Bethel Carbon Cemetery (Kneehill County)

The first burial at Bethel Carbon Cemetery was that of Cap Burns in 1906. Since then, the cemetery has continued to serve as the final resting place for many residents of the area. One notable aspect of the cemetery’s history is its connection to the Black pioneers who settled in the area. The cemetery is one of the last remaining traces of the once-thriving Black settlement of Campsie, about 135 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. Headstones will soon be placed to mark the burial plots of 13 men, women, and children interred at the Bethel Baptist Cemetery. The cemetery is still active today.

The Village of Carbon is located in Kneehill County, approximately 100 km northeast of Calgary. Settlement in the Carbon district began in the late 1800s, with ranching, farming, and coal mining being the major activities. The name ‘Carbon’ was suggested by L.D. Elliot, an area rancher, and was adopted when the new post office opened on October 1, 1904. The village was incorporated in 1912.

One of the intriguing aspects of Carbon’s history is the 1921 Carbon Murder Mystery, one of the oldest unsolved murders in Canadian history. Today, Carbon is home to a K-9 school, swimming pool, museum and art gallery, curling rink, and two campgrounds. The village also features maintained walking paths that follow the creek through the valley.