Summary information
| Repository: | South Peace Regional Archives |
| Title: | Robert Cochrane fonds |
| Reference code: | 0268 |
| Date: | 1911-2006 (date of creation) |
| Physical description: | 3.5 cm textual records
12 photographs |
| Language: | English |
| Dates of creation, revision and deletion: | Processed by Karen Burgess June 2007 Added to new database January 2026 – TD |
Administrative history / Biographical sketch
The Cochrane family came to Canada in 1852. Robert was born in 1880 in Kippen, Ontario, one of three boys and seven girls and was engaged in carpenter work before he moved west. His future wife, Jennie Agar, was born in Huron County, Ontario. The two were married in 1906, while Robert was in North Dakota, and soon after moved to Winnipeg.
In 1910, they travelled to Grande Prairie in the Peace country over the Long Trail via Peace River with Mr. and Mrs. James Moore and son. Robert returned to Grouard to file for the land and then returned to Edmonton. Mr. Cochrane had selected four quarters of South African script (N1/2 13&14 -72-5 W6 and S1/2 13&14 -72-5-W6). He had obtained South African script for 8 quarters through a fortunate Winnipeg investment. In February 1911, using four outfits of oxen, one driven by a reluctant Mrs. Cochrane, they travelled with Mrs. Cochrane’s brother, Stanley Agar, the Robert Moores, the Dr. Bradford family, Jack Shortreed, and Joe McLaughlin. They brought in furniture, grubstake, equipment, implements, stock feed, and a load of Banner seed oats and hay to start what became a 1400 acre farm. They learned their party was too large to be accommodated at stopping places on the trail, so they had to split up.
On April 7, 2011, the Cochranes were able to clear a space on their land near Kleskun Hill and set up their caboose as shelter. Cochrane had arranged for 20 acres to be broken the previous fall so in the spring of 1911 he planted his Banner oats and broke another 80 acres. He constructed a harrow to work his first crop. He built a better cabin first and then a frame house later in the summer. He also worked on the construction of the McQueen Presbyterian Church that first year. Before their first daughter, Ruth, was born, a fire destroyed their log cabin and the couple considered returning to Ontario, but the community rallied and helped them establish a new home.
Over the next years, Robert handled native lumber for the Cooke & Boyd sawmill on the Smoky east of Kleskun Hill. He traded the lumber to farmers for oats which Cook and Boyd then sold for cash to the railway crews who were working their teams near Watino. Robert constructed the Kleskun Lake School including desks (where his sister-in-law Edna Agar taught until 1917). Other achievements over the years included helping form the first agricultural society and the Peace River Grain Club, organizing the Peace River Co-operative Seed Growers Ltd. and becoming its president in 1928, being named the Timothy King of the Empire in 1932, having supplied seed houses with more timothy than any other individual in the British Commonwealth, and becoming World Wheat King for his Saunders wheat at the Toronto Royal Winter Fair in 1955.
Robert was an amateur conservationist and naturalist and became an authority on prehistoric fossils, assembling a collection of thousands of fossils and bones, many found in the Kleskun Hills. Through his efforts, the Kleskun Hills Geological Park was created in 1946.
The Cochranes had one son, James and two daughters, Ruth (Mrs. Walter Atkins) of Toronto and Jean (Mrs. Gordon Forbes) of Edmonton. Jennie Cochrane died in 1961 and Robert Cochrane died in 1965 at the age of 85. Their son, James, also died in 1965.
Custodial history
The records were deposited in South Peace Regional Archives in 2007, 2009, and 2012 by Robert Cochrane Jr., grandson of the Robert Cochrane who is the creator of this fonds.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of correspondence, seed registration certificates, award and honours, a scrapbook and newspaper clippings, an interview and historical notes, photographs of family and community interest, and booklets about the history of Grande Prairie and area.
Notes
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.
Arrangement
The fonds is divided into three series: Personal Papers, Photographs, and Booklets. It has been arranged by the Archivist by record type, then chronologically.
