Beverly, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Beverly is a former urban municipality within the Edmonton Capital Region
of Alberta
, Canada
. Beverly incorporated as a village in 1913 and became the Town of Beverly on July 10, 1914. It later amalgamated
with the City of Edmonton
on December 30, 1961.
Now located within northeast Edmonton, Beverly was a coal mining
community that overlooked the North Saskatchewan River
valley. During the first half of the twentieth century, more than 20 coal mines were active in and around the town. The larger mines provided much of the town's employment.
In 1907, construction began on the Clover Bar Bridge. Unable to use the CP owned High Level Bridge
in Edmonton to bring its trains north of the river, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
(GTPR) decided to build a bridge of its own further downstream. This brought the railway to Beverly. In the years that followed, the GTPR became the biggest shipper of coal
in Alberta, with much of the coal mined in and around Beverly.
Upon become a village in 1913, the village council promptly passed a bylaw that "authorized borrowing up to $30,000 for the construction of roads and sidewalks and the purchase of fire equipment." It was years before residents of Beverly enjoyed amenities that were increasingly being taken for granted in other communities.
Growth was fast, and the following year Beverly incorporated as a town. That same year, Gustav C. Bergman was elected town mayor.
The town council needed a town hall, and Allan Merrick Jeffers, who also designed the Alberta Legislature Building, was brought in to do the design. The town hall was a multi-purpose facility that also housed police, courts and the fire service on the main floor. The upper floor was used as a dance hall and a school. Located on the same site was the town jail and a corral. One of the famous five
, Emily Murphy
worked in the Beverly town hall as a Justice of the Peace
.
For much of its life as an independent community, the economic backbone of the town came from coal mining
. Records show there were over twenty larger coal mines in the area, and an unknown number of small operations as well. The GPTR even built a spur line to provide direct rail service to two of the largest mines.
The Great Depression
of the 1930s were difficult on the prairies, and Beverly was hit particularly hard. In 1936, the town defaulted on its debt, and in 1937, the province appointed an administrator to manage the town. An administrator managed the town until 1948. "A provincial study revealed that by the end of the 1930s, many Beverly families had been on welfare more than ten years."
, Beacon Heights
, Bergman
, Beverly Heights, and Rundle Heights. While the coal mines are long closed, there are still many links to the old town today, from a park at the site of the Beverly Mine to buildings and neighbourhoods named for prominent residents of the old community.
Rundle Park, located within the neighbourhood of Rundle Heights, has two distinctions. Named after Rev. Robert Rundle (1811–1896), the first Protestant missionary to serve at Fort Edmonton and was the first permanent missionary of any church to settle west of Manitoba. The other distinction is that the park was originally a landfill for the Town of Beverly. Pipe houses located along the riverbanks of the North Saskatchewan River help expel the methane gas compressed below the park.
Abbottsfield takes its name as an extension from the Abbott School (now known as Abbottsfield School), which was originally named after World War I veteran, Abe Abbott. Abbott moved to Beverly in 1912 and was caretaker of Beverly School from 1922 to 1958. Abbott School was opened in 1960 as an Edmonton public elementary school. Abbottsfield was originally all coal mines. Set along the riverbanks were dozens of mines and were the main source of income for the residents of the Town of Beverly. Over 60% of Edmonton's coal needs in the early stages of the 20th century came from Beverly mines.
Edmonton Capital Region
The Edmonton Capital Region , also commonly referred to as the Alberta Capital Region, Greater Edmonton or Metro Edmonton, is a conglomeration of municipalities centred around Edmonton – Alberta's provincial capital....
of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Beverly incorporated as a village in 1913 and became the Town of Beverly on July 10, 1914. It later amalgamated
Amalgamation (politics)
A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...
with the City of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
on December 30, 1961.
Now located within northeast Edmonton, Beverly was a coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
community that overlooked the North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
valley. During the first half of the twentieth century, more than 20 coal mines were active in and around the town. The larger mines provided much of the town's employment.
History
The earliest use of "Beverly" to describe the area dates to 1904, and it appears the area was named after a township in Ontario. Within a few years, there were enough people living in the area to incorporate the community as a hamlet.In 1907, construction began on the Clover Bar Bridge. Unable to use the CP owned High Level Bridge
High Level Bridge (Edmonton)
The High Level Bridge, opened in 1913, spans the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Located next to the Alberta Legislature Building, the bridge linked the separate communities of Edmonton and Strathcona, which became one city in 1912. It was designed from the outset to...
in Edmonton to bring its trains north of the river, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
(GTPR) decided to build a bridge of its own further downstream. This brought the railway to Beverly. In the years that followed, the GTPR became the biggest shipper of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
in Alberta, with much of the coal mined in and around Beverly.
