Jasper Alberta Index
Alberta Basic History
1882
Marianne Belcourt, b-1882, St. Albert (Alberta) daughter Eswin Belcourt, b-1843, Lac Ste Anne (Alberta) and Louise Paul b-1857, Lac Ste Anne (Alberta).
Marriage Thomas Cardinal b-1863 Riding Mountain son Jerome Cardinal and Marianne Cardinal married Christine Moise, Metis b-1860 daughter Jean Baptiste (Kakakekamik) Moise b-1827 and Charlotte Wapisiokowan; 2nd married 1856 Madeleine Abraham; married 1868 Lac La Biche John Longmore Sr. b-1850 Fort Pitt son William Longmore and a Metis mother.
Daniel Belcourt, Metis, b-1857, St. Albert son Joseph Belcourt Jr., born November 28, 1823 and Madeleine Sapin dit Campion; married 1882, Calgary, Pauline Vanesse, born October 10, 1868 daughter Jean Baptiste Vanasse dit Anas Sr., born November 1833, Fort Edmonton and Catherine Cardinal, born February, 1838.
George D. Clark, b-1828 arrived Fort Edmonton (Alberta) this year and went to the US in 1884 but was back in 1893.
Marguerite Dumont, Metis, b-1882, Calgary, (Alberta) daughter Jean Baptiste Dumont Jr. Metis, born June, 1852, Slave Lake and Philomene Vanesse, Metis born October 1856.
Elliot Galt's North Western Coal and Navigation Co. opened its first coal mine on the Old Man River and the town of Coal Banks grew to eventually become Lethbridge, (Alberta).
Narcisse Ladouceur, b-1864, Lac La Biche, (Alberta), son Joseph Ladouceur, b-1813 Beacer River and Julie Auger, b-1822 Lac La Biche (Alberta); married 1882, Lac La Biche (Alberta), Julie Auger, b-1863, South Saskatchewan River, daughter Augustin Auger, b-1825, Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta and Sylvie Bruneau, b-1845, Lac La Biche (Alberta)
Alexander Leblanc aka White, born-1882 Mountain Hill, son Cornelious Leblanc Sr., b-1850, Fort Edmonton and Mary Favel, b-1858, Fort Edmonton.
Mathilde L'Hyrondelle, Metis, b-1882, St. Albert (Alberta) son Euphrosine Beauregard, Metis, b-1851 and Magloire L'Hyrondelle, b-1850, Lac Ste Anne (Alberta).
(I)-Joseph McFarlan of Ireland, on the Old Man River west of Fort MacLeod farms 80 acres producing 2,000 bushels of grain of which 250 is wheat. His brothers Ed and George also worked the land. They had 25-30 head of cattle from Montana to supply milk to the Northwest Mounted Police.
Dan Riley came west this year and settled near High River (Alberta).
Dick Steele and Billy Inglis produced a wheat crop at Beaver Lake that is 18 miles west of Vegreville (Alberta).
Calgary. birth, Thomas Scullen (Whiteman) Sr., son William Scullen (Whiteman) Sr., b-1878, Marguerite Ward b-1859 Red River.
Harry Taylor (Kamoose), a missionary, and whiskey trader, ran the MacLeod Hotel. A sign read "No Jawbone - in God we trust, all others cash." He gave special rates to 'Gospel Grinders' and the 'Gambling Profession'.
Edward Villeneuve Jr. Metis b-1882 Lac La Biche, Alberta, son Edward Villeneuve Sr., and Adelaide Decoine, Metis, b-1860, Lac La Biche.
Julian Ward, Metis, b-1882, St. Albert, (Alberta) son, Peter Ward, Metis, b-1840 and Rosalie Bisson, b-1843.
Jonas Ward, Metis, b-1882, Calgary, son, George Ward, b-1810 and Bethsey Turcotte.
St. Albert (Alberta), birth, Laurent Ward, Metis son, Peter Ward, Metis, b-1840 and Rosalie Bisson, b-1843.
