Cochrane is now recognized as one of the largest towns in Alberta. In fact, Cochrane had a population of over 31,000 in 2021.
Cochrane isn’t just big, it is also one of the fastest growing areas in the province. After World War II, the town saw a boom in economic activity and construction.
In 2003, the town completed its downtown revitalization. Since then, Cochrane has become a popular tourist destination with a thriving arts and culture scene.
But the town’s history goes further back than World War II. The town was named after successful businessman Henry Matthew Cochrane, also known as Senator Cochrane, back in the 1850s. Cochrane had a nose for business, and founded a boot and shoe manufacturing company in Montreal in 1854.
In just five years, he made an impressive $80,000. That would have been almost $700,000 today!
Turns out Cochrane wasn’t just interested in shoes, he also had an interest in animals. In 1870, he bought 63 purebred cattle from the British Isles for around $60,000 and shipped them to Compton County. By 1890, Cochrane had established the Cochrane Ranche Company Ltd.
This company quickly became the second-ranked livestock business in Canada. In total, Cochrane rented more than 204,000 acres of land and had over 10,000 livestock animals.
So how did he get the name Senator Cochrane? Well, he was appointed to the Canadian Senate for the division of Wellington Quebec on October 17, 1872. Which was odd, because he didn’t live anywhere close to Quebec at the time.
With such a fancy title, surely Senator Cochrane was a big deal, right? Not quite.
In 1896, Senator Cochrane admitted that he had only taken the floor in the senate once or twice between 1872 and 1903. In other words, Senator Cochrane never did his job.
Still, even if he wasn’t the greatest senator, Matthew was one hell of a businessman. After Cochrane passed away on August 12, 1903, many of the companies he founded were dissolved.
However, even if Cochrane’s businesses didn’t outlive him, his legacy lives on in the town of Cochrane.
The Cochrane Ranche is now a historic site and features a large community park. Here, visitors can host weddings, attend corporate events, or simply take in the location’s rich history.
