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Music Comes to High River with the Settlers...

In many cases, the early settlers came from refined homes to a rough and primitive lifestyle. They often brought musical memorabilia, memories and songs with them.

Enjoying music together allowed pioneers to take a break from their daily struggles and have fun with friends and family. A musical event was also a way to fundraise for community projects or to thank neighbours for lending a hand. Access to instruments or music players in the 1890s was limited so people owning a piano, fiddle or even a mouth organ would be highly valued (even if they only knew four songs). Singing was a perfectably acceptable way to make music, and it wasn't unknown for a pioneer to bang spoons or rub their washboard along with the music.

Early Albertans would travel for miles to attend a dance, in all kinds of weather. Miss Bee Godden, wished to attend a dance in Calgary, and rode a horse side-saddle from the Bar U ranch, a distance of about 60 miles! She danced all night and rode home.

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Hand made zither
Circa 1890
Highwood Area, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood

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Washboard
Circa 1910
High River, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood

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Toy pig playing the violin
Circa 1900
Highwood Area, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood

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Banjolin
Circa 1890
Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Zak Shiel

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Joseph and Julia Anna Short and his family arrived at "the Crossing" (now High River) in 1884. Ten year-old Julia (Lu) began a diary that she kept for five years. While there were many days in which "nothing particular happened" or she "got 3 eggs", Julia faithfully recorded the events of the tiny new settlement.

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Sisters Mary (age 12) and Julia (age 14)
Circa 1889
High River, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood, 000-045-001

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Julia Short's Diary December 25, 1885
25 December 1885
Highwood Area, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood

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Julia Short's Diary - December 25, 1885.
25 December 1885
Highwood Area, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood

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Julia Short's Diary Dec. 26, 1885
26 December 1885
Highwood Area, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood

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Julia Short's Diary - December 26th, 1885
26 December 1885
Highwood Area, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood

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Henry Norman Sheppard came to work at a ranch in Pekisko, Alberta, Canada from England in 1887. While on the ship to Canada, he met his future wife Bee Godden who was going to the same ranch to be a governess. After a return to England, she came back to Calgary, Alberta where she was met by Henry and married him the same day. They settled in the Highwood area and had four sons. Henry Jr., Jay, George and Bert. Henry Sr., Henry Jr. and Bert left a remarkable legacy to the history of the Highwood area when they all kept diaries of their lives in the west.

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Mr. and Mrs. Henry N. Sheppard, their sons Bert, Jay and George, and friends
Circa 1910
Highwood Area, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood, 999-037-093

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Henry Norman Sheppard's diary
15 February 1909
Highwood Area, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood Archives