Benchlands, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Benchlands is a hamlet
in Alberta
within the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8
. The Ghost River is located on the hamlet's south side, while Highway 40 borders the north side.
Benchlands grew from the homestead of Guy Gibson, who selected the section as a returning World War I veteran, much to the chagrin of the lands registry and the Veteran's Affairs Department, who insisted that the land could not be farmed and was, in any event, a highly irregular choice.
In that respect it matched Mr. Gibson to a "T". He had mistakenly married prior to departing for the Great War and was unable to tolerate his bride. He chose the land to preserve his isolation and to find peace in the beauty of the mountains. He built a log cabin for himself on the banks of the Ghost River, and it is said that Guy immersed himself in the icy waters of the Ghost each day, cutting through the ice if need be.
Gibson raised funds by building log cabins for others including the Suitor, Fisher and Manning families, and selling off large lots on the benches to city folk. He never married or had children and died in the mid 1960s. Cabins grew and flourished on the benches of the Ghost.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in 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...
within the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8
Bighorn No. 8, Alberta
The Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 is a municipal district situated in Census Division No. 15 of Alberta, Canada. It is located between Calgary and Banff National Park, north of Kananaskis Improvement District. Highway 1 bisects this county.It was created as a municipal district on January 1,...
. The Ghost River is located on the hamlet's south side, while Highway 40 borders the north side.
Benchlands grew from the homestead of Guy Gibson, who selected the section as a returning World War I veteran, much to the chagrin of the lands registry and the Veteran's Affairs Department, who insisted that the land could not be farmed and was, in any event, a highly irregular choice.
In that respect it matched Mr. Gibson to a "T". He had mistakenly married prior to departing for the Great War and was unable to tolerate his bride. He chose the land to preserve his isolation and to find peace in the beauty of the mountains. He built a log cabin for himself on the banks of the Ghost River, and it is said that Guy immersed himself in the icy waters of the Ghost each day, cutting through the ice if need be.
Gibson raised funds by building log cabins for others including the Suitor, Fisher and Manning families, and selling off large lots on the benches to city folk. He never married or had children and died in the mid 1960s. Cabins grew and flourished on the benches of the Ghost.