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Description area
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History
He was born at Louvain, Belgium on January 24, 1857. He was a Civil Engineer and had lost his parents and only sister. Around 1883 he arrived in Canada and worked for the C.N.R as a consulting engineer, and assisted in building the railroad through the rockies until 1885. For three years he was a fur trader in the Peace River area and each summer took his furs to London, England and visited his home town in Belgium. On a return trip he met Father Beillevaire in Montreal who came to establish himself at the Laboucane Settlement.
In 1887 he sent for his fiancee in Belgium and they were married by Father Beillevaire. He built a new ranch at Pipestone Creek near Gwynne. He also had a ranch at Beaver Lake, near Tofield and later a store at Duhamel. When the C.P.R line was extended east from Wetaskiwin to Sparling, later Camrose, he moved his family into town and is credited as being the founding father of Camrose. When the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was laid from Tofield to Calgary, Francois became their employee and he planned and established the townsites between Tofield and Calgary. He lso surveyed and purchased the right of way for the Railroad company.
Francois Adam passed away on May 15, 1961 at the age of 104 years.