Access points
- Textual record (documentary form)
- Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)
- Settlement and Immigration (subject)
- Agriculture (subject)
- Indigenous peoples (subject)
- Science and technology (subject)
Table of contents
0268.01, Personal Papers, 1911-2006
0268.02, Photographs, 1911- [ca. 1950]
Series descriptions
| Series 0268.01: Personal Papers
Date: 1911-2006 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of business, farm, and personal correspondence and cards. Items include Canadian Seed Growers Association Registration Certificates, program for unveiling W. D. Albright tablet and cairn, invitation to a Royal Agricultural Winter Fair reception, various ribbons and awards, Victory Loan certificate, Rockhound certificate, artifact donor recognition from the DeBolt and District Pioneer Museum Society, copies of newspaper clippings, tributes, a photocopy of Jennie Cochrane’s scrapbook, narrative of a 1955 interview with Robert and Jennie Cochrane, historical notes, and “Memories of Pioneer Days” by Edna Agar Sturdy. Physical description: 2.5 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) Arrangement: The records have been arranged within the series by the Archivist by type, then chronologically. Publication status: Published |
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| File / item list | |||
| Reference code | Title | Dates | Physical description |
| 2009.062.01 | Item – Letter to Cochrane From Louis Callihoo
|
1939 | 4 pp. |
| Scope and content:
Louis Callihoo’s letter to Robert Cochrane describes how and when he came to the Grande Prairie area beginning in 1896. |
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| 0268.01.01 | Item – The Nor-West Farmer The Nor-West Farmer and Farm & Home |
1931 | 1 journal |
| Scope and content:
A magazine containing articles of interest to farmers, their wives and included a boys and girls club. This issue featured the article “A Timothy Seed Farm”, the story of Robert Cochrane’s success growing Timothy. |
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| Series 0268.02: Photographs
Date: 1911- [ca. 1950] (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of twelve photographs of the Cochrane’s journey to the Peace Country, building Highway 34, the 1946 Kleskun Hill Picnic, Jean Cochrane and her wedding to Gordon Forbes, and Robert Cochrane. Physical description: 12 photographs Access points: • Graphic material – photograph (documentary form) Conditions governing use: Some of these photographs were donated as digital copies and may not be suitable for reproduction larger than 8×10 in. Publication status: Published |
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| File / item list | |||
| Reference code | Title | Dates | Physical description |
| 0268.02.01 | Item – Party Leaving for Grande Prairie Byron-May Co. Ltd. |
1911 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.5 x 6.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
Group of people on ox-drawn sleighs and cabooses, about to leave Edmonton for Grande Prairie. According to notes on the back of the photograph, this party headed to the Peace Country from Edmonton, on February 3, 1911, 3 pm, and consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cochrane; Mr. and Mrs. James Moore, Maimee and David; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Moore, Margaret and David; Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Bradford, Cameron and Marjorie; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Shortreed; Stanley Agar (brother of Jennie Cochrane) and Joe Mc Laughlin. They travelled via Athabasca, Lesser Slave Lake, Grouard, Sturgeon Lake, and arrived in the Grande Prairie area on March 17, 1911. |
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| 0268.02.02 | Item – Party Leaving Edmonton for Grande Prairie Byron-May Co. Ltd. |
1911 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.5 x 6.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
Group of people with ox-drawn sleighs. According to notes on the back of the photograph, this party headed to the Peace Country from Edmonton on February 3, 1911, 3 pm, and consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cochrane; Mr. and Mrs. James Moore, Maimee and David; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Moore, Margaret and David; Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Bradford, Cameron and Marjorie; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Shortreed; Stanley Agar (brother of Jennie Cochrane) and Joe McLaughlin. They travelled via Athabasca, Lesser Slave Lake, Grouard, Sturgeon Lake and arrived in the Grande Prairie area on March 17, 1911. A note on the photograph reads, “This group did not belong to the Party. They were onlookers. Mrs. (Campbell) Mack.” |
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| 0268.02.03 | Item – Party Leaving for Grande Prairie | 1911 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Group of people with ox-drawn sleighs and cabooses setting off for Grande Prairie. |
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| 0268.02.04 | Item – Moose Creek on the Edson Trail | 1913 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Jake Weber, Robert Cochrane, and Edna Agar (Jennie Cochrane’s sister) at Moose Creek on the Edson Trail en route to Grande Prairie. |
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| 0268.02.05 | Item – Moose Creek on the Edson Trail | March 9, 1913 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Edna Agar, Jake Weber, and Robert Cochrane stop at Moose Creek. |
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| 0268.02.06 | Item – Building Highway #34 East of Grande Prairie Tait |
[ca. 1930] | 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. |
| Scope and content:
Building highway #34 east of the four-mile corner in Grande Prairie. Teams of horses pull equipment and two cabooses are visible in the background. |
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| 0268.02.07 | Item – Jean Cochrane | 1937 | 1 photograph : colour ; 5 x 8 in. |
| Scope and content:
Portrait of Jean Cochrane. |
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| 0268.02.08-09 | Item – Jean Cochrane’s Wedding to Gordon Forbes | August 14, 1940 | 2 photographs : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Jean Cochrane’s wedding to Gordon Forbes, the celebration taking place at the Cochrane home in Grande Prairie. |
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| 0268.02.10 | Item – Kleskun Hill Picnic | July 7, 1946 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 14 in. |
| Scope and content:
Kleskun Hill Picnic draws a large crowd of people interested in the geological formations in the area. |
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| 0268.02.11 | Item – Robert Cochrane | [ca. 1950] | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Robert Cochrane sitting with hat and papers in hand by the Dinosaur Hill marker at Kleskun Hill. |
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| 0268.02.12 | Item – Robert Cochrane | [ca. 1950] | 1 photograph : colour ; 8 x 10 in. |
| Scope and content:
Robert Cochrane in his yard, surrounded by fossils and paleontology artifacts, holding a violin in his hand. |
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| Series 0268.03: Booklets
Date: 1926-1959 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of six booklets: Facts Worth Knowing about the Famous Grande Prairie District (ca. 1928), Interesting Facts About Grande Prairie (1930), Alberta Historical Review (Winter 1957), Facts About the Grande Prairie District (1926), Beaverlodge to Alaska (1959), and The Peace River Country (1930). Physical description: 1 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) Publication status: Published |
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