Joseph Bannerman, freely and with great pride, called himself a "Claim Jumper", referred to the committee as 'Mob Law', and said that 'Hudson Bay rule' is the order of the day at Edmonton. Joseph Bannerman, using L. George of the A. MacDonald and company store, had jumped claim on the Methodist Mission site, established 1871 by Rev. George McDougall. No one anticipated that the first claim jumper would go after a church and graveyard for town lots.
W. F. Bredin a.k.a. Fletcher Bredi, came up the Whoop Up Trail from Fort Benton, Montana to Calgary; then up the Calgary-Edmonton Trail to Edmonton, and started the Buffalo Lakes Trading Post on the site later called Lamerton, in 1892. There was only 7 settlers in this area. Bredin sold out in 1895 to Joe Edminson.
Advertisements began appearing in United States news papers offering Canadian land free to pioneers. Homesteads on Dominion Land required entry fees of $10.00 on each quarter section of land.
The United States Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Walkers sawmill, under the out-bank of the Elbow River in Calgary, is in operation. I.G. Bakers operates a store near Fort Calgary. Old man Roselle sold his holdings on MacLeod Trail and the Elbow, Calgary to Stewart.
Lafayette French and O.H. Smith, Indian traders, established a Fort and Trading Post, immediately west of High River on the old Fort Benton Trail to Fort Edmonton. They ranched and cultivated about 40 acres of land. The stagecoach from Fort Benton used their Fort as a way station on its way to Fort Edmonton. Buck Smith squatted next to the French & Smith holdings.
The North West Cattle Company of Montreal brought 5,000 head of cattle from Montana into the High River District. They located at the site of the Mar-U-Ranch, later owned by Pat Burns. The Ranch was managed by Fred Stimson of Montreal.
Alberta, part of the North West Territories, is divided into the District of Athabasca in the north and the District of Alberta in the south. Most people of Alberta still refer to themselves as being in the North West Territories.
January 3: The first school house is opened in Edmonton with 25 boys and 3 girls. The Hudson Bay Company reclaimed their iron box stove and the school was shut down until a replacement could be found. Rev. D.G. McQueen claims that the first school house was built in 1881, Richard Secord being one of the first teachers.
February 28: Inspector Gagnon arrested Frank Oliver (1853-1933), son Allen Bowsfield, and M. McAuley, on the authority of J.M. Bannerman, for malicious injury to property. They would be acquitted June 15, 1882.
April: Veronique Deschamps, b-1882, Calgary (Alberta), daughter Jean Baptiste Rabasca Deschamps, b-1850 and Marguerite Berard, b-1856.
June 15: The Edmonton Vigilance Committee is found not guilty of any criminal act. In a subsequent civil action, claim jumper Bannerman is awarded two hundred and forty nine dollars, this being the cost of materials. The judge stated that the Committee is within their rights to remove the structure, but that pushing it over the hill is going too far. Joseph Bannerman, Minister of the Interior, under ban of law, is prohibited from claim jumping in the future. The Eastern Land Companies saw the affair as Bannerman and Company representing high-minded, law-abiding, justice-loving, well-posted gentlemen, who should have been allowed to complete their glorious career of prosperity by stealing land from that riotous, red-handed mob of half-breeds. These folks from the east were referring to the 1869 Red River resistance and the execution of Thomas Scott.
June 17: A large hail storm struck Fort Edmonton, causing much damage.
A Stony Indian took Tom Wilson in July to see the Lake of Little Fishes (Lake Louise), Banff. Wilson called it Emerald Lake and the first maps of the area used this name. The Banff-Jasper route is an old Indian trail through some of the most majestic scenery in the Rocky Mountains, previously known as the Stony Mountains.
July 5 to 7: Chief Pah-pa-stay-on, of the Edmonton reserve, hosted Ooh-ne-pah-qua-see-moo-we-kah-mik. This is the occasion and place of fasting, thirsting, dancing, sacrificing and suffering in the redemption of vows. This is the most solemn religious occasion of the Cree and it was held below Fort Edmonton on the flats.
