Rowley started as a train town in the early years of the 20th century. The railroad's construction happened in
1911. Then, the grain elevators were built, and people started arriving at the new undeveloped territory of
Central Alberta. They were farmers and cattle ranchers, simple people with grand hopes of prosperity. They
came from all parts of the Canadian and American west. There was plenty of land for anyone who wanted it, and
grain grew in the dry heat of summer and early fall. Rowley was officially born in 1912.

The old train station (shown above) was a place where people came daily to meet other people, load grain and
receive supplies. Those were the times before roads and highways were built, so trains were the main means of
transportation and communication.

A new community was born, and soon it had to face new challenges. Summer was blazing hot, and the dryness
led to many fires in town. Winter, on the other end, had its fierce snowstorms. Life wasn't easy at the prairies of
Central Alberta. There were also droughts and dust storms, particularly during the great Depression. Most
homesteaders stayed and worked the land the best they could.

Even today, nobody seems to know how big a town Rowley became. People seem to agree Rowley was at it's
peak at the late 20s. We were told it had some 500 people in it back then.