Stettler

  
Before WWII

Settlement    Before WWII    WWII and After    Present Day

In the early days, Stettler was a farm service and supply centre. It also was the focal point of the Stettler oil fields. It was also considered a health, education and judicial centre. Farming was the main industry in the Stettler area. Dairy products and poultry are important revenue producers for farms. These products added about $500,000 to the farm economy.

The first church service was held in N.B. McGillivray's office in December 1905. Mr. Fleming, a Methodist minister, officiated at this service. The first Anglican church service was held in Mr. Pyper's new hotel, Alberta Hotel, on July 11, 1906.  The Reverend Frederick J. Sawyers, M. A., officiated at this service.  The Swedish Lutheran church was dedicated on October 2, 1905, followed by the construction of the Methodist church in July 1906. 

The Stettler Board of Trade was organized in 1905 to attend to all business matters in the area until the town of Stettler was officially established. President of the Board, N.B. McGillivary, was anxious to have a building, and stipulated that construction was to be done on Sundays, a typical day of rest.  Working on a Sunday did not sit well with some authorities and, as a result, some of the construction workers were arrested and taken to court by the local representatives of the Mounted Police, stationed at Blumenau, two miles (3.2 kilometres) east of Stettler.

The Stettler Independent, Stettler's first newspaper, was first published in 1906 by Will Godson, a native of Australia. In 1908, C.L. Willis, who came from Ontario, purchased the paper from Mr. Godson. Four months later a large fire destroyed all the buildings north of Alberta Avenue, which included the National Hotel, Merchant's Bank, Post Office, Union Hotel, Riggs and Whyte Store, two lumber yards and a number of smaller business places.

The first doctor to establish a medical practice in Stettler was Dr. Howson, in 1905.  The first hospital was a private hospital of 8 beds set up in a rented building by Dr. Donovan in 1909 and later in 1912 a 10 bed hospital was operated by Dr. Franchum.  A 12 bed hospital was opened by Dr. Creighton in 1914.  Again, in 1915, a 6 bed nursing home was operated by Mrs. Mills, a nurse.

Another hospital was built in 1929 with a rated capacity of 23 beds.  It was extended in 1919 by the addition of a west wing which brought it to the capacity to 56 beds.  There were also 12 bassinets and an iron lung.  A chronic convalescent hospital accommodated 32 patients.