Town History
In the mid-nineteenth century, a tiny hamlet called Perry's Corners sprang up out of the bush. After spending some time as Dixon's Corners, the village settled on Cooke's Town in 1847. Thomas Cooke's stately home still stands on the west side of Highway 27, just south of Highway 89.
Cookstown was home to Emily Murphy, the woman known as Janey Canuck, who served as Canada's first female Police Magistrate in the British Empire and a judge in the Alberta Juvenile Court. Murphy was part of the Famous Five, who took the issue of women's rights to the highest courts in Canada and England, securing their status as legal persons in 1929. Cookstown's post office holds the record for the longest continuous operation by a single family: the Colemans provided local service for one hundred years between 1873 and 1973.
A railroad line running through the west end of town allowed the growing village to flourish until the 1960s; lately it has been converted into a piece of the Trans-Canada Trail, bringing hikers and bikers from across Canada through town. Today, new business ventures have the town bustling once again, with modern growth balanced against a strong respect for our history.
Come enjoy our small-town hospitality and join in our yearly events. We're waiting for you to visit!