Baptie Cabin
Although long familiar with Bragg Creek and surrounding area, it wasn’t until 1947 that Alex and Doris Baptie purchased the Tom Fullerton homestead, known as The Last Break Ranch, situated on what is now the Wintergreen road. Some of the lure was probably to keep five kids occupied but the Bapties also had love for the traditional western lifestyle. Their riding entry in the annual Stampede Parade often took home top prize for the “Best Dressed.”
“We Bapties travelled to the cabin every weekend and all the holidays through mud, snow, dust, and more mud. We loved being with the horses so Bragg Creek quickly became our second home. The youth hostel that came with our site (until the early 60s) was inaccessible unless we were there and so it was only open on weekends and when special arrangements were made. Through those cabin years, we collected many friends, experienced many adventures and made so many memories they would fill a book. Being in the first parade, dancing on Dad’s feet at the Round Hall, and swimming the horses in the river… these ones were hard to beat.”
In the late 1960s Alex and Doris subdivided their property and created five parcels, so their children and their families could move out to Bragg. In 1962 I became a full-time resident along with Alex and Doris, who resided in the original home until their passing. (Today, my brother Art Baptie and I both have homes on the original quarter section.)
In 1992, my sister-in-law Jo-An and I opened Last Break Ranch Teahouse. We kept the menu simple and manageable, with an emphasis on desserts such as pies, scones and a favorite, light gingerbread served with lemon sauce or whipped cream. In the Calgary Herald, food critic Kathy Richardier’s review read: “It’s really easy to locate and a real treat to find this old ranch house encloses a cozy little retreat, replete with pot-bellied stove, antique sideboards, lacy curtains and table covers, crafts and delicious chocolates created by both Judie and Jo-An. Many people from the past would come and visit, including the Barclay sisters who had built the hostel on the property years earlier.”
by Judie Norman
