Fort Steele, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Fort Steele is a heritage town
in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia
, Canada
. It is located north of the Crowsnest Highway along Highways 93 and 95, 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Cranbrook
.
. It was the only ferry within several hundred miles so Mr.Galbraith charged very high prices to get across.
The town was renamed Fort Steele in 1888, after legendary Canadian lawman Superintendent Sam Steele
of the North-West Mounted Police solved a dispute between a settler who had unjustly accused one of the local First Nations
men with murder. This dispute had caused a great deal of tension between the town and the native people. Sam Steele, finding no real evidence against the accused natives, had the charges against them lifted. Both the town and the First Nations people were so grateful that they renamed the town Fort Steele. Much to Steele's dismay, the "Fort" part of the name comes from the NWMP setting up a station in the town, whereas the town itself was never a real fort.
In the late 1890s, Fort Steele was growing rapidly, becoming the heart of the East Kootenays. The Canadian Pacific railway showed interest in Fort Steele. It was decided that a station was to be built. But as the document stating the railway was to go though Fort Steele was on its way to be approved, a gentleman named Colonel James Baker had other ideas. Baker, a member of the British Columbia legislature, owned a small logging camp named Joseph's Prairie. Baker bribed and blackmailed his fellow Members and convinced them to bypass Fort Steele and bring the railway through Joseph's Prairie. This was final after the document stating the railway was to go through Fort Steele was "lost" in the mail. After the railway was completed, Baker renamed the town to Cranbrook
. He later sold the people of Fort Steele land. Fort Steele's population quickly dropped as the population moved to the more appealing Cranbrook.
After Fort Steele was abandoned, the site slowly started to decay. A highway was even built right through the town's current main street. In the mid-1960s, B.C parliament started to preserve many historic sites. In 1967, Fort Steele was designated a historic site and restoration began. The highway was abandoned in the early 1960s for a more favorable route.
In 1969 Fort Steele opened to the public as Fort Steele Heritage Town. Over the past 45 years, millions of tourist have visited the site, and Fort Steele has become one of British Columbia's premier tourist attractions.
Fort Steele offers many attractions, such as horse drawn carriage rides, blacksmithing demonstrations, ice cream making, gold panning
, and leather working. Other attractions include an old style candy shop, a store with old-fashioned goods for sale, and a full service restaurant. The town also has several vintage buildings on display, one being a theatre that has plays every afternoon in the summer.
s, two of which are in operation. The railway operates between June through September, starting on Father's Day
and ending on Labour Day
. The short 25-minute 2.5 miles (4 km) figure-eight loop gives passengers an idea of a steam locomotive
in use. The trip includes a short stop at the "St. Mary's look-out", a small platform overlooking the St. Mary's valley where the conductor gives a short talk about the area.
Locomotives on display include:
Other rolling stock include three flat cars (two of which that have been modified for use as open air passenger cars), a British coach, a small parlour car matching the Dunrobin (originally used as the main car but retired due to interior damage), a Morrissy, Fernie and Michel railway baggage/coach combo, a Canadian Pacific Railway
caboose
, Morrissy, Fernie and Michel railway snow plows, and two tank cars used for fuel storage.
Heritage site
A Heritage Site is a location designated as important to the cultural heritage of a governing body such as a township, county, province, state, or country. It is a non-moveable object such as a historic site or national monument, but it may include several sites grouped together such as...
in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located north of the Crowsnest Highway along Highways 93 and 95, 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Cranbrook
Cranbrook, British Columbia
Cranbrook, British Columbia is a city in southeast British Columbia, located on the west side of the Kootenay River at its confluence with the St. Mary's River, It is the largest urban centre in the region known as the East Kootenay. As of 2006, Cranbrook's population is 18,267, and the...
.
History
Fort Steele was a gold rush boom town founded in 1864 by John Galbraith. The town was originally called "Galbraith's Ferry", named after the ferry set up by the city's founder over the Kootenay RiverKootenay River
The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
. It was the only ferry within several hundred miles so Mr.Galbraith charged very high prices to get across.
The town was renamed Fort Steele in 1888, after legendary Canadian lawman Superintendent Sam Steele
Sam Steele
Major General Sir Samuel Benfield Steele, CB, KCMG, MVO was a distinguished Canadian soldier and police official...
of the North-West Mounted Police solved a dispute between a settler who had unjustly accused one of the local First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
men with murder. This dispute had caused a great deal of tension between the town and the native people. Sam Steele, finding no real evidence against the accused natives, had the charges against them lifted. Both the town and the First Nations people were so grateful that they renamed the town Fort Steele. Much to Steele's dismay, the "Fort" part of the name comes from the NWMP setting up a station in the town, whereas the town itself was never a real fort.
In the late 1890s, Fort Steele was growing rapidly, becoming the heart of the East Kootenays. The Canadian Pacific railway showed interest in Fort Steele. It was decided that a station was to be built. But as the document stating the railway was to go though Fort Steele was on its way to be approved, a gentleman named Colonel James Baker had other ideas. Baker, a member of the British Columbia legislature, owned a small logging camp named Joseph's Prairie. Baker bribed and blackmailed his fellow Members and convinced them to bypass Fort Steele and bring the railway through Joseph's Prairie. This was final after the document stating the railway was to go through Fort Steele was "lost" in the mail. After the railway was completed, Baker renamed the town to Cranbrook
Cranbrook, British Columbia
Cranbrook, British Columbia is a city in southeast British Columbia, located on the west side of the Kootenay River at its confluence with the St. Mary's River, It is the largest urban centre in the region known as the East Kootenay. As of 2006, Cranbrook's population is 18,267, and the...
