Aetna is a historical rural locality in southern Alberta, situated within Cardston County. It holds a distinct place in the region's early agricultural and pioneer history as one of the early settlements established by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Settlement of the area began in 1888 when pioneer families arrived from the United States, expanding outward from the initial nearby settlement of Cardston. For its first few years, the localized community and surrounding waterway were commonly referred to as Snake Creek. The community received its official name in 1893 from John W. Taylor, an apostle of the LDS Church and a prominent figure in southern Alberta's colonization. He chose the name Aetna (derived from Mount Etna in Sicily) after remarking that a prominent local hill visually resembled the Sicilian mountain. To support the growing farming population, an official post office opened on November 1, 1900, with Neil Hanson serving as its first postmaster. The post office operated for nearly six decades before closing on October 30, 1958, as rural consolidation and improved transportation central-focused regional hubs. Peak Population: The community reached its peak population footprint early in the 20th century, recording around 164 residents in 1911, before gradually shifting as agricultural practices modernized and farm sizes grew larger. The Post Office opened November 1, 1900, and closed on October 30, 1958.