Welcome to Sheppard Family Park Society
A Southern Alberta Pioneer Life Showcase
About Us
Sheppard Family Park is Ruth Maccoy's 13.6 acre homestead. On her death in 1995, Ruth gave the land and its buildings to the people of High River Alberta.
Ruth wanted a group, referred to in her will as The Friendship Group, to own and operate the Park for High River Residents. The friendship group declined so High River Rotary took the challenge under the directon of Gordon Barker who formed the Sheppard Family Park Society in 1996 and set about preserving and developing the Park.
The Park celebrates High River history especially the 1800's to 1920's and is located at the corner of 12th Avenue and 5th Street in High River.
Park Features
- Ruth's Cabin - originally built in 1883 by Alex Bell. This was Ruth's home for 70 years. The cabin was designated as a Historical site in 2016
- Ruth's Garden - this lovely flower show was covered by a thick layer of silt in the 2013 Flood but is being lovingly restored by volunteers
- Little Bow Schoolhouse - used as a one room schoolhouse from 1904 to 1939, this building was moved to the park in 1999. It is used to host school groups for a day in the life of a pioneer child.
- MacDougall House - this home was built in 1899 and moved to the park from downtown High River in 2001. It showcases artifacts organized and categorized by the accessioning committee.
- The Munroe Barn was built in 1913 on a farm near Milo. It was moved on to the site in 2005. The upper level is available for rental for events. Please see the Munroe Barn Bookings page for more information.
Thank You
Are you passionate about what we're doing? Let us know! We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. We'll help you find a way to volunteer that best suits you.
Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you. We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you.