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| | LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION: | Fonds | | No.: | PR2171 | | TITLE: | Ponoka County Fonds | | CREATOR: | Ponoka County | | DATE RANGE: | 1903-1979 | | EXTENT: | 13.31 m of textual records. -- 2 maps. -- 1 photograph. | | ADMINISTRATIVE | | HISTORY/BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: | In 1883, the Northwest Territorial Council passed the Municipal Ordinance, allowing for the establishment of local governments areas. In response to the Ordinance, many townships -- typically comprised of 36 sections of land --, organized to form herd districts (1883), fire districts (1886), and statute labour districts (1887). In 1897, all three ordinances amalgamated with the passing of the Local Improvement Ordinance. Local improvement districts maintained public works such as road building, management of fires, noxious fumes, and animals. A 1903 amendment of the Local Improvement Ordinance allowed local improvement districts to include between 3 and 6 townships.
In 1912 with the passing of the Rural Municipality Act, the Province of Alberta created the Department of Municipal Affairs. The Act allowed 9 townships to apply for incorporation as a rural municipality as long as the land contained 1 person/square mile. Under this provision some local improvement districts organized as municipalities while others chose to continue as local improvement districts. In 1918, the Government of Alberta required the organization of all local improvement districts into municipalities with the Municipal Districts Act.
Ponoka County's Municipal History began when Local Improvement District No. 428 held its first meeting in 1915. Councilors included: P.R. Stewart, J.B. Wilcox, F.J. Bullock, and G. Boddy. In 1917, it became the Municipal District of Waterglen No. 428. In 1944, Waterglen No. 428 and Fertile Valley No. 429 merged to become Municipal District of Ponoka No. 66.
In the central region the Local Improvement District No. 429 held its first meeting in 1915. Councilors included Marcus Crandall, Anton Lax, L.V. Bailey, and James Grierson. In 1918, the name changed to the Municipal District of Fertile Valley No. 429.
Towards the East, Local Improvement District No. 430 held its first meeting in 1918. Councilors included John Eadie, Henry Watts, James Jefferson, Paul Ediger, Charles Bishop, James E. Dye, and M.C. Pratt. In 1919, the name changed to the Municipal District of Blindman No. 430.
In 1944, Municipal District of Last West No. 431 became the Municipal District of Last West No. 67.
Further East, Local Improvement District No. 431 held its first meeting in 1913. Councilors included William Connors, J.H. Lawyer, John Dixon, Leo Benson, John Hall, H. Nicholson, and M.C. Platt. In 1944, No. 431 amalgamated with Last West No. 67.
1953 saw the merger of Municipal Districts. Municipal District of Ponoka No. 66 merged with Ponoka School Division No. 34 to form Ponoka County No. 3. In 1999, Ponoka County No. 3 changed its name to Ponoka County.
| | SCOPE AND CONTENT: | The fonds includes minutes, cashbooks, assessment rolls and registers, cash book receipts, auditors financial statements, and tax rolls originating from local improvement districts, municipal districts, and the Central Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and County dating from 1907-1979. In addition, the fonds contains two maps illustrating land boundaries of Ponoka County. The fonds also includes minute books, school censuses, assessment and tax rolls, cashbooks, inspection reports, correspondence, statement of grants, minutes, tax receipts, auditor's statements, attendance registers, cashbooks, and deposit slips from the following schools dating from 1903-1979:
Arbour Park No. 515 (Wiltse), 33-43-25-W4, 1899-1952
Asker No. 408 (Smith's Groove 1898-1899), 11-42-23-W4
Beaconsfield No. 3828 (Chabottevilee): 42-5-W5, 1919 -?
Bismark No. 971: NW-8-43-27-W4,1903 - ?
Blindman River No. 4244, SW-16-44-4-W5, 1926- [1956]
Blindman Valley No. 1645: NW-7-43-2-W5, 1907-1949
Bluff Centre No. 1735 (Bluffton): SW- 6-44-2- W5, 1907
Bluffton No. 1735 (Bluff Centre): SW-6-44-2-W5, 1907-1940
Bobtail No. 4107: 25-43-25-W4, 1922- 1954
Calumet No. 1233: SE-26-42-22-W4, 1905-1949
Chapel No. 588: SE-6-42-1-w5, 1905-1953
Chesterville No. 3525, SE-18-56-10-W4, 1912- [1956]
Climax No. 722: SW-19-43-23-W4, 1902- 1949
Concord No. 658: NE- 10-42-24-W4,1905-1953
Crystal Springs No. 1763: SW-22-42-1-W, 1907-1953
Dakota No. 665: SW-27-43-27-W4, 1902-1954
Dennis No. 2092 (Brooks 1911-1922): 32-18-14-W4, 1909
Eastside No. 668: 6-43-24-W4, 1902-1951
Elkhorn No. 608, NW-7-42-26-W4, 1901-1952
Ellice No. 1703: SW-1-42-22-W4, 1907-1955
Eureka No. 717 (Mecca Glen): SW-29-42-23-W4, 1902- ?
