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Keystone

A church was the first institution to be established in Keystone, located southwest of Edmonton. The opening service of the Good Hope Baptist Church took place in September 1911, in a little log cabin built by the settlers for that specific purpose. Life in Keystone was difficult and very isolated, but the settlers learned to survive by working and playing together. The land was poor and it was impossible to make a living independently. In order to get enough food to eat, the children would pick berries and the adults would hunt and plant gardens. The men usually worked in Edmonton in order to get money for supplies. When pioneers first arrived at Keystone, the nearest town was Leduc, and it could take up to a week to complete the round trip journey for supplies. Today the trip might take a couple of hours! William and Mattie Allen were responsible for much of the continuing settlement in Keystone. They were among some of the first settlers in the area, and, from 1910, encouraged the settlement of many other black families, including the Kings. Despite its success, the community at Keystone began to disperse after WWI. Many of the settlers' children joined the army or moved back to the states. The railway brought many white settlers into the area, and much of the town's unity disappeared. There are only a few black families in Keystone today.

To learn more about black settlement in Alberta click here.