Like most history enthusiasts, historic barns catch my eye. The one featured in these photos definitely caught my attention. I have not learned the history of this particular barn, but as I stood there capturing photos, I found myself wondering who settled the area.

The first settlers to the area arrived in the late 1890s and early 1900s. For the most part, they were Germans from Russia. Their ancestors had been encouraged by Catherine the Great to migrate to Russia. Settling along the Volga River, they turned the region into productive agricultural land and populated the area as a protective barrier against the nomadic Asiatic tribes who inhabited the region. Upon their rights and privileges being revoked by the Russian Crown, several groups of German Russians left for the Americas. Consequently, families arrived in Canada, and many went on to the Glory Hills.

The district known as Glory Hills earned its name when a settler saw the glorious hills to the north and declared them "Glory Hills." The terrain, consisting of bush with timbered areas and numerous lakes, proved to be fertile farmland once cleared. Glory Hills was never a Post Office; mail was collected in Stony Plain. Farming was the primary industry in the area and supported other ventures such as a brick factory, blacksmith shops, and various saw-mill operations.