Welcome to Walterdale Traditional Cache
Cache Effect: No response from owner. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the current guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.
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A quick cahce in Edmonton's gorgeous River Valley
Welcome to Walterdale
If you were to travel back in time one hundred years and return to this very spot, you would find yourself amidst the of the community of Walterdale.
In 1913, this south side river flat was the heart of Strathcona industry with a lumber mill, brickyard, tannery, coal mine and even a brewery! Over 60 families called Walterdale home. The community featured a church, one room schoolhouse, butcher shop and general store.
The namesake of this community was John Walter. He arrived in Edmonton in December 1870 to build York boats at Fort Edmonton. After he completed his 5 year contact with the company, John settled on a plot of land on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River and quickly established a ferry service. With his strong work ethic, John Walter was soon operating a successful lumber mill, coal mine and ferry service in this south side community. Word of John’s good nature as an employer travelled quickly, and soon workers, their families and other business moved in to the Walterdale area.
But tragedy struck this young community on June 28th, 1915. Word came from Rocky mountain House a few days earlier warning that a thirty-foot rise in the river would soon reach Edmonton. But the residents of Walterdale felt confident that the racing river would not overtake the banks of their community. John Walter, then an old man of 65, paced the riverbanks repeating ‘It’ll nae come o’er the banks. It’ll nae come o’er the banks.’
At approximately 6 AM on June 28th, the river began to edge its way over the banks by the 105 street bridge and slowly crept towards the river flat community.
‘It is difficult to describe the awesome scene of havoc and destruction which the flood left in its wake. There were masses of driftwood, uprooted trees, parts of broken sidewalks, all littering the streets. But, worst of all, our houses, both inside and out, were covered by a slimey, grey-coloured muddy silt.’ –Norman W. Guild (taken from ‘The Best of the Strathcona Plaindealer’ edited by Ken Tingley. Norman was a resident of Walterdale during the Great Flood of 1915. He was 7 years old and his father worked in John Walter’s lumbermill.
This great flood left the community of Walterdale changed. Though no lives were lost, many residents, including the Guild family, moved to higher grounds. The lumber mill, brickyard and tannery were destroyed and could not resume operation (the Strathcona Coal Mine ceased operation in 1907) and with this loss, the Walterdale was no longer the powerhouse of industry or tight-knit community that it once was.
If you follow the walking path towards the river, you will pass the old location of John Walter’s south bank ferry dock (directly beneath the 105 Street bridge, also known as the Walterdale bridge). Continue along the path even further and you will pass John Walter’s three historic homes built in 1875, 1886 and 1901.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gerr Gehax naq jryy pnzbhsyntrq
Treasures
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