232 Centre Street, Vulcan, AB | 1-403-485-2168 | vdhs@telus.net
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About Us
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
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ABOUT US
In 1971, a group of area residents formed the Vulcan & District Historical Society to gather this area’s information to put in a history book. This book was called, “Wheat Country-a History of Vulcan and District”. Upon completion of the book, an archive was formed inside the Vulcan Library. (The archives later moved to the former town office.) In 1988 a follow-up to the first history book was published, “Wheat Country II”.
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The town of Vulcan leased the former Alberta Government Telephones building to the Historical Society for one dollar per year to be used as a museum. The work of many volunteers prepared the new museum for public viewing. The addition of a rural school brought in from east of Vulcan and a central foyer built to join the two buildings led to the Grand Opening of these areas in 2002. A 40-foot by 65-foot expansion opened in 2016, providing additional displays area for the museum and a new location for the archives.
The society has also been involved with many community projects that promoted the preservation of Vulcan’s rich history. Some of these are the installation of rural school markers, plaques for historical buildings, signage for the RCAF airport, new street signs that include historic street names, displays prepared to celebrate local businesses, working with the Vulcan Legion, and digitizing the town’s newspapers, the Vulcan Review and the Vulcan Advocate, and having that added to the University of Alberta's archives website.
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Currently, the society participates in a number of projects and events to encourage community involvement. Innovative ways of letting children experience pioneer life have been popular, including school lessons in the schoolroom, making butter, using crank telephones, working with hammer and nails and more.
We are fortunate to have had society members who have been willing to help and a group of many community volunteers who have supported us for more than 50 years, as we collect and share our community’s memories.