Destination Raymond

Our New Continent



Our New Province




Our New Town


Our New House


History of Raymond

"God made the country, and man made the town." - Wm. Cowper"Roundup" - Raymond History Book 1902 - 1967 pages 19 - 27

Twenty miles south of Lethbridge is Raymond, known as the Sugar City is the town sugar built. At the beginning of the Twentieth Century it was a vast open prairie with arms outstretched waiting for someone to take advantage of its rich virgin soil, sunshine and water. Although Magrath and Stirling had been colonized in 1899, the land in between had not been settled.

Early in 1901 Jesse Knight, a Utah Industrialist and humanitarian, sent his two sons, Oscar Raymond and Jesse William to Alberta to investigate this land. The result was they purchased a block of 30,000 acres and set to work to stock it.

Later in the spring their father met them at Stirling. The weather was ideal, and the country beautiful and green. It looked like a real paradise to him. He was here only a few days before he had a clear idea of what he wanted to do. He would build a sugar factory that would give employment to settlers and others who would come where they might secure land on easy terms and build their homes.

On July 10, 1901 he entered into a contract with the Canadian Northwest Irrigation Company and the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company to purchase an additional 226,000 acres, and build a beet sugar factory, to have the same ready for operations to handle the beet crop of 1903, and keep it in operation for twelve years. The agreement was guaranteed with a pledge of $50,000. Following the signing of the contract a townsite was located and named "Raymond" after Mr. Knight's oldest son Raymond.

Well thats our new home, a small township with a real mid west atmosphere, a population of 3500 souls, a pump house, about a dozen shops, just a smattering of restaurants, a police station and a handful of churches.

The Raymond Stampede was the first of its kind in canada, its a lovely little township and we cant wait to move there.