July 14: Victoria, Alberta located 90 km NE Fort Edmonton, birth John Whitford, Metis, son Simon Whiteford, Metis b-1849 Alberta and Elizabeth Anderson, Metis b-1859 Alberta, living Pakan, Alberta 1901, daughter John Anderson Jr. b-1827 and Christie Whitford, b-1833.
July 20: Fort Calgary, birth Caroline Deschamps daughter Jean Baptiste Deschamps, Metis, b-1849 and Catherine Vandel, Metis b-1846.
July 29: John Walter's ferry is finally operational.
August: Jasper House (Alberta), birth, Albert Gaucher, son, Michel Gaucher, b-1829 and Marie Karaconti, b-1846.
August 1: The survey of the Edmonton River property begins. Standard River lots were usually 19 chains wide by one mile deep, being one hundred and fifty five acres. This comprised most of Strathcona. The Edmonton survey is neither the English square system nor the French River lot system; but a combination of both. It is noteworthy that the published survey is limited to the river lot properties only. Irving, Elmar and Hetherintton, who live on the south side of the river without river front property, for example, are not listed. It is noteworthy that some chose not to settle on river front property in order to limit the likelihood of eastern claim jumpers. This was a lesson learned from Winnipeg (Red River). This survey did not resolve the property disputes around Fort Edmonton, as some of the lands had been occupied for generations. By 1884, there were still 30 unresolved property claims. McDougall objected to the arbitration ruling of William Pearce; the Dominion Lands Board inspector sent to settle the issues. McDougall took his dispute into the courts well into the next century.
September 20: Egg Lake (Alberta), birth Joseph L'Hyrondelle, Metis, son Jean Baptiste L'Hrondelle, Metis b-1854 and Elizabeth Beaudry, b-1861.
October 14: Fort Macleod Gazette reported a man named Bowies was lynched by the cowboys at Indian Basin because he refused to help put out a prairie fire.
October 19: An Orange Lodge is formed in Edmonton.
October 23: Fort McLeod (Alberta), birth, Robert McEwen, son Peter McEwan and Mary Gladstone, b-1864.
October 23: Fort McLeod (Alberta), birth, William McEwen, son Peter McEwan and Mary Gladstone, b-1864.
October 29: Fort Calgary (Alberta), A.R. Dyre a North West Mounted Police Constable wrote: Forty Calgary is forty miles from British Columbia (50 miles as the crow fly's), Calgary is 102 miles from McLeod, the Commissioner and White are here from Ottawa, Captain McIllres is our commanding officer, Major Walsh is at Wood Mountain, 500 miles from here, we are going to have a dance and dinner, all the pretty half breed girls have been invited, Sergeant Severn and Constable McDonald applied for discharge and got them, they leave tomorrow, our Sergeant Major is going to leave also, I hear
November: Egg Lake (Alberta), birth Placide Beaudry son Narcisse Beaudry, b-1845 and Lucie Breland, born February 22, 1848 Red River
November 8: Fort Calgary (Alberta), a North West Mounted Police Constable wrote: I do like Calgary better than either Walsh or McLeod, as it is in a very pretty part of the country. We moved into our new quarters on the 27th of Oct. having been in tents since the 3rd of June, the day we left the Missouri, and a day I'll never forget, as I nearly died for a drink of that common beverage called water, ugh it was awful. We gave a grand ball to the civilians last Friday night. We subscribed $250 and had the best supper ever given in this part of the country, We had the barrack rooms decorated with bead work, mottoes made of cartridges, revolvers and rifles on the walls. The music was two violins, a flute and banjo. Our Captain opened the ball with a little half breed and then we danced till 12 o'clock and then had supper. There was only one white woman and she was Dutch with hair like my tunic, and she had one side of her dress tacked up so as to show her white petticoat, but she showed her leg as well, up to the knee. The boys got back from Blackfoot Crossing alright, only one shot being fired at them, which came near enough private Hutchinson's nose. The C.P.R. is drawing nearer every day and will be here by next summer.
