Mewata Armouries ca. 1934

Postcards from the Past, PC 1660

Last Saturday we enjoyed a march past of the Calgary Highlanders and the King’s Own Calgary Regiment. Both were celebrating their 100^th anniversaries. The Queen’s Own Rifles was also celebrating their anniversary of 150 years, which makes them the longest serving infantry regiment in Canada. For several years, first and second battalions of the Queen’s Own were stationed at Currie Barracks here in Calgary. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Princess Alexandra, the Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment, was supposed to come to Calgary. The volcanic eruption in Iceland put the kibosh on that plan but the veterans who assembled, though somewhat disappointed, were glad to have the chance to celebrate and connect with other veterans.

The King’s Own and the Highlanders can both trace their origins back to the 103^rd Calgary Regiment, Calgary Rifles. The regiment was formed on April 1, 1910. The 103^rd formed several battalions during the First World War. The King’s Own Calgary Regiment grew out of the 50 Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In World War II they were reorganized and had several names, among them the 14^th Armoured Regiment (Calgary) commonly called the Calgary Tanks. The King’s Own have been an infantry, machine gun and tank regiment but are currently a reconnaissance unit. They are based at Mewata Armoury.

The Calgary Highlanders also grew from the 103^rd Regiment. In 1921 they became a highland regiment, known from then on as the Calgary Highlanders. They were a volunteer regiment with members holding regular jobs. They trained on weekends and in the evenings. They were mobilized for the first time on September 1, 1939. Twenty-two of the Highlanders landed on Dieppe in August of 1942. All returned safely to England. Today the Highlanders are once again a regiment of “citizen soldiers” who train Wednesday evenings and one weekend a month.

Postcard describing the history of the Calgary Highlanders including insignia, ca. 1940

Postcards from the Past, PC 768

These regiments are a part of Calgary’s proud military heritage. If you are interested in researching more about the military in Calgary, we have a great collection of information in the Community Heritage and Family History Collection here at the Calgary Public Library’s Central Library. We are also very lucky to have the Military Museums located right beside the Currie Barracks site which is also rich with the history of Calgary’s military.

Front or Dominion Street, Frank, before the slide

Postcards From the Past, PC 819

“At dawn, on April 29, 1903, a huge rock mass, nearly half a mile square and probably 400 to 500 feet thick in places, suddenly broke loose from the east face of Turtle mountain and precipitated itself with terrible violence into the valley beneath, overwhelming everything in its course. “ This is how the report on the landslide describes the terrible events of 107 years ago. 100 people of the population of 600 lived in the path of the slide. Seventy were believed to have perished. Property destroyed included the tipple and plant at the mouth of the Canadian American Coal and Coke Co. Mine, a barn and seven cottages belonging to the company, a half-dozen outlying houses and ranches and a considerable number of horses and cattle. The railway track was buried for 7000 feet.

The structure of Turtle Mountain, looming over the town of roughly 600 people, was unstable and may have been further destabilized by coal mining. The rail line to the town was buried but the quick actions of Sid Choquette, a brakeman, stopped the Crow’s Nest express passenger train that was on a collision course with the tons of rock on the track ahead. It was reported in the newspaper that the trauma of witnessing these events caused Mr. Choquette to suffer a breakdown (“gone crazy” was how the newspaper put it). Even several days after the event, the cause was not known and speculation was that it was caused by a volcanic eruption or an earthquake.

The paper includes some miraculous tales of survival, like that of the Ennis family whose house was rolled over three times but the family survived with just bruises. Some of the miners, who were trapped inside the mine by the slide, were rescued. The Daily Herald of Thursday April 30, 1903, included a list of those who were known to be killed by the slide and includes nine unnamed Russian Polish miners, six unnamed miners from Lancashire, and two unknown miners from Wales in addition to the merchants, miners, ranchers, men, women and children whose names were known.

