The Bar U Ranch was one of a small group of very large corporate ranches in western Canada. Nestled in the Pekisko Creek Valley in the foothills of Southwestern Alberta, it was one of the foremost ranching operations in Canada from 1882 to 1950. In 1891, the Bar U had the largest population in the region. While most of the large ranches of the 1880's went out of business early in this century, the Bar U has survived, and thrived, to this day. Its long history, and the collection of buildings that remain, provide a direct link to early years of ranching in Alberta.