. He later sold the people of Fort Steele land. Fort Steele's population quickly dropped as the population moved to the more appealing Cranbrook.
After Fort Steele was abandoned, the site slowly started to decay. A highway was even built right through the town's current main street. In the mid-1960s, B.C parliament started to preserve many historic sites. In 1967, Fort Steele was designated a historic site and restoration began. The highway was abandoned in the early 1960s for a more favorable route.
In 1969 Fort Steele opened to the public as Fort Steele Heritage Town. Over the past 45 years, millions of tourist have visited the site, and Fort Steele has become one of British Columbia's premier tourist attractions.
Attractions
Gold panning
Gold panning, or simply panning, is a form of placer mining that extracts gold from a placer deposit using a pan. The process is one of the simplest ways to extract gold, and is popular with geology enthusiasts because of its cheap cost and the relatively simple and easy process involved. It is the...
, and leather working. Other attractions include an old style candy shop, a store with old-fashioned goods for sale, and a full service restaurant. The town also has several vintage buildings on display, one being a theatre that has plays every afternoon in the summer.
Wild Horse Theatre
The Wild Horse Theatre is a venue located in Fort Steele Heritage Town. It was constructed in 1969 and has presented a variety of productions, most notably the "Fort Steele Follies" - a historic revue starring professional actors. It is staged every afternoon from July 1 until Labour Day. The theatre has a capacity of 500.Locomotives and train rides
Fort Steele offers seasonal train rides behind one of three preserved steam locomotiveLocomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s, two of which are in operation. The railway operates between June through September, starting on Father's Day
Father's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
and ending on Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
. The short 25-minute 2.5 miles (4 km) figure-eight loop gives passengers an idea of a steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
in use. The trip includes a short stop at the "St. Mary's look-out", a small platform overlooking the St. Mary's valley where the conductor gives a short talk about the area.
Locomotives on display include:
- A Pacific CoastPacific CoastA country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
Shay locomotiveShay locomotiveThe Shay locomotive was the most widely used geared steam locomotive. The locomotives were built to the patents of Ephraim Shay, who has been credited with the popularization of the concept of a geared steam locomotive...
("115") built for logging operations on Vancouver IslandVancouver IslandVancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. The 115 is unusual because it was constructed out of two damaged shays. The 115 is currently the largest shay class locomotive in Canada. Due to major issues with the boiler, the 115 is not in operation. - A 2-6-2 prairie class locomotive ("1077") (nicknamed "Herb Hawkins" after the man who restored it) built in 1923 for logging work on Vancouver Island. The 1077 is the main locomotive used at the fort. The 1077 was retired by its owner in the early 1960s, making it one of the last steam locomotives in active service in Canada. After being sold to the B.C government, The 1077 was re-built and used as a rolling museum train until it was put into storage in 1979. The 1077 was moved to Fort Steele in 1989 to replace the 115 Shay. The 1077 was featured in several movies, including The Grey Fox, The Journey of Natty GannThe Journey of Natty GannThe Journey of Natty Gann is a 1985 American film directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released by Buena Vista Pictures.-Plot:Set in 1935, the movie tells the story of a young woman, Natty Gann...
, and Shanghai NoonShanghai NoonShanghai Noon is a 2000 American martial arts action comedy western film starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. The film, marking the directorial debut of Tom Dey, was written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar....
. - A 0-4-4 type "Dunrobin" ("397") built in 1895 for private use by the Duke of SutherlandDuke of SutherlandDuke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
and was used in Europe during both world wars. In 1965, a VictoriaVictoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
business man purchased the Dunrobin, then sold it to the B.C. government two years later. The Dunrobin, with one of its original coaches, was the first locomotive used after the fort's conversion to a historic park. The Dunrobin and its coach have since been purchased by the Beamish MuseumBeamish MuseumBeamish, The North of England Open Air Museum is an open-air museum located at Beamish, near the town of Stanley, County Durham, England. The museum's guiding principle is to preserve an example of everyday life in urban and rural North East England at the climax of industrialisation in the early...
, in County DurhamCounty DurhamCounty Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. - Two vintage 1950s diesel switchingSwitcherA switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
locomotiveLocomotiveA locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s, both in near-derelict condition. Originally slated for restoration, these units are currently for sale.
Other rolling stock include three flat cars (two of which that have been modified for use as open air passenger cars), a British coach, a small parlour car matching the Dunrobin (originally used as the main car but retired due to interior damage), a Morrissy, Fernie and Michel railway baggage/coach combo, a Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
, Morrissy, Fernie and Michel railway snow plows, and two tank cars used for fuel storage.
See also
- Barkerville, British ColumbiaBarkerville, British ColumbiaBarkerville was the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush in British Columbia, Canada and is preserved as a historic town. It is located on the north slope of the Cariboo Plateau near the Cariboo Mountains east of Quesnel along BC Highway 26, which follows the route of the original access to...
, another ghost town expropriated by British Columbia and operated as a heritage site. - List of heritage railways in Canada
- List of museums in Canada
- Snow QueenSnow Queen (2002 film)Snow Queen is a 2002 made-for-television film made by Hallmark Entertainment, directed by David Wu, and based on the story The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. The film stars Bridget Fonda as the title character and Chelsea Hobbs as her rival and the story's heroine, Gerda...
, a fantasy film shot in Fort Steele. - Wild Horse RiverWild Horse RiverThe Wild Horse River, formerly known as Wild Horse Creek, is a tributary of the Kootenay River, joining it near the town of Fort Steele, British Columbia, Canada. The river's canyon was the setting for the Wild Horse Creek Gold Rush and associated "war" during the gold rush of the mid-1860s.-Gold...