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William Hammond and Fanny Long and at least nine of their children lived in the Pincher Creek, Alberta area for a time, and Fanny apparently left some art work that is in the National Archives depicting early life there -
From - MURRAY & ME by Harry B. Barrett
Page 16 -
The brothers made friends readily and soon became friends of the Robert Long family, who owned and operated a profitable Saw Mill on the Nanticoke Creek at Varency. A further inducement to visit the Longs, was their two attractive daughters, Francis, or Fanny, and her sister, Priscilla R. Long. It was well known that Fanny, at least, knew what she wanted from life at an early age. At a time when girls were expected to be seen, and not heard, and to do as their elders thought best, Fanny, on her own, enrolled in an Art Programme, offered by Elmira College, in New York State. She was only seventeen years of age at the time and so amazed the local community. Ralph Miller recalled his father Emerson Miller telling of the great send off and farewell party the admiring neighbours staged for this enterprising young lady.
The family still own several of the very professional paintings and other works of art, that resulted from this early training that Fanny received. One is of her son George Hammond done in charcoal. Another depicts her grandson William Hammond, Doris's father and Murray's Uncle Will, as a boy, with a sliver in his foot.
Several of Frances Hammond's works depicting early ranch life in the Pincher Creek area, hold an honoured place in the Canadian Archives, in Ottawa
Page 19 -
Although no one seems to know who first was drawn to Pincher Creek to homestead and farm in that district, it is known eventually nine of William and Fanny Hammond's children were living there. Finally Fanny as well left her husband, William, and moved to Pincher Creek, where she took up a quarter section, and farmed successfully with others of her family. She also became involved in her art again, and has left an important record of the life of a homesteader, rancher and farmer in the early settlement of that part of Alberta. As mentioned, several of her water colours are now housed in the National Archives in Ottawa.
William, who was suffering from diabetes by this time, had sought solace and relief from his ills, through alcohol. He moved to a home overlooking the lake, east of the village of Port Dover, where the lady of the household looked after him. One night while walking along the lake bank, he tumbled, to fall the full length of the high clay bluffs to the beach below. He did not survive the ordeal. Fanny later returned from the west to move into the same home where her husband had spent his last days. She died there in 1924 to be buried in Port Dover Cemetery with her husband.
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Rainham Builders
Abt 1834 - 1924 (~ 90 years)