Alberta History 1890-1891

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1890

William Brester, homesteaded Pine Lake, 20 miles S.E. of Red Deer. Sold his homestead in 1891 to Robert Page.

Pat Burns, b-1856, son Michael Burns and Bridget opened his head office opposite the Palliser Hotel in Calgary.

(I)-David Shannon of Ireland claimed squatter's rights to a quarter section of land at Olds (Alberta).

Pierre Thomas Laurion, b-1865, Rocky Mountains, near Smoky River, son Thomas Laurion and Angelique Metis; married 1890 Dunvegion, Athabasca, Dileman Tastawitch, b-1872, Dunvegan, Athabascia daughter Francois Tastawich and Josephte (Suzette) Iskewais Squasis (Beaver and Cree).

David Shannon, born Ireland, selected a 1/4 section of land near the sixth siding of the CPR Railway out of Calgary. In July 27, 1891 it was renamed Olds after George Olds a CPR railway manager.

Fort Edmonton, birth Magloire Vandal daughter Norman Vandal b-1857 and Julie Munroe, b-1859.

(I)-Norman Williams, b-1870 arrived Canada 1885 and arrived Calgary (Alberta) 1890 and settled at Archordown Ranch east of Priddis. He married 1898 Millerville (Alberta) to Maude Deane Freeman who arrived Millerville 1886.

FORT EDMONTON 1890-1915

This is the last fort built in Edmonton. The photo is dated 1890-1915, but I thought the last one was built earlier. (1874?) The big house in Fort Edmonton burnt down in 1906.



METIS CART TRAIN This is likely the last Metis cart train into Calgary from northern locations. The railway was built between Calgary and Edmonton putting many Half-Breeds (Metis) out of work as freighters.



At Duhamel aka Battle River Crossing, some Metis had 150 Red River carts and owning less than 25 carts had no consideration. Several had over 100 head of cathey were as happy as a man could be, but after a few years, they were destitute and dispersed all over the country, due to the coming of the railway.

Wilfred Laurier said the French Canadian father, who today does not have his son learn English, does not do justice to his child, for he forces him to remain behind in the struggle for existence. The stage coach was making transportation and mail runs between Edmonton and Calgary. The Anti-trust Act of this year in the United States of America formed the basis for the Standard Oil Company breakup in 1921.

The railway earlier was being built from Calgary to Strathcona, and they needed the Papaschase reserve land for their right of way. The Cree brothers refused claiming that the Treaty had given solemn assurance that no further claims would be made against them. The railway's response was: If we can't get the right of way, we will make the terminal at Ellerslie, on the south end of the reserve, and will not build into Strathcona at all. This was a deliberate act to incite the citizens of Edmonton, as it would have been easy to bypass the reserve. The Natives contend that some white folks from Strathcona and Edmonton threatened physical violence if the Indians stood in the way of progress. The Cree band, to avoid violence, dispersed and sought refuse in the remote valleys of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. This discussion took place about 1888 or earlier.

Father Jean Baptiste Morin of Montreal, an Oblate and Immigration Agent of the Federal Government, also headed the Catholic Colonization Society of Canada to encourage French immigration to St. Albert and district.

Efforts to attract people to settle in Alberta attracted few people so the Federal Government offered free land.

Father Lacombe (1827-1916) estimated there was some 12,000 Metis in Western Canada. Writing of them before the white man had demoralized them, he said they were courteous and generous in rendering service to their fellowmen. The Metis are now doomed. They have sold their lands for a song; they are children and they have been reduced to poverty. Bishop Grandin considered the Metis a doomed culture. He however noted they are courteous and generous in rendering service to their fellowmen.

The Old Man River at Lethbridge was at this time known as the Belly River. The Blackfoot and Bloods camped on the Belly River between Fort Kipp and Fort Whoop-up about 20 miles apart.

Lethbridge (Alberta) became a town this year.

The Canmore Hotel is built this year and is still standing in 2005. It served as a hospital during the 1918 flu.

