Bar U Ranch - Longview, Alberta
Posted by: 
T0SHEA
N 50° 25.136 W 114° 14.632
11U E 695788 N 5588841
Situated in the foothills of Alberta, the Bar U can be found about 95 km. south west of Calgary on Highway 540, just west of Highway 22.
Waymark Code: WMK140
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 01/27/2014
Views: 5
Now a "Living Museum", the Bar U retains much of its original machinery, equipment and artefacts. These include several of the wagons and carriages used on the ranch over 100 years ago, as well as the oriinal blacksmith shop with all its equipment, household artefacts and over 30 of the original buildings.
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.
Thr 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. The ranch has been the site for several movies, including Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven".
