tour called “Made in Canada” train. For several months some reference was made about its impending arrival in Camrose, and when it did arrive, there was great celebration around it.
Other municipal news included the continued installation of the water and sewer lines.
There was an enormous political upheaval in 1912 regarding paving of commercial downtown, a 3 block area, resulting in several petitions, many front page articles and lengthy editorials. The topic was complicated by a shortage of cement and an inflated cost to communities in Western Canada, which prompted more petitions as citizens felt they were being gouged.
Local politicians took beautification of the town seriously with headlines reading “Imperative that Town Should be Made to Look Clean and Tidy” and “Mayor Layton will have Everything Spic and Span Before the First of May”.
Town Council introduced a single tax system.
The opening of the David Theatre continues to connect 1912 to 1912 with incredible influence on the social events. Some of the events in 1912 included a Leap Year Dance and a masked carnival.
The Canadian Club continued to play an important social role with many meetings and events.
When the Fram Ski Club hosted its first exhibition of ski jumping in early 1912, the day was compared to a Norwegian holiday with almost all citizens attending.
Curling continued being a favored pastime, the prize to capture was the Tuxedo Cup.
The first organized gymnastics club, reported Feb 15/11 page 5 of the Camrose Canadian.
Baseball was a favored sport.
A public telephone was installed in the lobby of the Windsor Hotel.
Town Council placed a $25 license fee upon motor vehicles that were hired out, which was later struck down as being unfair.
There was a huge push for farmers to diversify into mixed farming with front page articles almost every week.
Coal production was reported often.
Automobiles were becoming popular and there were several car lots opening. It was reported in the Canadian that a group of young people who were driving to a dance in the country got stuck in the mud and were forced to count railway ties all the way home.
Horses were a valuable commodity, and for there was for the most part a shortage of them. Arrivals and sales often made the front page.
The first local celebration of Norwegian independence was held in June and was considered a huge success with 1200 people in attendance.
Oranges and bananas were $.25 / dozen.
Men’s genuine elk tan waterproof blucher shoes sold for $3.50.
In 1912 there were 12 bandsmen in the Citizen’s Band with Pete Tronnes conducting.

Honouring

Signe Spokkeli Hills

Signe Spokkeli Hills was born January 20, 1886 on a farm near Moorhead, Minnesota; the only child of Norwegian settlers, John and Juri Spokkeli. The family moved to the Camrose area in 1895 when Signe was 9 years old and settled onto a homestead. As a child Signe fondly remembers the wild fruit that grew abundantly on the prairie and her positive pioneer neighbors, full of optimism and plans.

Before a school was built in the area Signe and neighboring children attended lessons held by Mr. Taylor in his home. Later Signe attended the Stoney Creek schoolhouse, built about 5 miles south of what would later become downtown Camrose. As more people settled the area this school was replaced by a larger building and renamed New Salem School. During the years of 1902 and 1903 Signe boarded in Edmonton to attend high school. To get to her boarding residence, Signe travelled to Wetaskiwin by horse, to South Edmonton by train and from there she would have to cross the North Saskatchewan River by ferry. After completing high school, she went to Regina to attend the Normal School, earning her interim teachers certificate in 3 months.

At age nineteen, Signe’s first teaching assignment was just north of Camrose at Lake Demay. She also taught at New Salem School and the Sifton rural school.

In 1905 Signe was hired to teach at the first school in Camrose, held in a small wooden building on Main Street; she had 19 students. Signe’s teaching career unfortunately came to an end in 1907 when she married Irving Hills. Apparently at the time married woman could not hold a teaching position.

Irving Hills was also an acclaimed pioneer of the Camrose community. He owned of the first drug store in Camrose, operating it until his death in 1951. Together he and Signe had 2 children, Myrtle and John.

When Signe moved to this area in 1895, the land where Camrose would develop was owned by Ole Brakken. It was wide open prairie with a few scattered homesteads and plenty of wild fruit. Signe died in August 1988 at the age of 102 years, a Camrose resident for those many years. She is remembered and honored by the 1912 Founders Days Committee as the first Camrose School teacher, but is also one of our longest living pioneers.

Almer Julian Jorgensen Ofrim

Almer Ofrim was born in Loken, Norway and moved to Camrose in 1906 where he immediately joined a work crew building the Langbell Hotel (later called the Heather Brae Hotel) for Jacob Langbell. He also worked in Michael Haugen’s Blacksmith shop and created for himself a reputation as a well-known and distinguished blacksmith.

In 1911 Mr. Ofrim entered into partnership with Thomas Fowler, opening a blacksmith shop opposite of the town hall. In 1918 he left blacksmithing and opened a hardware store with Adolph Maland, a partnership and business that would be part of the Camrose business community for over 40 years. Almer sold the business and retired after the death of his partner, Mr. Maland in 1959.

The second location of their hardware building was on the corner of 50th and 50th and it became a favorite gathering spot with an old pot bellied stove in the centre of the store. When sleighs were used for winter travel rural folk commonly stopped to warm up before heading home.

Almer married Amelia Knutsvig on New Year’s Eve, 1919 and they had four children, Robert, Marie, Dennis and Alice. He was an ardent skier. In 1917 he is credited with locating the first ski slide near Banff. The next year he broke his leg on that same ski jump during a long distance jump. He did continue to ski but wasn’t able to jump as he once had.

During his life Mr. Ofrim presented contradictory qualities. It was reported that when a blacksmith, there was not a more rugged individual, yet in later life he was known as a gentle, kindly man.

Almer was active in Messiah Lutheran Church, the Board of Trade and was a life member of the Chamber of Commerce. He took an active part in the local ski club and was a hunting enthusiast.

He passed away in 1964 and is buried at the Camrose Valleyview Cemetery.