McDougall a Metis had settled near Mission, B.C. (Kelowna) on 480 acres of land, two miles from the lake and built a fir-trading post, and a nice framed house, raising cattle and horses. He sold his holdings including 70 head of cattle, horses, wheat and farm implements this year to John Campbell Gordon, the Earl of Aberdeen for $10,000.00 and it had no water rights. He was Governor-General 1893 to 1898 and he wanted a shanty in Canada. Coutts Marjoribanks moved on to manage the estate and sold the cattle for $20.00 a head as they didn't have enough hay for them next winter without buying. Their farming adventure included one small vegetable patch and one beautiful apple tree thanks to the Metis previous owner. Lady Isabel Gordon envisioned 200 acres of apple trees and other fruits when they made their first visit to their holdings. John had bought it sight unseen..

June 25: Lac La Biche (Alberta) birth Albert Boucher, Metis, son Narcisse Boucher Jr., b-1864 Athabasca District and Caroline Ladouceur, b-1862 Fort Pitt (Saskatchewan).



1891

Susan Callihoo Metis born May 16, 1891 Alberta daughter Jean Francois Callihoo, Iroquois Metis born August 29, 1855 Alberta most likely Devil Lake (Lac Ste Anne) married about 1890 Elizabeth British Metis born August 25, 1871 Alberta, living Lac Sainte Anne 1901.

Gabriel Dumont (1838-1906) is reported to have gone east in April to join Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

O.R.F. Kirkpatrich departed Calgary for Edmonton to establish its first bank- The Imperial Bank. It is noteworthy that Calgary already had two banks. When the Edmonton bank opened, it was not uncommon for 1-2 people to visit the bank per day and on some days no one.

Jean M. L'Heraux b-1837 France, a Big Foot Interpreter, living Gleichen, Alberta

H. Wheatelzinger b-1852 India is employed 1891 as a Big Foot Protector in Southern Alberta, living Gleichen, Alberta 1891..

Father Lacombe (1827-1916), a Metis, is supported by Monsieur Adelard Langevin of Saint Boniface, in having a Metis community. But, at Saint Albert, Bishop Vital Justin Grandin (1829-1902) is less than enthusiastic. This led to the Lacombe Philanthropic Plan to redeem the half-breeds of Manitoba and the North West Territories.

James Naismith of Plmonte, Ontario invented the game of basketball using two apple baskets.

Calgary, the Beaulieu House at 707 - 13 Avenue S.W. was built for James Lougheed and his wife Isabella Hardisty.

Calgary has a population of 3,867.

A small band of Icelandic women are living in Calgary while their husbands built homes for them in Markerville (Alberta).

The Edmonton census records 700 people and this year lists five people still involved in gold mining:

Charles Chable b-1842 France - gold miner
Donald McDonald b-1869 N.W.T. - gold miner
Justavie Giva b-1856 U.S.A. - gold miner
Owen Osborne b-1858 England - gold miner


FORT EDMONTON Some of the early residents, considered as old timer from pre 1883 of Fort Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Strathcona and St. Albert (Alberta). They are gathered in front of the Alberta Hotel, Fort Edmonton. I doubt very much this is an all inclusive picture as a lot more were in the Fort Edmonton area from pre 1883

The Austrian Germans from the abandoned the Josefsberg settlement (1889-1891) near Medicine Hat after two years of farming failure due to severe drought, some resettled in Stony Plain, aka Dogrump Creek, Horse Hills, River Qui Barre and east of Fort Saskatchewan. They had fled Austria government persecution.

The Strathcona Hotel was run by Dad Sherples and his wife from 1891 to 1895.

A fire swept from Beaverhills (Strathcona) to Cooking Lake.

Unknown parties drilled two oil wells in Cameron Creek, (Waterton Park) later to be called Oil City but didn't strike oil.

A group of German settlers took up lands in the Josephburg area, east of Fort Saskatchewan (Alberta).

April: News reports state that, although the railway is, as yet, one hundred miles away, and is not likely to reach Edmonton for months, there has already been a surprising rush for land in the district. Some of the best men who have come this season are from the Dakota's, and more are reported on the way. The list of Canadian's living in the United States, for a few select areas, are as follows: Michigan - 190,350, Minnesota - 52,073, Dakota - 42,627 and Oregon - 31,376. Both the Government and Church were approaching these Canadians to immigrate to Canada, where land is cheap. Father Morin represented both Government and Church.

