A Rowley State of Mind

There’s this charming little ghost town out there on the Alberta Plains that like the mythical Scottish Village of Brigadoon springs to life, not once every hundred years, but one Saturday per month*. The people they come for “Pizza Night” and to partake in the ambience, all those amazing old buildings a fine backdrop to the yummy eats, the fun and excitement. We’ve gone many times, always with friends, and this here post documents the last two visits, one with winter soon to set in, the other with spring just around the corner. Each time was pure magic.

Rowley was founded about a century ago and at the peak, in the 1920s, was home to a couple hundred people with lots more on farms in the area. There were businesses and stores of all kinds and a busy main street. Trains came and went (it was the coming of the railway that brought the town to life, BTW), and the elevators down there by the tracks were often stuffed to bursting with grain. The future looked bright.

But all things good must end. Today, the town is home to a handful of people although it’s often visited by so many ghost town hunters (you’re welcome to explore the place at any time) who can outnumber those who live here by a wide margin. And of course on Pizza Night, it’s downright a busy place, the population exploding with both out of towners and local farmers congregating to take in the event, the mood jovial and inviting. Everyone’s in that Rowley State of Mind.

To get a more detailed history of the town, go here: Rowley Alberta Ghost Town (from 2013).

Now come join with us for Pizza Night…

1) September 2017. This must be a farmer’s truck, and God Bless them – they hold on to everything, use it when they can, and rarely let anything go to waste. Here, a good use for old license plates.

2) They make you pay for your seat and if time runs out…you’re outta there! Kidding. In back, a wall of grain elevators.

1) In Rowley Alberta…

3) Too much pizza and beer can tire a fellow out. He’s been here a while. If is wife calls, remember, he just left!

4) Picked up the phone to see if there was a dial tone…and to my surprise there was. Did it again, just as a call came in. The nice fellow wanted to order a pizza (lots of locals call ahead for take out). “Hold on, we’ll transfer you to the kitchen (shouting out the window to them)…was so nice chat…say, how’s this year’s crop?” In the train station.

5) MH Green of Halkirk is still waiting on his shipment. The Drambuie box was empty. We checked.

6) Old bottles once tossed away, now curios in the some building in some ghost town. Funny how that works.

7) There’s lots of photogenic stuff in Rowley, but here’s the most photographed of them all, the old grain elevators. The caboose is always interesting too. Track was pulled up in the 1990s, but left in place in and near town, to help complete the illusion trains still visit. And we wished they did – imagine the photos then?

8) The exiting school view. The only joy I had on attending – the leaving part.

9) The elevators here date from the 1910s-1940s period and we’re in use to a degree into the 1990s. You’re author has seen a photo showing grain cars spotted here circa 1993/1994-ish. That was very near the end of service here.

10) Almost got run down by that bike earlier. Shaking my fist furiously (and when I get real old I’ll do it with a cane) – “you little this and that, wait till I track you down!”

11) The action’s at Sam’s Saloon (a former cafe up to the 1960s) and while waiting on a Pizza (and it can take a while) help yourself to come popcorn. The beer flows to help wash it down.

12) Every Pizza Night we’ve been to there’s been a band, this night’s act seen here rockin’ the night away.

13) Testing Connie’s (then) new camera – here it’s a hand hold shot to see how it copes with low light sans tripod. Exif data – 1/15 sec, f3.5 (the dreaded kit lens biggest opening) and 6400 ISO, Panasonic GX85. Seems to do well – minimal noise. If the camera allows it, do it.

14) Milling about on Main Street – the fun always spills outside except on the coldest months.

15) In the church – and I didn’t burst into flames (that never gets old), but neither did I find salvation. Got a Facebook message from heaven – they asked I find somewhere else to spend eternity.

16) This is the United Church from the 1920s/1930s period (reports vary), and in use up to the late 1960s or thereabouts. It’s nicely kept up and sometimes open on Pizza Nights, for all you sinners.

17) Fast forward to April 2018, this here thingy seen on the wall. They do have a LOVE affair with the Trudeaus here in rural Alberta – for fun shout out “I love Justin!” in downtown anywhere out this way, and see where it gets you. Put your running shoes on. Eighty cents, sixty cents, a buck ‘o’ five – the always volatile Canadian Dollar. This note is very tender. Priceless!

18) An accidental pic while setting the camera. Most of this spring series was shot with our Road-Warrior G series Canon with a badly gouged lens, cracked screen, dents and dings and with multiple personalities and scrambled brains. It went on to act up more and more badly as time passed, account all the abuse I’d willing to admit (we’re tough on cameras) and has since been retired. Now you know.

19) It’s a sin! This caboose is ex-CPR. This line was CNR – and earlier Canadian Northern. How dare they! This is a travesty! Oops, forgot to turn off the annoying train geek – and you thought comic book guys were bad.

20) The Rowley Station is original, built by Canadian National Railway in the 1920s replacing an earlier Canadian Northern structure on the same lot. It’s a most amazing building, rare and very much as built in near every way and is sometimes open during Pizza Night. Make a point to tour it if you can. It’s so special inside and out.

21) An old putt-putt speeder once used by maintenance crews. Ah, memories of a most special visit to the Great Western Railway. See: Riding the Rails in SW Saskatchewan – Part One and Riding the Rails in SW Saskatchewan – Part Two.

