Tidbits of Alberta

[Jack Hardin]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

The stage ran for 2 years after the train arrived.

why would anyone take the stage when it cost $25 for a 4 day run when the train cost $10 for a matter of hours....and a lot smoother. The stage died when the C&E RR was completed.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Flight01

Salt mine.

Fixed it!
Felt mine??!! That would have been the early downfall of the fur trade!
Cat

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Flight01

Salt mine.

Interesting. Do you know what happened to the salt mine? The only one I know of is east of Elk Point at Heinsburg AB.

BW

[Bergerboy]

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

Interesting. Do you know what happened to the salt mine? The only one I know of is east of Elk Point at Heinsburg AB.

BW

Alberta has a whole band of salt caverns from Ft Sask to Bonnyville.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Waterways was a thriving community before Fort McMurray was , and had s felt mine and a fish plant .
Cat

Excerpt from the web...

"In 1921, the Alberta and Great Waterways Railroad was built along the community of Waterways and soon replaced Fort McMurray as the transportation terminus to the north. Waterways began surpassing Fort McMurray in growth, receiving a wave of immigration. This bustling community soon had a post office, a bank, and the Waterways Hotel, built in 1926. Waterways also became the new steamboat terminal. Meanwhile, Fort McMurray continued to stagnate."

Waterways was known as the hub of salt mining in 1925 too.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

Interesting. Do you know what happened to the salt mine? The only one I know of is east of Elk Point at Heinsburg AB.

BW

Do you mean Lindbergh AB?


The first mine at Waterways was closed in 1928. Reopened in the late 30's.

(excerpt)
"Waterways also benefited from the construction of the Industrial Minerals Salt Co. plant in 1937. The plant was extremely productive, serving markets across Canada and the U.S. until its closure in 1950. The plant provided much of the employment for residents of Waterways."

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

Do you mean Lindbergh AB?


The first mine at Waterways was closed in 1928. Reopened in the late 30's.

(excerpt)
"Waterways also benefited from the construction of the Industrial Minerals Salt Co. plant in 1937. The plant was extremely productive, serving markets across Canada and the U.S. until its closure in 1950. The plant provided much of the employment for residents of Waterways."

Yes Lindbergh.

This thread just gets better and better.

BW

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by Jack Hardin

why would anyone take the stage when it cost $25 for a 4 day run when the train cost $10 for a matter of hours....and a lot smoother. The stage died when the C&E RR was completed.

Not sure why the stage still operated but this is what I have read. The stage maybe had more mail runs and passengers for settlements missed by the railway. And some oldtimers probably didn't like the train.

Don't forget the stagecoach fare of $25 was in place before the railway. After the train came the rates probably dropped until the stage couldn't operate or compete. That $25 dollar fare also included 100 lbs of gear.

In 1890 the train from Calgary to Edmonton was a 10 dollar fare and took 12 hours. Freight was probably a few cents per pound.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

I think his gold claim was only 12 ft X 12 ft and he struck it rich.

I believe his cairn says his claim was 12 feet by one foot, but it's been years since I visited the site and read the plaque.

Now, the reason Peace River built a cairn for him is because he saved many businesses in that town from going broke during the 1930s.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by mac1983

Just wondering if it's possible to visit his Fort Vermillion trading post?

I have been to Fort Vermilion many times, if there is anything of his preserved there, I'm not aware of it.

However, the original Hudson's Bay trading post is still in use today.
They've added on to the original log structure and to the best of my knowledge no effort has been made to preserve anything of historic significance.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Fixed it!
Felt mine??!! That would have been the early downfall of the fur trade!
Cat

When you mentioned Felt mining I figured the old timers "felt" like mining instead of trapping.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I believe his cairn says his claim was 12 feet by one foot, but it's been years since I visited the site and read the plaque.

Now, the reason Peace River built a cairn for him is because he saved many businesses in that town from going broke during the 1930s.

Found a short video about him.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pdylFT85t_U

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by mac1983

The Peace River got it's name from a peace treaty between the Beaver and Cree Indians in 1781 settling a longstanding war between the two nations. the Peace was known at that time as Unjegah meaning large river. Beaver stayed north of the peace and the Cree stayed south.

And Manning was originally named Battle River because of that war.

The Notikewin River, the Hotchkiss River and the Miekle River are still known as the first, second and third battle respectively for the same reason.

This was all a side effect of the Cree - Beaver wars. As the Beaver were pushed north they pushed the Deni north in battles at the Notikewin Hotchkiss and Miekle valleys.

Stone arrow heads are still found up river of the Meikle River bridge where the last battle took place.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Found a short video about him.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pdylFT85t_U

Thanks, I forgot what the site looked like or what the plaque said.

I see the plaque does not specify length or width, I did not remember that.

[Red Bullets]

How the Blindman river got its name...

Long ago, before the lands were surveyed*, a party of Cree hunters were struck by snowblindness so bad they had to stay by this river until their eyes healed. The local FN called it 'Pas-ka-poo' which means 'Blindman' in Cree.

*The land registration system in Alberta, was started in 1887. The river's name was registered then.

