ROWLEY
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ROWLEY |
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NAME: Rowley COUNTY: Starland #47 jurisdiction ROADS: 2WD GRID: 1 CLIMATE: Hot summers, cold winters BEST TIME TO VISIT: Late spring to early fall |
COMMENTS:
The town lies in central-east Alberta about a 30 minute drive north of Drumhellor. There are about 12 permanent residents. Locals have restored many of the old pioneer buildings, including the excellent Railway Museum, Prairie School Museum and the historic Sam's Saloon which now offers tourists refreshments and entertainment. Residents recently purchased the old grain elevators for $1. REMAINS: Many old buildings and homes have been restored. There are still many abandoned structures in the town and area. |
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Less than a year before the new millennium, the last train passed through Rowley. And now the Alberta prairie town’s future may once more belong to the ghosts.In the mid-1970s, Rowley, which once boasted a population of about 500 in the 1920s, was a beat-up dying community, with rows of empty houses and businesses, and inhabited by only a few dozen prairie hardened souls.But one night, a few party-happy locals, whose liquor supply was fast dwindling, decided on a quick solution — a “B & E Party” at a boarded-up old saloon. The brazen men then got talking about sprucing up the pioneer community to make it a heritage stop for tourists.For the next quarter century, locals restored old homes and businesses and soon visitors were attracted from all parts of Alberta, Canada and the U.S. The highlight of the community’s new fame came in 1988 when a cinema production team used Rowley as the set for the hit Canadian movie, “Bye, Bye Blues”. Part of Rowley’s charm is that while locals have spent thousands of dollars fixing up many of the old community’s homes and buildings to reflect the town’s pioneer days, there are still many others left abandoned, and offer ghost towners wonderful photo opportunties. But 1999 also saw the regional train service through Rowley end and locals are worried about the community’s future.“That’s really going to hurt our cash flow,” said one old-timer, noting as many as 900 train tourists a week would get off at the Rowley station, which also serves as the town’s museum.However, the town, which now has an official population of 12, is still hoping word-of-mouth will keep tourists coming. Locals meet at the community hall year-round, and gladly offer visitors a tour even in the cold winter months. Submitted by Johnnie Bachusky Submitted by: Johnnie Bachusky
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