1883
Trail Creek des Metis, marriage Joseph Allor, Metis born 1849, Alberta married Lalouise born 1847, Alberta. Children include Felonine (F) b-1884 Alberta, Elizabeth b-1889 Alberta, Adolphos b-1891 Alberta likely all in Trail Creek.
Jean Berland, b-1862, Carrot River (Saskatchewan), married, 1883, St. Albert (Alberta), Sara Parisien, b-1861, Fort Pitt (Saskatchewan).
Dr. Robert G. Brett (1851-1929) married 1878 Louise T. Hungerford and arrived Calgary (Alberta) about 1883. He then went on to siding 29 (Banff) about 1885. He applied for a hot springs lease with plans to open a European style spa of curing mineral waters.
Trail Creek des Metis, marriage Alex Cardnell, Metis b-1861 Alberta married Isabell Metis b-1864 Alberta. Two children are recorded Ann b-1884 Alberta and Theris (F) b-1885 Alberta most likely Trail Creek.
Fort Edmonton Chief Factor, Richard Hardisty, moved to Fort Calgary to become Inspector Chief Factor. He remained in this position until 1885 and he died in 1889.
Fort MacLeod, birth James Gladstone son William Gladstone Jr., (1845-1891), and Marie Samat Vandal, b-1855.
(II)-Elizabeth Glen, Metis, b-1883, Fish Creek (Calgary, Alberta), died 1883, son (I)-John Glenn, born 1833 and Adelaide Belcourt, Metis born August, 1851.
Henry L'Hirondelle, Metis b-1883, Lac La Nun ( Alberta), son Augustin L'Hyrondelle, Metis, b-1849, Fort Edmonton (Alberta) and Nancy Bellerose, b-1857.
Marie (Magdeleine) Villeneuve Jr. Metis b-1883-84 Lac La Biche, Alberta, son Edward Villeneuve Sr., and Adelaide Decoine, Metis, b-1860, Lac La Biche.
Marie Vitaline Leblanc, b-1883, Fort MacLeod daughter Cornelious Leblanc Sr., b-1850, Fort Edmonton and Mary Favel, b-1858, Fort Edmonton.
Edmonton, birth, (II)-Donald Ross Jr. son (I)-Donald Ross (1840-1915) and (II)-Olive Blewitt born 1850.
Abraham Salois an early settler to the settlement, is a cattle rancher, and is running a ferry operation.
Fort Edmonton, birth Adelaide Vandal, Metis, daughter Norman Vandal, Metis, b-1857 and Julie Munroe, Metis, b-1859.
Fort Calgary. The following people claim to be in Calgary at about this time: Thomas B. Braden, Dr. R.G Brett, Simon J. Clarke, J.W. Costellor, A.E. Cross, David McDougall (brother John the Methodist Minister), J.J. McHugh, George Murdock, Williasm Pearce, James Reilly, T.J.S. Skinner, James (Cappy) Smart, and James Walker to name a few of the original 75 who claimed to be early settlers. Simon J. Clarke, however claimed to have preceded the 75 into Calgary. It is noteworthy that no Indians, Metis or French are listed.
A Canadian Pacific Railway crew, drilling for water at Langevin siding, near Medicine Hat and Alderson, Alberta, struck natural gas at a depth of 1,155 feet. The standing joke was; he's so stupid he thinks Medicine Hat is a cure for head lice.
The Battle River Metis settlement contained 70 families who engaged in farming, freighting, fishing and hunting. This community had a threshing machine at this time, brought in from Fort Edmonton.
Twenty five RCMP men deserted, and many more are clamoring to buy their way out of the service.
A child drown in the Cascade River near Anthracite (1886-1904) north east of Banff (Alberta).
The first election to take place in Edmonton was restricted to whites only, over twenty one years age, having lived a full year in the electoral district and who hadn't sold his favors to any candidate. Metis were not considered white. Only 252 men of Edmonton, Strathcona, St. Albert and Fort Saskatchewan qualified. Frank Oliver received 154 votes, Francois Lamoureaux received 94 votes and Stuart D. Mulkins received 4 votes. Frank Oliver, a Liberal was defeated by the Conservatives in 1885.