Dominion Avenue/Front Street after the Slide

Postcards from the Past, PC 432

Some of the oldest newspaper clippings we have in the Community Heritage and Family History collection are clippings from 1903 about the slide. We also have the official report, issued in 1904 by the Department of the Interior (PAM FILE 363.349 MCC). We also have photographic postcards of Frank both before and after the slide. The contrast of what it was and what it became is quite startling. You can look at these postcards in the Community Heritage and Family History Digital Collection (the link is in the left hand column) by searching the term “Frank”.

This was one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Alberta. The events of that night have remained in the minds and imaginations of Albertans since then. The site remains mostly as it was and serves as a monument to those who lost their lives and a reminder of the power of nature.

Frank, Alberta, nestled at the foot of Turtle Mountain

Postcards from the Past, PC 270

February is Black History month in Canada. This is a fairly new recognition despite the fact that people of African descent have been playing a role in Canadian history since the time of Samuel de Champlain. Black History Month began as Black History Week in the 1970s. By 1976 it had become Black History Month. It was officially recognized by the House of Commons in 1995 and in 2008 the Senate unanimously passed a motion to recognize the event.

Albertans are often unaware of the history of black people in our province. Most of us know about John Ware, a former slave, who became a legendary cowboy and rancher in Southern Alberta. But many of us do not know of the settlers who came and established towns such as Breton, Campsie, Wildwood and Amber Valley. Many came from Oklahoma, which became a state in 1907. The government there made it quite clear that black people would be segregated and treated differently from the white settlers who were rushing in to homestead. Many of the state’s black residents fled to Canada, about 1000 to Alberta and Saskatchewan. They did not have an easy time of it. They faced prejudice. Canadians were alarmed by the influx of these immigrants and tried various measures to keep them out. In 1911 an Order in Council would be passed which deemed African Americans unsuitable for the climate in Canada and prohibit their immigration. They also faced the difficult reality of the land north of Edmonton. Their homesteads were in heavy bush which had to be cleared by hand. The land was not overly productive and many men had to work in Edmonton to support their families. In spite of this they stayed and Amber Valley, alone among the other primarily black settlements, survived into the middle of the 20^th century.

The history of the immigration of African Americans into the Prairie Provinces is a story of determination and courage. You can find out more about it in the Community Heritage and Family History collection at the Central Library. We have The Window of our Memories volumes 1 and 2, by Velma Carter, which is the story of Black pioneers in Alberta and includes the stories of those pioneers and their descendants. Another very interesting book is Deemed Unsuitable by R. Bruce Shepard which looks at the problem of racism on both sides of the border and how it affected the immigration of African-Americans into the Canadian Prairies. And, for those of you who would like to try out an old-school format, we also have a thesis on microfiche by Judith Hill, “Alberta’s Black Settlers: a Study of Canadian Immigration Policy and Practice”. (You can find other works by searching the library catalogue using the subject terms “Black Canadians History”). These works tell us a lot about the immigration of black people into Canada, but they also have a lot to tell us about ourselves and how Canada came to be. It is not always easy to read, but it is crucial to our understanding of our history and our future.

Peace Celebrations in Calgary, 1918

Postcards from the Past, PC 1378

I am always looking through our photograph collections to find pictures that capture moments in Calgary’s history. November is the month when we celebrate our veterans, and the sacrifices they made. We have lots of really great photographs of camps and soldiers and parades but the one that most intrigues me is the one at the head of this entry. It is from the end of the First World War and in many ways the times were similar to now. There was a great influenza pandemic that was sweeping across the world, brought home with the returning soldiers who had been made vulnerable by malnutrition and stress. People were jubilant, though, because the war was over and the boys were coming home. The evil Kaiser had been vanquished and peace was upon the land. But first, we needed to celebrate. And how better to do that than with a parade and a hanging? Immediately on the news that Germany had accepted the terms of surrender, the news desk at the Albertan alerted Mayor Costello and Fire Chief Smart and the church bells and fire bells began to ring. It was 1:30 in the morning. Cappy Smart threw open the doors to the fire hall and sounded the bells on the fire-fighting equipment for a full 15 minutes. This drew people into town and soon the War veterans had started a parade which grew in magnitude as the day progressed. They partied all night long. Some of the “horseplay indulged in by the jubilating throng” included starting a fire in a pile of rubbish and overturning garbage cans. As the Herald noted the “alarm raised over the alleged shortage of liquor in the province was somewhat premature.” The revelers had no trouble finding spirits to fuel their jubilation.

