Dalum, Alberta facts for kids
Dalum is a small community, called a hamlet, in Alberta, Canada. It is part of Wheatland County. Dalum is about 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Drumheller. You can find it where Highway 569 and Highway 56 meet. The community sits at an elevation of 875 meters (2,871 ft). A group of Danish people called the Dansk Folkesamfund first started Dalum.
Dalum is located in census division No. 5. It is also in the federal voting area known as Crowfoot. The community is home to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Dalum. The Drumheller/Ostergard's Airport is very close, just southeast of Dalum.
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History of Dalum
The Dansk Folkesamfund
The "Dansk Folkesamfund" (which means "Danish Folk Society") was started in 1887. Pastor F.L. Grundtvig began this group. He was a pastor at a Danish Lutheran Church in Iowa. His father, Bishop N.F.S. Grundtvig, was a famous church leader and hymn writer in Denmark.
The "Dansk Folkesamfund" was created by Danish immigrants. Their main goal was to keep their Danish culture strong in North America. They wanted to help Danish-Americans remember their heritage.
How the Society Helped
Local branches of the "Dansk Folkesamfund" started in many Danish settlements. These groups held regular meetings. People would enjoy lectures, singing, and spending time together. Many branches also set up Danish libraries or reading clubs. These clubs shared good Danish books among their members.
The society also helped publish a Danish-American songbook. It was called "Sangbog for Det Danske Folk i Amerika." This songbook became very popular in Danish communities. It was updated many times, with the last edition coming out in 1949.
Starting New Communities
The "Dansk Folkesamfund" also helped create new Danish settlements. In 1894, they supported a new colony in Texas. They named it "Danevang." Later, in 1905, a similar colony began in Askov, Minnesota. Both of these places grew into large Danish communities.
Dalum's Beginnings
In 1916, representatives from the "Dansk Folkesamfund" talked with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CPR). They wanted to find land for a new Danish colony in Alberta. Two members of the land committee, Mr. L.D. Pedersen and Mr. J. Gregersen, visited the area. They reported back that it was a good place for a settlement.
In April 1917, Mr. J. Gregersen and Mr. Jens Hvass traveled to Alberta again. They chose a large area of land for the new Danish settlement. More land was added later. Jens Hvass agreed to move to the new colony. He became the land agent and representative for the group. He suggested naming the new colony "Dalum." This name came from a well-known Agricultural School in Denmark.
Challenges for Early Settlers
Most of the land was first sold for $14–$18 per acre. Settlers could buy it with a small down payment and pay over twenty years. However, many new settlers found it hard to make these payments. The CPR was understanding and changed the contracts. They allowed payments over thirty-four years, making them smaller.
Later, settlers faced even more difficulties. There were droughts and hail storms. The CPR then lowered the land prices significantly. Some land was bought for as little as $4 per acre. As conditions improved, most of the land was paid off quickly.
Some early settlers gave up because of the tough times. They sold their land and moved away. Others bought land as an investment and rented it to farmers. These investors did not get the same price reductions as the settlers.
Hard Times and Recovery
The early settlers faced many challenges beyond drought and hail. Prices for crops and livestock were very low. In 1932, wheat sold for only about 25 cents per bushel. During the Great Depression, a 200 lb (91 kg) hog might sell for only $5.00. Cattle sold for as low as 1.25 cents per pound.
The years 1936 and 1937 were extremely dry. In 1937, many farmers harvested almost no crops. The government even sent a carload of food to Wayne for free distribution.
Luckily, the drought ended. In 1938, a good crop was harvested. Since then, farming in Dalum has continued to be successful, with some ups and downs, up to the present day.