James Hector was exploring the mountain pass near Canmore, (Alberta) and named the mountains 'The Three Nuns' because he woke up after a heavy snow and it looked like a white veil was on the mountains. These mountains were later renamed 'The Three Sisters'. It is noteworthy that Canmore, (Alberta) is established this year for its coal deposits to supply the railway.
Banff, (Alberta) is started this year and is called CPR Siding #29.
A Stoney Indian in 1882 showed Joe Healey a silver ore sample he found near Castle Mountain 20 miles west of Banff. The CPR reached this area that started a 'silver rush' and created Silver City with a population of 2,000 people. Little silver was found and the town was abandoned by 1884.
William (Billy) McCardell, Tom McCardell and Frank McCabe are believed to be the first Europeans to have seen the hot springs rising out of Sulphur Mountain in Banff. Frank McCabe claimed he alone discovered the hot spring and attempted to sell the rights but was prevented by James Laugheed a lawyer in Calgary.
Strathcona (Edmonton, Alberta), the Clover Bar Colonization Company (Edmonton and Saskatchewan Land Co) took land and built a store, boarding house and a large storage barn.
The CPR was looking for schemes to promote traffic along the railway so they spread rumors of silver and gold across the Bow River from Castle Mountain. This fraudulent rumor attracted 3,000 miners and Silver City was born. No schools, no churches, no dance halls and no drinking establishments were built and the town soon was abandoned.
After a lightning strike at Imperial Oil Company, London, Ontario refinery, Imperial moves operations to Petrolia, Ontario.
February 24: Other communities of the North West Territories are setting up Vigilance Committees, based on the Edmonton experience, to protect their land claims.
March 31: It was recorded that the Papastayo Cree band, numbering 199, is paid one thousand and fifty dollar's treaty money. The band, located two miles south of Fort Edmonton, is reported to have two oxen, four cows and ten horses, and had thirty-two acres under cultivation.
April 4: Lac La Biche (Alberta), birth, Eulalie Johnson, daughter Charles Johnson, b-1829 Red River and Agathe Anger, b-1848, Fort Vermilion, Peace River District (Alberta) daughter Baptiste Auger, b-1827 and Josephte Chalioux,
May: Fort Calgary, an attempt was made to establish a Maspnic Lodge in with the following Mason's, George Murdoch, E. Nelson Brown, A, McNeil, George Monilaws, P.C. Robison, James Walker, John A Walker and N.J. Lindsay.
May 9, Fort Edmonton, birth Andrew Whitford, son Francois Whitford Sr., b-1835 and Jane Anderson, b-1845.
June 10: The main line of the Canadian Pacific railway was at Dunmore and Medicine Hat but there was no mad inrush of settlers.
August 31: Calgary, Alberta: The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser newspaper started today. George Rouleau, Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden were founders and Thomas Clarke helped set type.
August 31: Calgary, first railway engine arrives Calgary.
October 3: Fort Edmonton Walter Scott Robinson arrived Fort Edmonton from Winnipeg. Fort Edmonton had about 200-300 people. Some lived south of the Saskatchewan River, some north of Rat Creek, and some along the banks of the River called the Lower Settlement. Robinson built his house where the MacDonald Hotel now stands. The McDougall Hill was then known as MacCauley Hill named after its first settler.
October 22: Fish Creek, birth, Charles Pruden son Charles Pruden Sr., b-1857, and, Rosalie Vandal, b-1859.
November 18: The first European immigrant child born in Calgary is born to Sara and William Costello. Fort MacLeod is relocated to higher ground due to threat of flooding. Frank Oliver (1853-1933), son Allen Bowsfield, became Alberta's first elected representative to the Northwest Council at Regina.
December 12: At Langevin, 4th siding west of Medicine Hat a well-borer reached 1,120 feet searching for water and struck natural gas.