Edson’s first official cemetery was built along the Grande Prairie Trail in 1913, although the site was used as early as 1912.
The site is colloquially known as ‘The Baby Graves’ due to the amount of infants that were buried on the site.
There are a number of theories as to why the cemetery was abandoned. One theory was that “there were a lot of springs on that hill”, which would cause the graves to constantly fill with water.
Another theory is that the site was abandoned with the disuse of the Grande Prairie Trail, which operated from 1911-1916 to provide settlers with a more direct route to the ‘Last Best West’.
A third theory explained that sandstone slabs in the ground made it difficult to dig graves.
Today, the Edson Cemetery is not market, and people passing casually would be unaware of its existence. However, eighteen known grave features remain at the Old Edson Cemetery site.
To learn more about the Edson Cemetery, visit www.gallowaystationmuseum.com/baby-graves?fbclid=IwAR1qaN0wdpBC_ddEp0-9fUG5P896TLS9q9bkYs-oc2YYizNPItaISZ93-7w.
Visit yhcounty.ca/explore/heritage-program-splash/heritage-inventory-map-videos/ for the exact location of the Old Edson Cemetery.
