Town to tidy trees

  But she couldn’t find anyone who wanted to recognize it. “Nobody was interested,” she says.

Layden discovered that William and Ellen Drake were amongst the first settlers in the area. At first, Ellen was alone in the area with her eight-year-old daughter, Dora (Dolly), for eighteen months. They lived in a tent while William was away working. At the time, Ellen was the only woman in the area.

When William came back, he became the Postmaster starting in 1913. He called the post office Powerhouse due to a proposed dam to be built on the North Saskatchewan River.

When William left to serve in World War I, Ellen took charge of the post in the area. But, after a call from Ottawa, Ellen learned there was already a Powerhouse in Western Canada. They asked her to come up with a new name.

Ellen chose Drayton Valley, as William had grown up in Drayton, England.

When William came back, the family eventually moved to a homestead on 50th and 50th, taking the post office with them. Some historians have said the Drake’s built the home, but the research says otherwise.

Newberry was told by her father that the ghost that is purported to haunt the house was from the man “who owned the house before the Drakes.

The home they purchased was originally built in 1928. Les Tucker, who had spoken with Layden, said he recalled the house being built “by a young man named Albert Black.” Layden also found reference in one of the books from a woman who remembers seeing the house being built in 1928 when she was going to the Eldorado School, which at the time was situated across from the house.

The Drakes purchased the home in 1930 and built a shop onto it. They operated the shop and post office until 1936. While they no longer operated the post office or the store, the Drakes lived in that house until the close of World War II. The Drakes moved to Edmonton, leaving behind their eldest daughter, Dora, who had married Gordon Kynoch.

Newberry and Linde’s father is Fred Kynoch, the son of Dora and Gordon Kynoch. They can both recall efforts that were made to try and get the home recognized.

Newberry says the original homestead was across from where Intercon Messaging now sits. She says there was a sign there at one point. But it eventually fell to the ground and though her mother tried to get the County to put it back up, it never happened.

Later, Ivy Clark, Newberry and Linde’s cousin, tried to get the Town to rename the street, but had no success.

When Layden and her husband sold the home, they were careful to choose someone who respected its history. Colton, Brett’s older brother, originally bought the home, making no changes to the house. When Brett purchased it from Colton, he decided he wanted to do some upgrades to the house, but was careful to keep as much of the original work as possible.

Hommy and her husband helped Brett with the renovations.

“We tried to keep as much as we could. We didn’t throw anything out but the old windows, but they were from the ‘80s,” says Hommy.

They restained the cupboards in the kitchen, though they were not the original cupboards, and Brett installed a dishwasher. The original threshold was kept in place, the original stairs were restained, and the old brick stove chimney that runs through the house was kept. While the Hommys changed the exterior doors, the interior doors are the same.

While Hommy’s sons lived in the house, she began speaking to the Town about having the place recognized. “I told them, ‘I’m not stopping until you give them something,’” she says.

When the plaque was put up on July 1, 2017, Hommy says she spoke to Fred Kynoch, who told her that they had tried to have the street named Drake at one point, but had no success. “So that was my next mission,” she says.

The Drakes’ family says they are very grateful for the efforts that were made on their ancestors’ behalf.

“We don’t learn about history so that it doesn’t repeat itself,” says Jodi Sandercock, Newberry’s daughter. “We learn about history because every single step that our ancestors took led us exactly to where we are standing today. Just as every step we take today impacts the steps future generations take.

“Renaming the street honours those very steps our ancestors, the Drakes, took. The Drakes created a foundation for our family to grow in this community for six generations and counting.”

Coleman agrees with Sandercock. “I would love to see some of the old settlers recognized by renaming buildings and streets,” says Coleman.

Crystal O’Malley, Newberry’s daughter, says she is excited about the change. “I think this will start a conversation and get some dialogue going.”

Linde’s daughter Melissa Linde says she’s happy there is going to be some recognition. “I think my grandpa would be really proud of all of the work that’s put into it,” she says.

“[Layden, Hommy, and Brett] did all of the legwork to make this happen, and that’s important to remember,” says Linde.

Hommy says that while she and Brett appreciate the thanks, they weren’t the only ones who made it happen. “I know they were thanking me, but there’s a whole lot of people before me. I’m just the end,” she says.

Hommy and her husband will be moving out of the country in January, and she is hoping to see the sign go up before then. Brett is also looking to sell the home in the near future, but both of them feel the Drake House’s tale is far from over.

“This story isn’t about the street, or even the family,” says Hommy. “It’s about this house and all of the people who have lived in it.”