Steveville facts for kids
Steveville is a fascinating ghost town located in southeastern Alberta, Canada. It's found near the city of Brooks, in a unique area known for its amazing landscapes and ancient history. A ghost town is a place that used to be a community with people living and working there, but for some reason, everyone left, and now it's mostly empty or has very few residents.
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Steveville: A Ghost Town Story
Steveville was named after Steve Hall, who was one of the first people to settle in the area. He was a homesteader, which means he claimed and settled on land to build a farm and a new life. Even with the Hall family's efforts, Steveville never grew into a big town.
Early Days in Steveville
The community of Steveville started around 1910. The Hall family was very important to the early days of Steveville. They ran several businesses that helped the small community. These included a general store, where people could buy everyday items, and a post office for sending and receiving mail. They also operated a ferry to help people cross the Red Deer River and even a boarding house where travelers could stay.
Dinosaurs of Steveville
Even though Steveville didn't become a large town, it became famous for something else: dinosaurs! Steveville is located very close to the northwest edge of Dinosaur Provincial Park. This park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known worldwide for its incredible dinosaur fossils.
Where Were the Dinosaurs Found?
The area around Steveville is part of the badlands. These are dry, eroded landscapes with deep canyons and strange rock formations. The badlands are perfect for finding fossils because the soft rock layers are easily worn away by wind and water, revealing the ancient bones hidden within. Many dinosaur specimens found near Steveville come from a rock layer called the Dinosaur Park Formation. These fossils are from the Late Cretaceous period, which was about 75 million years ago.
Famous Dinosaurs from Steveville
Scientists have discovered many different types of dinosaurs in the Steveville area. Some of the well-known dinosaurs found here include:
- Styracosaurus: A horned dinosaur with a large neck frill.
- Daspletosaurus: A large, meat-eating dinosaur, a relative of Tyrannosaurus rex.
- Corythosaurus: A duck-billed dinosaur with a tall, helmet-like crest on its head.
- Struthiomimus: A fast, ostrich-like dinosaur that likely ate plants and small animals.
The discoveries in this region have helped us learn a lot about what life was like millions of years ago when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