During the 1860's when a smallpox epidemic hit the northwest territory (now Alberta) there was a whole village of FN that succumbed to smallpox on the Blindman river too.

[KegRiver]

A lot more about the river boats of the Peace region.


http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/p...-00_winter.pdf

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by mac1983

The Peace River got it's name from a peace treaty between the Beaver and Cree Indians in 1781 settling a longstanding war between the two nations. the Peace was known at that time as Unjegah meaning large river. Beaver stayed north of the peace and the Cree stayed south.

It is interesting how the various FN were displaced and moved when the Cree expanded their territory. Seems the years sort of match up that the Cree would have preceded the traders and trappers by a few years. By the late 1780's the NWco. was already building posts in the area.

[Red Bullets]

The first horses were introduced into what is Alberta in about 1736. Before this time it was called "the Dog Days", when FN still used travois behind dogs.

[KWO]

Maybe the most entertaining and informative thread I have seen so far on AO. Thank you so much. Please keep it going!

[Red Bullets]

The name and settlement site "Keg River" has been in use since at least 1828 when Sir George Simpson mentions it on his travels to the Pacific as 'the keg'.
The Cree name is Markak Seepee, which means narrow and deep like a keg.

Both names probably had something to do with the rum flowing in the country.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

It is interesting how the various FN were displaced and moved when the Cree expanded their territory. Seems the years sort of match up that the Cree would have preceded the traders and trappers by a few years. By the late 1780's the NWco. was already building posts in the area.

I have ancestors on my mother's side, some worked for the HBC and others worked for the NWC at the same time!
Sir John Franklin named the McVicar Arm on Great bear Lake after one of them
Walter William, and Arthur McVicar were running around Northern Alberta in the late 1700's/ early 1800's
IIRC it was William who married a lady in Fort Chipewyan i 1813 , by Franklin himself!
Cat

[Red Bullets]

Cat.....I'd love to buy you lunch and a coffee when you are in Edmonton. I think we could have a good conversation. I remember you mentioning this a year or so ago. I had mentioned that my kid's great (X 10) grandfather (on their moms side) was a voyager in 1804 for the NW company. His name was Jacques L'Hirondelle. These descendants may have known each other or at least heard of each other. Sooo Coool!

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

Cat.....I'd love to buy you lunch and a coffee when you are in Edmonton. I think we could have a good conversation. I remember you mentioning this a year or so ago. I had mentioned that my kid's great (X 10) grandfather (on their moms side) was a voyager in 1804 for the NW company. His name was Jacques L'Hirondelle. These descendants may have known each other or at least heard of each other. Sooo Coool!

Wouldn't that be something!
Yeah, we were pretty stunned when we found that out when the wife got deep into Ancestry.ca!
To think that when I trapped and guided up here I may have walked over the same trails and a the same rapids as my ancestors is pretty overwhelming at times!
Cat

[mac1983]

Kleskun Hill Park was the start of one of the last running battles of the Cree and the Beaver Indians. A couple of gravesites mark it.

[Red Bullets]

Cat .. if you still have interest in researching roots you and your wife might like this site. The Hudson's Bay Company archives are kept in Winnipeg if you are ever going to Winnipeg. You can search on this site, even about employees.

https://hbca.mb.catalogue.libraries....loc=1103&locg=

[catnthehat]

One of the paddle wheelers on the Athabasca back in the day.
Cat

http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archiv...ResultsDetails

[357xp]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

There were Paddle wheelers on the Peace River till around 1960, I'm not sure of the actual date the last one was retired.
That boat was named the D A Thomas and it's steam engine is currently on display at Alberta Museum in Edmonton.

The D A Thomas burned wood in her boiler and there were fuel stops every thirty miles along the river. Local trappers were employed to stockpile cut wood at these locations. Many such locations were also freight stops, like the ones at Carcajou and Fort Vermilion.

Most of the trade in the area was supported by river traffic. Besides the paddle wheelers there was a privately owned paddle wheeler called the Russian Navy that hauled grain from Fort Vermilion at communities along the route, to the rail head at Peace River.


The Russian Navy was owned by Ted Stigson and his business partner.
Ted also ran the trading post at Carcajou and his son still lives in Carcajou.

The D A hauled passengers and freight, including farm machinery.

My grandparents came as young teens on the RN.
I pretty sure part of the da Thomas boiler is still down by the chutes where it wrecked, but I might be thinking of a different one. Have a pic of it somewhere.
The paddle wheel is at the peace river museum.
What I would give to live a year in those river boat glory days before the roads came up.....

[catnthehat]

This one was used in Fort McMurray.
Cat
http://history.alberta.ca/energyheri...the-river.aspx

[357xp]

Originally Posted by mac1983

Just wondering if it's possible to visit his Fort Vermillion trading post?

There's a couple of old buildings left, one is over a hundred years old and operating as a restaurant yet.
Couple of old cabins down by the peace river chutes still standing were they used to portage around the chutes.

[catnthehat]

Shooting the Cascades with a scow
Cat
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e...drap/46110.htm