Upon become a village in 1913, the village council promptly passed a bylaw that "authorized borrowing up to $30,000 for the construction of roads and sidewalks and the purchase of fire equipment." It was years before residents of Beverly enjoyed amenities that were increasingly being taken for granted in other communities.
Growth was fast, and the following year Beverly incorporated as a town. That same year, Gustav C. Bergman was elected town mayor.
The town council needed a town hall, and Allan Merrick Jeffers, who also designed the Alberta Legislature Building, was brought in to do the design. The town hall was a multi-purpose facility that also housed police, courts and the fire service on the main floor. The upper floor was used as a dance hall and a school. Located on the same site was the town jail and a corral. One of the famous five
The Famous Five (Canada)
The Famous Five or The Valiant Five were five Canadian women who asked the Supreme Court of Canada to answer the question, "Does the word 'Persons' in Section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, include female persons?" in the case Edwards v...
, Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy was a Canadian women's rights activist, jurist, and author. In 1916, she became the first woman magistrate in Canada, and in the British Empire...
worked in the Beverly town hall as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
For much of its life as an independent community, the economic backbone of the town came from coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
. Records show there were over twenty larger coal mines in the area, and an unknown number of small operations as well. The GPTR even built a spur line to provide direct rail service to two of the largest mines.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s were difficult on the prairies, and Beverly was hit particularly hard. In 1936, the town defaulted on its debt, and in 1937, the province appointed an administrator to manage the town. An administrator managed the town until 1948. "A provincial study revealed that by the end of the 1930s, many Beverly families had been on welfare more than ten years."
Time line
- 1897 - Cloverbar Mine known to be in operation by this year.
- 1904 - First recorded use of the name, Beverly, to describe the area.
- 1906 - Community is established as a hamlet.
- 1908 - Construction of Clover Bar Bridge completed.
- 1910 - The Grand Trunk Pacific RailwayGrand Trunk Pacific RailwayThe Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
builds spur line to Humberstone and Cloverbar coal mines. - 1913 - Community incorporates as a village.
- 1914 - Community incorporates as the Town of Beverly.
- 1936 - Town of Beverly defaults on its debt.
- 1937 - Province appoints administrator to run the town.
- 1953 - Beverly Bridge opened.
- 1954 - The Beverly Coal Mine stops production.
- 1955 - Jubilee Park built on old Beverly Coal Mine site.
- 1961 - The Town of Beverly amalgamates with City of Edmonton.
Modern Beverly
In modern Edmonton, there are five neighbourhoods in the area occupied by the Town of Beverly and the surrounding coal mines: AbbottsfieldAbbottsfield, Edmonton
Abbottsfield is a neighbourhood in east Edmonton, Alberta, Canada overlooking the North Saskatchewan River valley. The neighbourhood is named for Abraham Abbott, a resident of the Town of Beverly and long time school custodian in the Beverly School District...
, Beacon Heights
Beacon Heights, Edmonton
Beacon Heights is a residential neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that was part of the Town of Beverly before Beverly amalgamated with Edmonton in 1961....
, Bergman
Bergman, Edmonton
Bergman is a neighbourhood in east Edmonton, Alberta, Canada located immediately to the north of the Town of Beverly townsite. The neighbourhood is named for Gustav C...
, Beverly Heights, and Rundle Heights. While the coal mines are long closed, there are still many links to the old town today, from a park at the site of the Beverly Mine to buildings and neighbourhoods named for prominent residents of the old community.
Rundle Park, located within the neighbourhood of Rundle Heights, has two distinctions. Named after Rev. Robert Rundle (1811–1896), the first Protestant missionary to serve at Fort Edmonton and was the first permanent missionary of any church to settle west of Manitoba. The other distinction is that the park was originally a landfill for the Town of Beverly. Pipe houses located along the riverbanks of the North Saskatchewan River help expel the methane gas compressed below the park.
Abbottsfield takes its name as an extension from the Abbott School (now known as Abbottsfield School), which was originally named after World War I veteran, Abe Abbott. Abbott moved to Beverly in 1912 and was caretaker of Beverly School from 1922 to 1958. Abbott School was opened in 1960 as an Edmonton public elementary school. Abbottsfield was originally all coal mines. Set along the riverbanks were dozens of mines and were the main source of income for the residents of the Town of Beverly. Over 60% of Edmonton's coal needs in the early stages of the 20th century came from Beverly mines.
Further reading
- Herzog, Lawrence, "Built on Coal, A History of Beverly, Edmonton's Working Class Town", Beverly Community Development Society, 2000, Edmonton, Alberta.