Family Matters: For Time and All Eternity

It all began with one breathtaking invention. At the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition, bridge engineer G.W.G. Ferris unveiled something the world had never seen before, the original Ferris Wheel. And among those who stood in awe was a young bridge engineer from Roodhouse, Illinois, named W.E. Sullivan.  Inspired but also practical, Sullivan and machinist J.H. Clements created a smaller version in 1900, using open buggy seats for a simple, charming design. When the Eli Bridge Company was officially formed in 1903, his investors insisted on keeping that name, just in case this "silly Ferris wheel fad" faded out, so they could always go back to building bridges!   But the fad never faded. It grew into a legacy. More than a century later, the Sullivan family’s Eli Bridge Company is still going strong, sending portable Ferris wheels to places as far away as India. What began as a bridge builder’s side project became a worldwide symb...

There are some things that aren't just built, they're crafted with care, history, and vision. The Dangler Swings is one of those treasures.  This beautiful ride was originally built back in 1920 by Fritz Kreis, a leading German manufacturer of amusement park attractions. What makes it even more special? It was created as a one-of-a-kind project. There's simply nothing else quite like it.    Before it found its home in Canada, the Dangler Swings was recognized as the largest of its kind in Europe. It evolved from the mechanical carousels that charmed crowds back in the 1870s, with its tall center pole powered by a reliable 7-horsepower electric motor, a marvel of engineering in its day.   In 1984, the ride was generously donated to Heritage Park by Jim Conklin, and after careful restoration, it made a grand appearance at the 1988 Calgary Stampede midway, bringing joy to a whole new generation. Then in 1989, it found its permanent ho...

What if discovering your family's story wasn't just about names and dates? What if it was a celebration of who you are, where you come from, and the people whose lives shaped yours? That's exactly the heart of RootsTech 2027.      📅 When & Where Dates: March 4–6, 2027 Where: Online (Free for everyone!) AND in person in Salt Lake City, Utah Theme: "Celebrate!"   This year, family history isn't just research. It's a joyful celebration of:   - The heritage that grounds us - The cultures that enrich us - The stories that connect us - The relationships that grow across generations   As Jonathan Wing of FamilySearch shared: "We invite attendees to see family history as a living celebration of the past, present and future."   Whether you're just starting out or you've been tracing your roots for years, there's something for you:   - Hundreds of inspiring classes for beginners and seasoned researchers alike - Virtual & in...

There’s something truly special about walking into a building that once stood in a different town, a different time, holding all the quiet stories of the people who walked through its doors before us.   On our visit to Heritage Park, we stepped inside the old Post Office and Telephone Exchange, a little building that originally stood in Cayley, a small community about 60 kilometres south of Calgary. It was built in 1908 by a man named Rasmus Skov, and served the people of that area for decades before being moved and carefully preserved here.   It’s easy to take instant messages for granted these days. But learning the story of how mail moved in early Western Canada gave us such a fresh appreciation for how things used to be:   - Before the 1870s, the Hudson’s Bay Company was basically the postal service for the entire region - In 1874, the North West Mounted Police stepped in and actually served as postmasters carrying letters along wit...

Together, our family learned something profound about the history that shaped the world we know today. For two centuries, the progress and prosperity of western civilization rested on the strong, weary backs of coal miners,  men who toiled deep underground, often in darkness, so that others might have light, warmth, and progress.  In early 20th-century Alberta, those miners came from every corner of the earth, a rich diversity of languages, cultures, and stories. Many were immigrants, drawn by the promise of freedom and a better life. They left everything familiar behind, hoping to build something solid for their families. They found work but they also found hardship.   Coal mining was hard, dirty, and dangerous work. Yet for so many, it was the best, or only way to provide. And remarkably, despite the risks and the toil, these men took genuine pride in what they did. They saw their labor as more than...

Our family visited Heritage Park and stepped back in time to discover the story that shaped Alberta.    It all began in 1911, when an amateur geologist named William Stewart Herron noticed something remarkable: oil seeping through the ground in the foothills south of Calgary. Little did he know, that small discovery would launch Alberta’s entire oil industry. Herron brought in Archibald Wayne Dingman to oversee the work, and together they founded Calgary Petroleum Products. On May 14, 1914, their No. 1 Well, now known affectionately as the Dingman Well, struck oil at 2,700 feet.  What made it extraordinary? The gasoline was so pure it could power a car without any refining. That gusher sparked excitement across the region and started Alberta’s very first oil boom.   At Heritage Park, we saw the replica of the Dingman cable-tool rig. A story of preservation in itself. The first accurate replica was built in 1965, using h...