April: Bishop Vital Justin Grandin (1829-1902) had obtained the services of the Oblate Abbe' Morin to organize the French he planned to use to displace the Metis in his dioceses.

April 5: The population of the west is: Manitoba 152,506, B.C. 98, 173, and NWT 98,967.

April 18: Father Jean Baptiste Morin brought the first seventeen United States French families to Grand Brule, which is renamed Morinville, as part of their Metis replacement policy. Other sources suggest they were recruited from Quebec and just happened to team up with a United States contingent of mixed nationality in Calgary on their way to Edmonton. It was made very clear, unofficially, that Morinville (Grand Brule) is to become a French speaking town with no room for non French.

This is a typical United States or European wagon train in transit from the Dakota's to Alberta. If you look at the larger view, you will notice they are four wheeled wagons pulled by oxen. Canadians and Metis used two wheeled Red River carts, pulled by horses.

Three more contingents of United States settlers arrived and are encouraged to go north of St. Albert in a land called Le Grand Brule because a forest fire cleared much of the woods. They would later call it Morinville after Abbe' Morin. He built the first chapel in November. Paul Auve, Omer Gouin, George Muller, Jean Pallier and others are known to have been previously farming this area. Little mention is made of the Germanic settlers in these areas. Father J.B. Morin also established large colonies of French at Villeneuve, Legal, Vimy and Picardville. Father Morin implied that Stony Plain- as the name suggests- was not suitable for farming. This deception was to ensure they settled where the Church wanted them to.

May: In early May a large contingent of German families arrived from the Dakota's and divided into four parties. Five Roman Catholic families, originally from Hungary have entered for homesteads north of St. Albert. There is a good possibility that some of the Salzl clan was in this group but they were from Austria. ((IV)-Marion Salzl claims that (I)-Paul Salze and family and (II)-Johaunes Salzl and family arrived Grand Brule (Morinville) from South Dakota in 1896.) The Salzl farm is located one mile south east of Morinville (Grand Brule) and had a coal mine on the property. Twenty five families went to Horse Hills, twenty five to Stony Plain, and the balance went to various locations south of Edmonton. The Dakota newspapers suggested that the government distribute seed grain to destitute farmers to induce them to abandon their plans of seeking homes in the North West Territories.

May 2: Fifty three familes, totalling 250 people arrived Edmonton (Alberta) by wagon train from Red Deer. They were German speaking from Galecia and Poland and finally settled Josephburg (Alberta) and area. This likely refers to the above.

August 11: The railway finally arrived on August 11, 1891, Strathcona, across the river from Edmonton.

September 16: The first party of Ukrainian settlers arrived at Strathcona by train; peasants from the Provinces of Galicia and Bukovyna in the Austria-Hungarian empire. They wintered in Edmonton then moved to the Edna-Star District, east of Edmonton. Ivan Pylypin and Vasyl Eleniak selected the location earlier as sixty four hectares of farmland for ten dollar's registration fees couldn't be overlooked. Some settled at Stony Plain and Horse Hills.

Strathcona decided, now that they had the railway, that they should get the land titles office, which would establish Strathcona as the center of business rather than Edmonton. The Government agreed and Thomas Anderson, the Land Titles Office agent, began loading the records for the move to Strathcona. The Edmonton Home Guard, called out by Major McCauley and placed under command of Major Osborne; the postmaster, attacked Thomas Anderson and removed the wheels from his wagon. Others said they pushed his wagon into the river. Strathcona dispatched a second wagon, but the Home Guard stopped this wagon also. Strathcona appealed to the police to stop this uprising against authority. The Edmonton Home Guard sent a detachment to Rat Creek to intercept the Mounted Police, who were headed to Fort Saskatchewan, with instructions to shoot their horses if they tried to interfere. The Home Guard defied the Mounted Police to enter the town so the Police turned tail and ran. The citizens of Strathcona were now assured that the Mounted Police were inept at providing justice. As a result, Edmonton became the center of business and the only reprisal was that Major Osborne lost his postmaster job as a result of his insurrection against the government. This action insured the Hudson Bay Company's land would increase in value, and the railway was forced to build a bridge across the Saskatchewan.

Jasper Alberta's History