Faraway No. 4682: 9-43-6-W5, 1935 -?
Ferrybank No. 630: NE-31-43-26-W4, 1901- 1951
Fertile Forest No. 3177: SW-7-43-26-W4, 1914-1953
Fuller No. 3189: NW-32-42-3-W5, 1914- ?
Gadsby Lake No. 2816: NE- 10-41-23-W4, 1912- 1956
George No. 1522: 22-41-22-W4, 1906- [1946]
Glen Falloch No. 2628: 19-44-27-W4, 1913- 1956
Grand Meadow No. 671: 27-42-26-W4,1902-1948
Halfway Grove No. 3528 (Sylvan Heights 1918): NW-16-44-27-W4, 1918- 1956
Harmonien No. 3639: 36-44-2-W5, 1918-1949
Hazel Hill No. 767-:35-43-26-W4, 1902- ?
Hoadley No. 2948 (Pineville): 34-44-3-W5, 1913-1959
Hobbema No. 4445: 29-44-24-W4, 1929- 1953
Homeglen No. 2084: 16-44-1-W5, 1909-1956
Iola No. 1900: 17-44-3-W5, 1908- 1960
Lavesta No. 2453: SE-29-43-3-W5, 1911- ?
Leedale No. 1576: SE-11-42-4-W5, 1906- 1959
Lonesome Pine No. 3356: NW-4-45-W5, 1926 -?
Lundgren No. 2594: SE-44-28-W4, 1911-1953
Magic No. 742: SE-2-43-24-W4, 1902- 1949
Manfred No. 782: 15-42-22-W4, 1903- 1949
Manito No. 3939l: 11-44-25-W4, 1920- [1953]
Meadow Brooke No. 1751: SE- 15-42-28-W4, 1908 - 1953
Meadowvale No. 4704: 1-43-4-W5, 1935- ?
Mecca Glen (Eureka) No. 717: 29-42-23-W4, 1902-1949
Midland No. 4856: SW-17-42-35-W5, 1939- 1955
Monte Vista No. 895: SE 15-43-2-W5, 1903-1942
Morningside No. 2991: 2-42-26-W4, 1913- 1953
Mountainview No. 281: 19-2-27-W4, 1893- 1936
Park Springs No. 1963: NW 22-43-28-W4, 1908-1944
Pineview No. 1854: 29-34-4-W5, 1913- 1951
Pleasant Hill No. 607: NE-4-42-26-W5, 1901- ?
Ponoka No. 423: 4-43-25-W4, 1896 - ?
Poplar Forest No. 4274: 44-24-W4, 1926- 1950
Potter Creek No. 1791: NW-14-42-3-W5, 1908
Progressive No. 561: 5-42-27-W4, 1900- ?
Reo No. 4416: SW- 25- 53-7-W5, 1929 - 1956
Rimbey No. 661 (Kansas Ridge): 28-42-2-W5, 1902 - ?
Rose No. 2288 : SE-33-42-1-W5, 1910-1953
Schultz No. 1226: 2-43-33-W4, 1905- 1950
Scott No. 575: SE-11-42-25-W4, 1900- 1945
Seafield No. 589: 17-42-25-W4, 1901- 1949
Sharp Head 3667: 11-43-26- W4, 1902- 1944
Sylvan Side No. 3921: SW- 26-42-25-W4, 1920- 1943
Symonds No. 1615: SW-4-42-2-W5, 1907- ?
Water Glen (Smith's Grove till 1899) No. 499: SE-21-43-22-W4, 1899-1949
Western Sunset No. 4662: NW-35-44-4-W5, 1935- ?
Westling No. 556: NE-17-41-24-W4, 1900- ?
Willesden Green No. 3074: 7-19-22-W4, 1910- 1941
Wilmot No. 2844: NW-34-42-28-W4, 1912 -1953
Wolfville No. 633: NW- 21-42-27-W4, 1901- 1953
Wooddale No. 3368 (Hohn): 25-42-2-W5, 1916- 1950
| | RELATED RECORDS: | The Provincial Archives of Alberta holds many more school district records and local government records. | | GENERAL NOTE: | Information for biographical history sourced from:
Ponoka County GenWeb website available at http://www.rootsweb.com/~abponoka/index.htm (Accessed August 22, 2007)
County of Ponoka District Schools: http://www.rootsweb.com/~abponoka/index-schooldistrict.htmNo. top, (Accessed May 4, 2007);
William Peter Baergen, Pioneering with a Piece of Chalk: The One-Room Country Schools of Alberta 1885-1982, 2005.
Municipal Profiles: http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/cfml/profiles/index.cfm (Accessed August 22, 2007).
Eric J. Hanson, Local Government in Alberta, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1956.
Bert Wolfe, Understanding Western Canada's Land Survey System, Saskatchewan UP, 1978.
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