Bar U Ranch Blacksmith Shop - Longview, Alberta - Blacksmith Shops on Waymarking.com

A pretty much self sufficient ranch, the Bar U had everything needed on site to maintain both its herd of horses and its equipment. Though it also had a separate machine shop on site, a lot of equipment repair fell to the blacksmith in the early years.

The shop still operates in the summer, shoeing the ranch's horses and doing other odd jobs. It now operates as a demonstration blacksmith shop manned by volunteer blacksmiths.

Once extending over an area of 160,000 acres, the Bar U once maintained as many as 30,000 cattle and 1000 Percheron horses. Founded by Fred Stimson about 1881, it was one of the leading ranches in western Canada. Though not at that time known as the Bar-U, the ranch later got its name from the brand that Stimson used, a bar over the letter "U". Stimson operated the ranch from 1881 to 1902, when it was taken over by George Lane, with several partners.

Lane operated it with his partners until 1908, when he bought them out and continued to run the ranch alone until 1925. It was in 1908 that Lane gave the ranch the name "Bar U". In 1927, Pat Burns, of Burns Meats fame, bought the Bar U and operated it until 1950. After this time parts of the ranch were sold off, and in 1991 it was designated a National Historic Site, at which time the remaining land was bought by Parks Canada. It was opened to the public as a historic site in 1995.

The Bar U is notable for its history and for its place in the area's history, as well as its association with its various owners. It is also notable for the many original buildings that remain in place, most of which are still in very good unrestored condition.

The ranch site still contains the original house, a bunkhouse, a large grainery, garage, blacksmith shop, barns, stables, tack shop, and many other buildings. As well, there are many original artefacts, carriages, wagons and agricultural implements to be seen.

The Bar U is open to the public every year from late May until late September. Well worth a visit, the ranch appears essentially as it did when it was in operation 75 to 100 years ago.

Operating Status: Operating Web Address: [Web Link] Address: Highway 540 & Highway 22 Longview, AB Canada T0L 1H0

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