Sherwood Park - History

History

The Cree and Saulteaux Nations are the First Nations peoples who lived in this territory for centuries. The first Europeans did not arrive in the region until in the late 18th century. Buffalo was abundant in the region, and an important source of food and clothing for the local First Nations. Though the local First Nations had maintained sustainable buffalo hunts in the area for generations, the newcomers slaughtered and nearly decimated the buffalo herds which dramatically disrupted the Natives' way of life.

Some local First Nations in the area began trading at nearby Fort Edmonton. The majority of Nations signed Treaty 6 on August 21, 1877, which relegated them to small reserves far from the growing settler communities.

In the early 1950s, developers John Hook Campbell and John Mitchell envisioned a satellite town of 100 houses to accommodate employees of the industries east of Edmonton. In 1953, they received approval from the Municipal District of Strathcona for the development of the residential hamlet named "Campbelltown" and in September 1955, the first model homes were opened to the public. Later in 1956, the name of the hamlet was changed to Sherwood Park, because Canada Post would not approve Campbelltown, since there were several Canadian communities with similar names.