HISTORY . . . A rich heritage and a courageous pioneer spirit have built the region for the past 125 years

 
Part 2 - The Calgary & Edmonton Trail
 
Settlements develop around the Crossing of the Red Deer River
 
In 1873, Rev. John McDougall and his father Rev. George McDougall built a 450 km cart trail from the mission at Morley (west of Calgary on the Bow River) to Fort Edmonton along the old Wolf Trail, an ancient natural foot trail along a glacial corridor, portions of which had also been referred to as the Old North Trail, Bow River Trail, Fort Benton Trail, Middle Black Foot Trail. The route crossed the Red Deer River at a natural ford six kilometres (four miles) upstream from the current city of Red Deer where hunter and trapper Addison McPherson had built a log cabin the year before.
 
A more direct route between Fort Calgary and Fort Edmonton developed north from Calgary in 1875 joining up with the Morley Trail at Lone Pine (near present-day Olds), and became known as the Calgary and Edmonton Trail. (The natural corridor would eventually contain Highways 2A, the original Highway 2, the four-lane QE2 and the Canadian Pacific Railway).
 
In 1882, a number of former freighters, land surveryors and other pioneers took up claims, mostly on the south side of the river, between the ford, where the Calgary-Edmonton Trail crossed the Red Deer River, and Waskasoo Creek, where the current city was first established years later.
 
The new settlement was referred to as 'Red Deer Crossing', 'McDougall's Crossing' or just 'The Crossing'. Those early settlers included John T. Moore, Jack Little, William Kemp, George and Jim Beatty, 'Addy' McPherson and Robert McClellan. The Saskatchewan Land and Homestead Company was granted 180 alternating sections of land around the Crossing.
 
In 1883, the McKenzies built a sawmill, G.C. King a store and M.P. Collins a stopping house at the Crossing. Another stopping house called 'The Spruces' was established north of Poplar Grove (now Innisfail). A stagecoach service that included the first regular mail service, was initiated along the 'C & E Trail' with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Calgary. Ed Barnett became the first resident of Lacombe.
 
In 1884, Rev. Leonard Gaetz moved his family from Ontario to the abandoned Jack Little claim near Waskasoo Creek. He bought the store at the Crossing from G.C. King and became the land agent for the Saskatchewan Land and Homestead Company. The Crossing townsite was surveyed as Deerford but never developed. Sage Bannerman started a ferry operation at the Crossing, purchasing McPherson's claim.
 
In 1885, as a result of the Riel Rebellion, the Alberta Field Force moved soldiers and police from Calgary to Edmonton. Lieut. Normandeau and 20 men stayed at the Crossing to guard the trail and river, commandeering the stopping house and building a fort around it. At the same time, Fort Ostell was built at the Battle River (at present-day Ponoka).
 
In 1886, the North West Mounted Police set up a detachment at the fort. The following year, the first log school house was built and the Alberta Lumber Company built a mill on the Red Deer River near Innisfail.
 
In 1888, a group of Icelandic settlers moved from North Dakota to Markerville/Tindastoll (west of Penhold) on the Medicine River. The following year, Icelandic poet Stephan G. Stephannson moved his family to the Markerville area.
 
Part 1 - Communities in the wilderness - First Nations, hunters, traders,
             explorers and missionaries lay the groundwork for the future
 
Coming Soon:
Part 3 - The Calgary-Edmonton Railroad - A deal between the railroad and a reverend
             landowner determines the location of Alberta's central city
 

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