Farrow is an unincorporated

Unincorporated

Unincorporated may refer to:* Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality* Unincorporated entity, a type of organization* Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress has determined that only select parts of the U.S...

 community in Vulcan County

Vulcan County, Alberta

Vulcan County is a municipal district in Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 6. The current boundaries of the municipality were set in 1951...

, 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...

. The community is located 5 km off of Highway 24 on Township road 202, about 25 km north of Vulcan

Vulcan, Alberta

Vulcan is a town located midway between the cities of Calgary and Lethbridge on Highway 23, in the prairies of southern Alberta, Canada. The population of the town was 1,940 in 2006, and the population of the county, which is also named Vulcan, was 3,718. The town's economy is mainly tourism and...

 and 82 km southeast of the City of Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

. The community has been completely abandoned and is now owned by a local farmer (no trespassing). Most of the remaining buildings of the former community including a Church/school, a house, a fallen store, and out buildings have all been demolished completely.

Farrow was originally known as Glenview or Randle for a short time. The name was changed to "Farrow" the maiden name of the wife of the Superintendent of the C.P.R. at that time.

History

History taken from; Furrows of time: a history of Arrowwood, Shouldice, Mossleigh and Farrow, 1883-1982

In 1930 the Canadian Pacific Railway built a branch line to serve the areas south and east of the Bow River

Bow River

The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....

. The new branch was separated from the main line of the Aldersyde

Aldersyde, Alberta

Aldersyde is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31. Located between Highway 2 and Highway 2A south of Highway 7, the hamlet is approximately southeast of Okotoks, north of High River and south of Calgary. A Canadian Pacific Railway line runs through the...

 - Kipp - 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...

 route at Eltham (Eltham Junction), which boasted a station and a station agent, at that time.

Before the coming of the Railway, Farrow was originally known as Glenview or Randle. The name was changed to "Farrow" the maiden name of the wife of the Superintendent of the C.P.R. at that time.

With the proposal of laying a gravel road through Farrow to link Highway 1 with Highway 23, businesses and people began to build. Farrow was expected to become a thriving commucial center. with many new businesses opening. Two grain elevator

Grain elevator

A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...

s the Independent and United Grain Growers

United Grain Growers

United Grain Growers, or UGG, was a Canadian grain distributor. Founded in 1906 in Winnipeg, UGG was active in grain sales, crop inputs and livestock production services...

 both built in 1930, About the same time Bill Thompson's General Store, Jone's Confectionery, were built. Followed by a blacksmith

Blacksmith

A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...

 shop, lumber yard, Irvine Daub's service Station, Vanderberg's garage, and Hesketh's butcher shop. The Farrow United Church was built on the hill above town and there were a number of residences. These were the homes of Art Weber, Alex Adamson, Bill Schultz, who had bought the Bill Thompson's Store, and Mr. Vanderberg. Most of the building was done by Les Bowden and his son Arnold who were friends of Irvine Daub and came from Champion

Champion, Alberta

Champion is a village in southern Alberta, Canada within Vulcan County. It is located on Highway 23, approximately north of Lethbridge and south of Calgary, Alberta.- Demographics :...

.

That all changed in 1932 when the gravel road now Highway 24 by-passed Farrow by two miles to the north to the Hamlet of Mossleigh

Mossleigh, Alberta

Mossleigh is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Vulcan County. It is located on Highway 24, approximately southeast of Calgary.- References :...

. Unfortunately traffic followed the new road and Mossleigh became the business center of the district leaving Farrow to die off.

In a very short time the blacksmith shop ant the confectionery closed. Mr. Hesketh moved his butcher shop to Mossleigh; the lumber yard was sold to Harry Huntley and moved to his farm; Irvin Daub Bought Adamson's house and moved it and his service station to Mossleigh; the Vanderbergs moved north and their house burned down. Bill Schultz stayed until 1934 when he sold his store and house to Mrs. Armanda Despas, who, with her son operated a trucking business until 1950.

From 1930-1935 Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Weber and Mrs. Shultz were in charge of the post office. Mrs. Despas was postmistress from 1935 until she retired in 1958. On her retirement the Farrow Post Office was closed for good. Those who received mail there were transferred to Blackie R.R. No. 1.

The elevators remained in operation through the years, serving the farming community.

Alex Adamson Was the first buyer for the UGG in 1930. He was followed by V. Coglan in 1933 and S. Chilton in 1935. The U.G.G. elevator was closed in 1936-37 but reopened in 1938 with J.E. Stier as agent, followed by Nels Ekeland in 1943 and lastly Fritz Mason from 1944 to 1977.

The Independent Grain Company opened with Art Weber as agent followed by Tom Moore, Frank Thurber and Jack Hunter. In 1946 the United Grain Growers bought out the Independent and operated it as U.G.G. No. 2 Fitz Mason was agent for both until they were closed in 1977. The Independent elevator was demolished in the 1980s, and the UGG remains abandoned and still stands today with a large hole on the southeast corner.

Most of the remaining buildings have been moved away and there remains only the home occupied by the Masons, and the United Grain Growers elevator which still stands tall and proud but with a gaping hole on the southeast corner.

See also

• List of places with fewer than ten residents
• List of communities in Alberta
• List of ghost towns in Alberta