2) Good thing we had a few dimes.

22) The elevators have been lovingly restored. They really did a fine job which was no easy task. In the 1990s, on our very first visit here (no pics though) they were looking a bit rough.

23) Out in the “burbs”, the very edge of town – so waaaay down close to where Second Avenue would be had the town expanded out that far (it does appear on maps though), this old dwelling.

24) The circa 1910s Hospital. Its good sized and reminds us how bustling Old Rowley used to be.

25) Where no one goes, the moon makes an appearance.

26) In retirement, some old rides. We have a thing for vintage vehicles that are no longer used, even the common or relatively modern stuff.

27) This barn was a livery and blacksmith into the 1960s. Amazing a business like that lasted so long. Seems horses were kept busy on many farms in the area well into the era of tractors and trucks. The building is huge. Always wondered what might be inside.

28) If you like you can camp in town. Just be sure to stuff a few bucks in the donation slot. There’s two big spots able to hold multiple RVs, one in behind the church and down here by the elevators. We came on a busy night as you can see.

29) There was a photo workshop in progress. It looks a little crowded! We do them from time to time, by donation, but always keep them small and intimate, a coupe/few people only. They laughed at my little G15 (picture a tear forming…)

30) Park where you can. The BIGDoer-mobile is in there somewhere. A most unremarkable shot if not for a little action in the sky.

31) Oh did I hate school. Shivers run down my back just thinking of it. But I sure do love photographing older ones. Odd how that is. This is a typical one roomer brought in from a rural location. There used to be thousands of these across the province.

32) Spring melt (there was snow in Rowley only a few days earlier) means this bridge is pretty darn useless. Love the reflection!

33) The last freight train visited Rowley in the 1990s (reports say variously 1993, 1994 or 1996). Tour trains also ran on the line, sometimes steam powered, until about 1996 or 1997.

34) Passenger trains, last operated by Via Rail Canada using Rail Diesel Cars, lasted into about 1981. That accounts for the station surviving, along with others up and down the line (and there’s a few), into today. Amazing, a rural passenger train into the 1980s? It was one of the last.

35) Searle Grain was once a pretty big wheel in the Canadian Grain Industry, but via a merger, ceased to be in the 1960s. Here’s another elevator not all that far away that once belonged to them: Searle Grain and here, a little locomotive once used to move about grain cars at one of their big terminals: Class of ’63.

36) This old boxcar hold artifacts. Here we’re really pushing our little G camera. Half a second hand held (dumb luck or one heck of a stabilizer?), 1600ISO (way too high for the small sensor) and f1.8 (well at least the lens is fast). Today a second hand G1X takes its place. It’s got a slower lens but a huge sensor in comparison, so it’s a step up even if its sorta bulky.

3) Sleeping off a bender.

37) Back in Sam’s another interesting decoration. The walls are plastered with interesting stuff – when you go look around and take it all in. It’ll keep you busy for hours.

38) The kitchen building is across from Sam’s and for a good four or five hours, the Pizzas flew out the door. Now with everyone fed, we peer in the window and the place is empty. It’s Pizzas and Beer, by the way, that help pay for upkeep of the town.

39) Okay, we’ll break out a camera better suited to the conditions, our “big rig” (don’t laugh), a Canon 70D with an assortment of “kit lenses”. Remember we’re a poor broke society. One last photo, after dark, captured in the fine little ghost town of Rowley. We scan the people seen, the campers, those mean photo workshop guys (my G15 kicks ass!), day visitors stuff full to bursting with pepperoni and cheese simply milling about and taking it all in, those in passing cars leaving. And we notice, looks like everyone’s in a Rowley State of Mind. The smiles give it away.

*Yes, we used that exact same Brigadoon comparison in another post. There are about 500k-750k words on this here website, so some repetition is likely. There are about 500k-750k words on this here website, so some repetition is likely.

Our first visit…
Rowley Alberta Ghost Town.

Along the same railway line, places you can visit…
Meeting Creek Station and Elevators – HDR and Saturation abuse alert!
Big Valley CNoR Roundhouse.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: September, 2017 and April, 2018.
Location: Rowley, AB.
Article references and thanks:

4) Someone called and ordered a pizza…

5) In the train station.

6) These old bottles.

7) Back, the most photographed things in Rowley.

8) From the front door of school.

9) The elevators date from the 1910s-1940s.

10) Almost got killed!

11) In “Sam’s Saloon”.

12) Tonight’s band rocking it.

13) Hand holding it…because we can…

14) Main Street action.

15) In Rowley United looking for salvation.

16) And we find none…

17) They love the Trudeaus here in rural Alberta.

18) A passing glance.

19) It once worked for the CPR.

20) The station is from the 1920s.

21) Memories of speeding across the prairies.

22) They’ve been lovingly restored.

23) At the “edge” of town.

24) The former hospital.

25) Off in a remote corner.

26) Old rides.

27) Once a livery.

28) You can camp right in town.

29) A photo workshop taking place.

30) Overflow parking.

31) School – or as I called it, hell.

32) That bridge isn’t doing much good.

33) The last train visited in the 1990s.

34) Amazingly passenger service lasted into the 1980s.

35) Searle Grain ceased to be in the 1960s.

36) This old boxcar.

37) Truck stop chic…

38) All quiet now.

39) This Rowley State of Mind…