This is to provide a fuller history of Strathcona County than that in Wikipedia:
Clover Bar and the Municipal District of Strathcona, just outside the former city of Strathcona, was the basis of today's Strathcona County, whose first offices were in Old Strathcona. The area's proximity to and the local importance of old Strathcona is the source of the surrounding countryside's name.
In the late 1800s, what is now Strathcona County filled with farmers, immigrants from eastern Canada, Britain and Continental Europe, the U.S. and other parts of the world. The community of Clover Bar sprang up in the 1870s on the west edge of the present county, centred on the pioneer home of gold prospector Thomas Clover, who was working a river sandbar for gold (hence Clover's Bar/Clover Bar).
Clover Bar was officially recognized in 1893 by the Territorial Legislature (it was then part of the North West Territories) as Statute Labour District #2. In 1913 Statute Labour District #2 was renamed Local Improvement District #517 (Clover Bar)and later re-organized as a municipal district.
Meanwhile, a farming area east and south of the old city of Strathcona, Alberta was organized as a Local Improvement District in 1917 and re-organized the following year as the Municipal District of Strathcona (No. 518), with offices in a building still standing at 10318 Whyte Avenue, Old Strathcona, Edmonton.
Through succeeding decades, Edmonton encompassed Strathcona and some school districts formerly within the Municipal District of Strathcona.
In 1943, the two municipal districts merged to become Municipal District #83 (Strathcona).
By joining with local school divisions in 1962, Municipal District #83 officially became a county. The county offices were located Old Strathcona at 10426 81 Avenue, a building that still stands today.
County offices were built in 1976 in the hamlet of Sherwood Park, that had been created in the 1950s and 1960s.
County status was revoked in 1995 when the the provincial legislature repealed the County Act but was returned in 1996 when the County of Strathcona #20 officially changed its name to Strathcona County and received Specialized Municipality status.
(source: Monto, Tom (2011), Old Strathcona, Edmonton's Southside Roots, Crang Publishing/Alhambra Books, p. 10-11, 394 in turn basing it on info in Story of Rural Municipal Government in Alberta, 1909 to 1969; Edmonton Henderson's Directory; Aubrey, Merrily K. (2006), Concise Place Names of Alberta, Friends of Geographical Names of Alberta.
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photo of the County of Strathcona building (81st Avenue, 104-105th Street)
when under construction
in South Edmonton Saga, p. 882
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