Halcourt, Alberta
Halcourt | |
|---|---|
  Location of Halcourt in the County of Grande Prairie No. 1  Halcourt, Alberta (Alberta) | |
| Coordinates: 55°06′44″N 119°31′24″W / 55.112321°N 119.523415°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Northern Alberta |
| Census division | No. 19 |
| Municipal district | County of Grande Prairie No. 1 |
| Settled | 1910 |
| Hamlet | June 3, 2024 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unincorporated |
| • Reeve | Leanne Beaupre |
| • Governing body | County of Grande Prairie No. 1 Council
|
| Area (2015)[1] | |
| • Land | 1.80 km2 (0.69 sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
Halcourt is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada that is under the jurisdiction of the County of Grande Prairie No. 1.[2] It is approximately 40 km (25 mi) west of Grande Prairie.
History
[edit]It was named after Harry Halcourt Walker, an early settler who filed claim in April 1910 as the land was being surveyed for settlement.[3] The first public building was the Halcourt Methodist Church, which opened in 1911.[4] In 1912, Halcourt School District 2835 was formed and classes held in the church until a log school was built kitty-corner from the church in 1914.[5] On May 15, 1913, a post office was established in Thomas Metcalf's home across the road east of the school on Section 33, township 70, range 10, west of the 6th meridian.[6] This was the center of the community until 1917, when the school was moved two miles west to the intersection of ranges 10 and 11, and townships 70 and 71.[4] This was where the community grew, with the addition of Funnell's Store, the District Nurse's Cottage, and Frank Keasis’ blacksmith shop in 1922. About the same time, a cemetery was laid out a half mile south of the church. In 1924, the Orangemen's Hall was built across the road from the school, and in 1938 a Curling Rink beside the hall. During the 1930s the residents created a Sports Ground two miles south on the banks of the Red Willow River.[4] The community also boasted a tennis court, a Literary Society, and Funnell's Orchestra.[4] After 45 years of operation, the school closed in 1957, but the building was retained as a hall operated by the Halcourt Ladies Club.[5] The post office closed in 1962. (4)[6] Today, the historic church and school, as well as the active cemetery mark are within the hamlet.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Hamlet of Halcourt" (PDF). County of Grande Prairie No. 1. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Aubrey, Merrily (1996). Place Names of Alberta Volume 4. Calgary, Alberta: University of Calgary Press. p. 91. ISBN 1-895176-59-X.
- ^ a b c d Stacey, E.C. (1974). Beaverlodge to the Rockies. Beaverldoge, Alberta: The Beaverlodge and District Historical Association. pp. 325–328. ISBN 0-919212-52-2.
- ^ a b Nutting, Mary (April 2010). A Grande Education: One Hundred Schools in the County of Grande Prairie 191-1960. Grande Prairie, Alberta: South Peace Regional Archives Society. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-9735665-0-5.
- ^ a b "Post Offices and Post Masters". Library and Archives Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved January 4, 2016.