Barnwell is a village in southern Alberta

Southern Alberta

Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of the year 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat...

, 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...

. It is located 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Taber and 43 km (26.7 mi) east of Lethbridge

Lethbridge

Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...

 along the Crowsnest Highway

Crowsnest Highway

The Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or, in British Columbia, the Southern Trans-Provincial, is an east-west highway, in length, through the southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection between British Columbia's Lower Mainland and...

, in the Municipal District of Taber

Taber, Alberta (municipal district)

The Municipal District of Taber is a municipal district in southern Alberta, Canada. It is located in Census Division 2.-Demographics:The population of the Municipal District of Taber according to its 2008 municipal census is 6,714....

.

History

In the late 19th century, a boxcar

Boxcar

A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...

 was located on a rail siding

Rail siding

A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...

 in what is now Barnwell. It was used as a telegraph office for local settlers and the railroad, and the area was named Woodpecker. In 1908, the area was renamed Bountiful to correspond to the local school district. A short while later, it was renamed to Barnwell because another community already had the name of Bountiful. The name Barnwell came from William Barnwell

William Barnwell

William Barnwell is an American author of science fiction, and of other genres. He has written the Blessing Trilogy, set in a future Ireland, and which has metaphysical content...

, a long time employee of the Canadian Pacific Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway

The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

.

Many of the early settlers of the area were coal miners employed in mines nearby at the former community of Coal City. The mines closed in 1920, and miners left for the Crowsnest Pass

Crowsnest Pass, Alberta

The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass is a specialized municipality located in the Crowsnest Pass of the Rocky Mountains in southwest Alberta, Canada. The municipality formed as a result of the amalgamation of five municipalities – the Village of Bellevue, the Town of Blairmore, Town of Coleman, the...

 and Drumheller

Drumheller, Alberta

Drumheller is a town within the Red Deer River valley in the badlands of east-central Alberta, Canada. It is located northeast of Calgary...

.

Amenities

Barnwell is a small community, but it has several attractions. There is a seniors centre, a skate park, a K-9 school, a public library, three parks and a church. Fewer than 5 businesses operate in Barnwell.

Demographics

In 2006, Barnwell had a population of 613 living in 182 dwellings

House

A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...

, an 11.9% increase from 2001. The village has an area of 0.9 km² (0.347491942733282 sq mi) and a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 680.5 /km2.

External links

• Alberta First - Barnwell statistics