The location was originally a watering stop for steam engines on the Canadian Pacific Railway line along the Macleod Trail when the trains first arrived in the area in 1891.

[9] Royal Canadian Air Force Station Claresholm was established near the town in 1941 to train pilots for service in World War II.

It first opened June 9, 1941 as a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan base.

15 Service Flying Training School operated at the base from its opening until March 1945.

During winter, Chinook winds have been known to move temperatures from well below freezing to well above in a matter of hours.