Fort Calgary
Encyclopedia
Fort Calgary was established in 1875 as Fort Brisebois by the North-West Mounted Police, located at the confluence of the Bow
and Elbow
rivers in what is now Calgary, Alberta.
, "F" Troop travelled north from Fort Macleod to find a suitable spot on the Bow for the fort. On arrival at the location they made a makeshift boat with a wagon box and tarpaulins to cross the Bow. Corporal George Clift King
was the first member of the troop to set foot on the location, which is why he is sometimes cited as Calgary's first citizen. Construction began in August or September and the fort was completed in time to host Christmas
dinner for the local residents.
The fort was constructed out of pine
and spruce
logs cut upstream and floated to the site. Buildings included men's quarters, a guard room, stables and storage facilities. Shortly after the erection of the fort, two businesses set up operation in the vicinity; I. G. Baker Company
and the Hudson's Bay Company
.
The post was originally called "The Elbow" or "Bow Fort". Captain Brisebois attempted to rename the fort after himself, but due to his unpopularity, it was renamed Fort Calgary in 1876 by James MacLeod
, after Calgary House, a castle at Calgary
Bay on the Isle of Mull
, Scotland
.
Much of the fort was torn down in 1882 and new barracks were constructed. The arrival of the railway in 1883 and the subsequent rapid growth and expansion of Calgary destroyed the post's reason for existing. A two-storey building that could house 100 men was built in 1888, since a fire in 1884 had destroyed one of the barracks.
The Deane House was built nearby in 1906 for the Superintendent of Fort Calgary, Captain Richard Deane. It was originally constructed near 9th Ave and 6th St SE, facing east towards the barracks. Deane felt the previous superintendent's house was not good enough for his wife Martha. Although the budget for the project was $5,000, the total cost was $6,200.
In 1914, The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
bought the land for use as a rail terminal and demolished all the fort buildings except the Deane House. The house was moved to the southeast corner from its original location. The house was then purchased by C. L. Jacques in 1929 and moved across the Elbow River, where it stands today. It was used as a boarding house for several decades until the City of Calgary repurchased the building. In the 1970s it was used as an Art gallery, called The Dandelion Gallery. Today it is a restaurant.
In 1969-1970, an archaeological crew from the University of Calgary began searching for the Fort at the then current site of McCosham's warehouse. The site was eventually located under a storage yard behind the McCosham's building. The crew unearthed original wooden beams from the Fort and a multitude of historical artifacts.
In 1974, the city of Calgary reclaimed the land and it was designated a provincial and National Historic Site. The present site was reopened on May 18, 1978.
A replica of the 1888 barracks was completed in 2000 at the current fort site, followed by the erection of palisades. The site is operated by the Fort Calgary Preservation Society.
, CHIN
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
.
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
and Elbow
Elbow River
The Elbow River is a river located in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows from the Canadian Rockies to the city of Calgary, where it merges into the Bow River....
rivers in what is now Calgary, Alberta.
History
The construction of the fort was initiated on April 10, 1875 by a federal order to force out whiskey traders from the area. Commanded by Éphrem A. BriseboisÉphrem-A. Brisebois
Inspector Éphrem-A. Brisebois was a politician, soldier, and police officer with the North-West Mounted Police of Canada. He was born 7 March 1850 at South Durham, Canada East, now Durham-Sud, Quebec....
, "F" Troop travelled north from Fort Macleod to find a suitable spot on the Bow for the fort. On arrival at the location they made a makeshift boat with a wagon box and tarpaulins to cross the Bow. Corporal George Clift King
George Clift King
George Clift King was the second mayor of the town of Calgary, Alberta.King was born in Chelmsford, England in 1848. At the age of 26, he left England for Canada, arriving in Toronto, Ontario in 1874. He joined the North West Mounted Police and was part of the first contingent sent west to...
was the first member of the troop to set foot on the location, which is why he is sometimes cited as Calgary's first citizen. Construction began in August or September and the fort was completed in time to host Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
dinner for the local residents.
The fort was constructed out of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
logs cut upstream and floated to the site. Buildings included men's quarters, a guard room, stables and storage facilities. Shortly after the erection of the fort, two businesses set up operation in the vicinity; I. G. Baker Company
I. G. Baker Company
The I. G. Baker Company was a mercantile and grocery company based in Fort Benton, Montana, started by I. G. Baker. The store was sold to Charles Conrad and his brother William. In 1891, the company was purchased by its chief rival, the Hudson's Bay Company....
and the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
.
The post was originally called "The Elbow" or "Bow Fort". Captain Brisebois attempted to rename the fort after himself, but due to his unpopularity, it was renamed Fort Calgary in 1876 by James MacLeod
James Macleod
Lieutenant-Colonel James Farquharson Macleod , born in Drynoch, Isle of Skye, Scotland, was a militia officer, lawyer, NWMP officer, magistrate, judge, and politician in Alberta. He served as the second Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police, from July 22, 1876, to October 31, 1880...
, after Calgary House, a castle at Calgary
Calgary, Mull
The wide sand beach at Calgary is possibly the best in Mull, and its idyllic location makes it one of the finest in Scotland. Calgary Bay is located on the north west of Mull about past Dervaig, from the island's capital Tobermory, and is framed by low hills, partly wooded. A broad area of...
Bay on the Isle of Mull
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Much of the fort was torn down in 1882 and new barracks were constructed. The arrival of the railway in 1883 and the subsequent rapid growth and expansion of Calgary destroyed the post's reason for existing. A two-storey building that could house 100 men was built in 1888, since a fire in 1884 had destroyed one of the barracks.
Deane House
In 1914, The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
bought the land for use as a rail terminal and demolished all the fort buildings except the Deane House. The house was moved to the southeast corner from its original location. The house was then purchased by C. L. Jacques in 1929 and moved across the Elbow River, where it stands today. It was used as a boarding house for several decades until the City of Calgary repurchased the building. In the 1970s it was used as an Art gallery, called The Dandelion Gallery. Today it is a restaurant.
In 1969-1970, an archaeological crew from the University of Calgary began searching for the Fort at the then current site of McCosham's warehouse. The site was eventually located under a storage yard behind the McCosham's building. The crew unearthed original wooden beams from the Fort and a multitude of historical artifacts.
In 1974, the city of Calgary reclaimed the land and it was designated a provincial and National Historic Site. The present site was reopened on May 18, 1978.
A replica of the 1888 barracks was completed in 2000 at the current fort site, followed by the erection of palisades. The site is operated by the Fort Calgary Preservation Society.
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.