Duhamel, Alberta
Duhamel is a hamlet in the central Alberta, Canada within Camrose County. It is located on Highway 21, approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast of Edmonton and 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Camrose, Duhamel's closest major trading centre.
An early trading post was situated 2-3 miles northwest of the hamlet's current site, directly on a well-used ford of the Battle River. The trading post was a key point for exchange between the First Nations people, fur traders, and the Hudson's Bay Company.
The settlement that grew around the post took the names Battle River Crossing and Salois's settlement or Abram's settlement, after Abram Salois, a prominent settler and freighter. It was also known as Laboucane, after the Laboucane brothers and their families, who were among the first local residents.
A church was built in 1883 for the service of Father Bellevaire, and was visited by Bishop Grandin, who named the settlement after Joseph-Thomas Duhamel.
Around 1886, the post was moved to the site where Highway 21 now crosses the river (52°57′N 112°58′W / 52.950°N 112.967°W).
In 1910, Duhamel moved to its present location on the newly constructed Grand Trunk Pacific rail line from Tofield to Calgary. The Duhamel/Battle River rail bridge was one of the largest wooden rail bridges ever constructed, at 3,972 feet (1210 m) in length and 120 feet (32 m) in height.
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