The official celebration took place the next day, November 11, which Mayor Costello had declared a half-day holiday. The day included a parade, which formed up at the fire hall and was led by “massed bands of the city”, followed by veterans of the war, who were followed by the piece de resistance, the float containing the effigies of the Kaiser and Crown Prince, which were to be burned later at City Hall. Guards had to be placed so the excited crowd didn’t torch them before dark. At 8:30 in the evening bonfires were lit on the North Hill and the hill overlooking Elbow Park and the effigies were burned with due ceremony.

You will notice in this picture that a very few people are wearing the mandated ‘flu masks. Announcements in the paper insisted that the mask rule would be enforced, but special permission was granted to churches who wished to celebrate the end of the war. Short services could be held as long as they were held outside and not in the church building. The joy of the war news was interspersed with articles about deaths from the influenza and the severity of the outbreak and the need for volunteer nurses to help with the ‘flu cases. As many or more people would die of the 'flu as died on the battlefields of Europe.

You can access newspaper accounts of the end of the war and of the influenza epidemic through the Alberta Heritage Digitization Project's Early Alberta Newspapers. There is also a very interesting book on the subject of the Spanish influenza in Canada, The Silent Enemy.

Calgary Brewing and Malting Co.

Postcards from the Past, PC 1376

The Calgary Brewing and Malting Company was founded in 1892 by A.E. Cross and his partners. It was just outside of the outskirts of the city on land that Cross had purchased from his father-in-law, Colonel James Walker. The property had a river fed aquifer giving it great water (as we know, "it's the water..." that makes a great beer!) and it also had access to the rail line. The brewery was such an important part of the community, providing jobs for many people, that the residential area that grew up around it was known as Brewery Flats.

Brewing began on March 9, 1893. A story has come down to us regarding the first batch of beer brewed on the site. As the tale is told, a group of gentlemen of the Celtic persuasion, frantic to procure libations for their St. Patrick's Day festivities, stormed the new brewery trying to persuade Cross to give them some of the new brew. The fact that the ale was still "green" did not deter them and much of the town spent the next day suffering the ill effects. Is this, perhaps, the origin of the green beer tradition in Calgary?

Fire Hall #1, built 1887 demolished 1913

Postcards from the Past, PC 540

The first major fire in Calgary occurred on January 8 1885 in J.L. Bowen's house on Atlantic Avenue (now 9th Avenue). The house, valued at $575, which would have made it one of the finer homes in the city, was completely destroyed. Bystanders were unable to stop the fire mainly because there was no nearby source of water. Snowballs were hurled at the blaze and a bucket brigade was started to bring water from a town water tank, but to no avail. The best they could accomplish was to save some of the furniture and to drag the nearby henhouse, with its occupants, to safety.

It may have been this fire that spurred the approval for the digging of eight wells around the city. It also led to the development of the Calgary Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corps in August of 1885. James Smart, who would become Chief in 1898, was "hookman" on that brigade, .

The photograph above shows the Calgary Fire Hall built in 1887 on what is now 7th Avenue between Centre Street and 1st Street E. It comes from our postcard collection which is accessible through our Community Heritage and Family History Digital Library. Information about the history of the Calgary Fire Department can be found in our Local History room on the 4th floor of the Central Library.

Public Library and Central Park, ca. 1915

Postcards from the Past

On January 2nd, 1912 Calgarians celebrated the official opening of Calgary Public Library in Central Park. The building still stands and houses the Memorial Park Library.

