Cochrane Ranch (South)
In 1895 the first stone bungalow in Western Canada was built on the flood plain of the Belly River as a home for the W.F. Cochrane family. The home was fully modern for it's time. It had water pumped from a well to a storage tank that operated on a gravity system that could hold nearly a thousand gallons of water which heated the whole house. Waste water was emptied into a septic tank. Lighting was supplied to each room by an acetelene gas system. There was a large living room with a fireplace, a beautiful red carpet and built in seats. The dining room boasted paintings on the wall panels. The upstairs master bedroom had a fireplace and a dressing room. There were numerous bedrooms and closets, a library, office, large kitchen, two large pantries, a large bathroom, entryway and a wide verandah encircled three sides of the house. In 1902 the Cochrane Ranch was the largest, most important and possibly best situated cattle ranch in Alberta. In 1906, Edward J. Wood, acting on behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was able to purchase the Cochrane Ranch. He was given the responsibility of dividing the land into farms, planning the three townsites, choosing the routes for roads and deciding on the river crossings for bridges. It was suggested by one of the leading authorities of the church from Salt Lake City that the village by the Cochrane Ranch be named Edwood in honor of Edward J. Wood but he declined the honor for himself in favor of his first born son Glen, thus the little village of Glenwood was so named in 1908. Looking across the field to the West beyond the copse of trees was where the stone house was located, it's a pretty little spot and you can easily see why you would want a home there.