Archeologist and author Shari Peyerl completed a decade worth of research into a book she's launching at the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park this Saturday, June 18 from 2 to 4 p.m.

It's entitled "Alberta's Cornerstone - Archeological Adventures in the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park" and is written as an archeologist's memoir that guides the reader through the history of the park from one area to another.

"In each area, it features significant historical individuals who lived and worked there and some of the surprising stories about their lives."

The highest recorded population of the village was 112 in the 1911 Canadian census. Through her research, Peyeri has traced more than 350 people who lived and worked there.

People were originally attracted to the area to establish ranches. In the early 1900s, sandstone became an important resource in Calgary after the fire of 1886. In 1906, the Glenbow Quarry was established to mine sandstone and was operational until about 1912-13. The sandstone was used to build many Calgary landmarks and provided stone for the Alberta Legislature Building and Government House in Edmonton

"Because of that, a lot of men came to work, some of them brought their families, they built a little village, and the last family to leave that village left in 1927. The land reverted back to ranchland and was preserved by the Harvie Family until they donated it to the people of Alberta as a park."

Glenbow was attempting to be as big and bright as Cochrane, which at the time had a population of about 395 people.

"They had their only little blurb in the Cochrane Advocate, the local newspaper, but I don't think they were quite as big and as important as Cochrane. They had aspirations, but they never quite got there."

Stories are also included about Millionaires Hill, established by wealthy New Yorkers who came and built houses to be ranchers during the summer. Most of those properties lie outside of the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, but the ruins of the Morris family home are within the park, not far from its visitors centre.

The presentation is being made at the recently-constructed Glenbow School House and includes a special slideshow entitled "Through a Child's Eyes."

"It's a very short presentation with photographs that are not in the book and that I've never shown in public before. It will give you a picture of what kids were doing and how they saw life in Glenbow."

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Shari book cover