▁ 7 0 0 . ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁– ▁Ed mont on ▁was ▁a ▁starting ▁point ▁for ▁people ▁travel ing ▁over land ▁to ▁the ▁Kl ond ike ▁Gold ▁R ush . ▁▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁– ▁Low ▁Level ▁Bridge ▁completed . ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁Ed mont on ▁Journal ▁founded . ▁Method ist ▁Church ▁Board ▁found s ▁Al berta ▁College ▁▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁– ▁In cor por ated ▁as ▁a ▁city ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 8 , 3 5 0 . ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁Ed mont on ▁became ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁Al berta , ▁as ▁Al berta ▁joined ▁Confeder ation . ▁Canadian ▁Northern ▁Railway ▁( C No R ) ▁arrived ▁in ▁Ed mont on , ▁acceler ating ▁growth . ▁ 1 9 0 7 - 1 4 ▁– ▁ ▁real ▁estate ▁and ▁construction ▁bo om . ▁With ▁am alg am ation ▁of ▁C ities ▁of ▁Str ath con a ▁and ▁Ed mont on , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Ed mont on ▁grew ▁to ▁ 7 2 , 5 0 0 . ▁New ▁land ▁from ▁the ▁Hudson ▁Bay ▁Co ▁reserve ▁as ▁put ▁on ▁the ▁market ▁and ▁sold , ▁with ▁the ▁money ▁raised ▁by ▁the ▁sales ▁going ▁to ▁H BC ▁headquarters ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁province . ▁This ▁helped ▁cause ▁real ▁estate ▁prices ▁to ▁drop . ▁With ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁the ▁city ' s ▁population ▁decl ined , ▁going ▁from ▁ 7 2