© 2002 - 2005 AFHS
18 Jul 2002
Calgary
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That there will be another great city in the far west of the Dominion, rivalling Winnipeg, has long been a favorite opinion of old time nor'-westers. Where this city would be was the question which at first was not easily solved, but time has furnished the answer. Calgary, which has already been nick-named the "Canadian Denver," is the embryo from which the future metropolis of the far Northwest is to develop into commercial greatness. Let us see what are its prospects, and if it possesses those conditions with-out which metropolitan greatness cannot be attained. In the summer of 1875 Fort Calgary, a Mounted Police station, was built under the direction of Colonel McLeod, now one of the Stipendiary Magistrates for the Northwest Colonel McLeod named it after Calgarry in Scotland, though it will be seen that one of the r's" has been dropped in the Canadian orthography, and the accent is placed on the first syllable. The first officer in charge was Inspector, now Superintendent Brisbois. Previous to 1875, Calgary had neither a history nor a name, unless what has been assigned to it by the red man. True, the Montana trader had pushed his way into the territory, but forts "Whoop-up" and "Stand Off" were located far to the south of the Bow River. With the location of Fort Calgary, came from Benton, Montana, the well known American frontier traders, I. G. Baker & Co., who have the honor of being has pioneer traders of the place. Naturally the building of a frontier military post in the west brings with it the nucleus of a frontier town; but Fort Calgary made but little progress until 1881, four years after its commencement. The fort, which was a stockade after the style of western trading posts, first consisted of upright posts sharpened at one end and driven into the ground, forming the stockade. The huts were composed of logs and mud, and the location was selected on the bank of the Elbow where it enters the Bow. The fort was built by J. G. Baker & Co., of McLeod, under the superintendence of D. W. Dans, now of McLeod, who about the same time erected a cluster of log buildings for the purposes of the firm about a quarter of a mile from the fort, to the south of it, on the west bank of the Elbow, many of which buildings are still standing. At that time there were no buildings on the west side of the Elbow. In the same year Mr. Fraser, of the Hudson's Bay Company, put up a long building on the east side of the Bow River Opposite the fort, and commenced trading for the company. For five or six years Fort Calgary enjoyed the amenities incident to one of old "Uncle Dom's" Mounted Police posts. In 1882 rumors began to come lazily along that the route of the Canadian Pacific Railway was to be changed and that the line would he taken via the Kicking Horse Pass along the valley of the Bow, instead of through the Tete Peune Cache along the. North Saskatchewan. The following year witnessed the confirmation of these rumors, and before the advanced graders had come within sight of the crossing of the Elbow, Mr. Denny, who pre-empted a tract of land on the east side of the Elbow River, opposite the fort, and shortly afterwards sold it to Col. Irvine and Capt. Stewart, who surveyed it into town lots, and it was here that the town of Calgary was first located.
The fort buildings and surroundings have been greatly improved and beautified. The fort is now garrisoned by eighty men, commanded by two inspectors, including Col. Herchmer, superintendent. The inspectors', as well as the men's quarters, are clean and comfortable. The railroad company last year erected a substantial iron bridge across the Elbow, and their station, freight and section houses are neat, commodious, and substantial buildings. The entire amphitheatre in which both the old and new town-sites are situated is a beautiful plateau in which are many pretty bays formed by the serpentine course of both streams.
The progress made by Calgary in the year 1884 cannot be recorded, except very briefly, in a graphic sketch. On the new town-site there are now upwards of 180 buildings of all descriptions, exclusive of the fort buildings and the old cluster belonging to J. C. Baker & Co., which, though situated on the west side of the Elbow River, are not on the new survey. These buildings comprise many large stores and fine residences; but, of course, the great majority are small, and western in their style; yet, when it is remembered that the transformation has taken place in a little more than a year, a sufficient idea of the marvellous progress Calgary has made will be realized. About a year ago the first efforts were made to have the town incorporated. Those who took an active part in promoting incorporation were George Murdoch, Esq., the present Mayor; Mayor Walker, one of the pioneers; Dr. Henderson, Captain Stewart, and several other prominent citizens, whose names are mentioned in another part of this work. Very little progress was at first made in getting the town incorporated; but the Civic Committee had persevering members in Messrs. Murdoch and Swan, who, in spite of delay and obstruction from certain property-owners, finally carried their point. The proclamation incorporating the town, which extends on both sides of the Elbow River, was issued last November, and the first election for Mayor and Councillors was held in Calgary Theatre Hall on Thursday, December 3rd. Mr. George B Elliott was the first Returning-officer. The election was a spirited one, and the following from the Nor'-wester, then edited by Mr. Elliott, shows the result: For Mayor
For Councillors
The present Council comprises George Murdoch, Mayor; and Messrs. Hogg, Millward, Lindsay, and Clark, Councillors.
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