This was Alberta's first public library and was the first Carnegie library in the province, so called because it was partially financed by wealthy American steel industrialist and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. The library opened with 5000 volumes on its shelves; 1000 fiction titles, 1000 in biography and history, 1000 in travel, 1000 children's books and 1000 reference books. T.A.P. Frost was the first of over seventy citizens to register as borrowers that first day which was remarkable considering that though the books were on the shelves, they were not available for borrowing.

This postcard, from our Postcards From the Past section of the Community Heritage and Family History Digital Library, shows the bandstand and the South African War memorial statue by Louis Hebert.

For more information on this beautiful library visit our Virtual Tours of Historic Calgary .

There are a number of books which discuss the history of the library and the people behind it. Esther Gorosh's Calgary's Temple of Knowledge: A History of Calgary Public Library (027.47123 GOR) outlines the early history of the library system. Alexander Calhoun by Donna Lohnes and Barbara Nicholson (020.924 CAL L) is a brief biography of the fascinating man who became the Chief Librarian of the new library and whose vision gave shape to the library for generations to come.

The Grand Union Hotel, designed by noted architect William Dodd, was built in 1905 on Atlantic Avenue (or Whisky Row, as it was affectionately known). It was operated by A. Moodie, who also owned the Royal Hotel. The horse-drawn bus, seen in the picture, ferried travellers to and from the train station, four blocks away. The balconies could be seen from the station and offered views of the activity along Atlantic Avenue as well as views of the mountains. In 1906, just a year after it opened, it offered a sumptuous menu for Christmas dinner. The menu included familiar favourites such as creamed potatoes, corn on the cob, mince pie and French fries. It also included the more sophisticated fare:

Canape of Caviar, Clear Green Turtle Soup, Cream of Oysters

Planked White Fish de Hanover Sauce

Sweet Breads Braized [sic] a la Rothchild

Domestic Duck with Boston Clam Dressing

Saddle of Venison, Black Currant Jelly

Lobster Salad au Cresson

For dessert you could choose between Plum Pudding with Brandy sauce, three kinds of pie and pineapple trifle, ice cream, Oka cheese and jelly.

The Local History Collection in the Central Library includes many menus from Calgary establishments. You can find them in the library catalogue by typing the name of the establishment and the word 'menu' in the search box on the Calgary Public Library homepage (http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/)

Carnegie Library, Calgary, Alberta, ca. 1912

Postcards from the Past, PC 152

Anyone who has read this blog knows about the very cool postcard collection that we have here in the Local History room. Many images on the blog are pulled from that collection, which can be viewed from the Community Heritage and Family History site by clicking on the link Postcards from the Past on the left side of the page. In that collection are quite a number of Christmas postcards – generally consisting of a vignette of a building or a scene from Calgary in an embossed card with a Christmas greeting in red around the picture. The card in this entry is a view of what is now Memorial Park Library.

These cards mostly date from the ‘teens, a time when the craze for picture postcards was at its highest. All kinds of innovative cards were produced, such as “diamond dust” cards on which the picture was outlined in a kind of sparkle. These cards wreaked havoc with the electric stamping machines and were, for a short time, banned.

Though Christmas cards were invented in 1843, the postcard craze at the end of the 19^th and beginning of the 20^th century reduced their popularity. Postcards were less expensive to send and were a quick and easy way of sending greetings to family back home.

To see more examples of Christmas postcards from the Calgary Public Library collection, visit the Community Heritage and Family History Digital Library and search the site using the term “Christmas”.

September 15 marked the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone for the "new" city hall. In 1908 dignitaries, including Mayor Arthur Cameron, R.B. Bennett and Colonel James Walker, were on hand to celebrate this momentous event.

The cornerstone is embedded outside of City Hall on the northwest side of the main entrance. It is a red granite plaque engraved with the names of the mayor and aldermen, the City Clerk and the architect, William Dodd. Dodd was dismissed in 1909 and replaced by architects Gilbert Hodgson and Ernest Butler.

A sealed copper box was placed under the cornerstone. Inside were financial reports, bylaws of the city, and a copy of the New Testament.

For more information on City Hall, visit our Virtual Tours of Historic Calgary by clicking on the link on the left side of the page.