Claresholm 1902 is the first mural painted in Claresholm. It is located on the Petros Liquor Store at the corner of 49th Avenue W and 2nd Street West. This outstanding mural covers the entire side of the building. It features a glimpse into Claresholm's past with a street view in 1902, cattle roaming the prairie grasslands and a hayfield typical of its time.
Claresholm began as a railway siding. In the 1880s the lush grasslands had drawn ranchers to the foothills to the West. Their herds of cattle roamed across the prairie as far East as the Little Bow River. With the construction of the rail line from Calgary to Macleod, ranchers were able to ship their cattle from Claresholm to markets elsewhere. The railway could also bring people here, and the siding would provide the nucleus for the town.
In response to an extensive advertising campaign by the government of Canada and the Canadian Pacific Railway, settlers began to flood into this area. Hundreds of families came here from the Northern United States, for example, North Dakota, Minnesota, Oregon and also from Eastern Canada. They came for the free homestead land, and for the opportunity to have a better life for themselves and their families. Businesses flourished, providing the services needed in the area. Claresholm grew rapidly, and was granted town status on August 31, 1905.
A Claresholm Celebration is the second mural painted in Claresholm. It is on the old Field's Store at the corner of 49th Avenue West and 2nd Street West, very close to the other mural: Claresholm 1902.
The mural features over 150 figures in an image depicting the town meeting for a holiday celebration in 1912, visiting, picnicking, playing baseball, and gathering at the bandstand to hear live music by the town band. The distinctive line of the Porcupine Hills can be seen in the distance.
Artist Keith Holmes is from Galiano Island, BC and has painted over 30 murals in B.C. and Alberta.
Traditional Wisdom: An Inheritance to Treasure is the third mural, painted in the spring & summer of 2012 by local artists Pamela Copeland and Catherine Abel. There are four individual panels in Ringrose Park, each with a different theme highlighting the history and heritage of Claresholm.
First panel is most likely of a Kainai Nation village also so known as Blood Tribe. Second panel is a of a typical street scene in the early 1900s. Third panel is of a farmer preparing his land for planting; also included are two ladies and a young girl observing planes flying overhead, most likely during WWII. Fourth panel is a more modern farmers' market with fresh produce from local farmers.
