HIGHWAY HISTORY SERIES ALBERTA HIGHWAY HISTORY JC/JKlJE/O Book 2 HIGHWAY 3: LETHBRIDGE TO CRANBROOK, B.C. Project Originator & Director •Bruce Haig* Written & Researched by •Zola Bruneau* •Carol Turman Low* Advertising design & layout: Glory Watson, Zola Bruneau, Naomi White Also involved in the project: Frank Huszar, Michael D. Johnston, Marty Giesbrecht, Robert Ward, Lorraine Niwa Funding for this project was made available through the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission's "Canadian Jobs Strategy" This book is dedicated to the Macintosh, the Pagemaker Program, & the LaserWriter which made desktop publishing & therefore, this book, possible. ISBN 0-9691010-8-2 PUBLISHED BY HISTORIC TRAILS SOCIETY OF ALBERTA c/o Historical Research Centre 1710- 31 St. N. LETHBRIDGE, AB T1H 5H1 1987 Do you have a story to share? Or another version of one you've read here? Write your st here and send us a copy. We are already compiling new material and may include your stor^ — with credit to you — in future editions. Write or call us at: 1710-31 St. N. LETHBRIDGE, AB. T1H 5H1 (403)328-9011 Highway History The distances on this map are only approximate. Each of the designated communities along the highway have a separate heading, listed alphabetically in the book. For specific subjects or stories check the index on page 96. ^S Communities on the TO CALGARY map are listed in TO CALGARY the book in alphabetical order TO YOHO & BANRF BOOK 2: HIGHWAY 3 — LETHBRIDGE - CRANBROOK, B.C. Please support our advertisers — They supported us! Meet Fidler, the buffalo — our logo and mascot. He'll guide you down the road. Don't worry about getting lost, as he has been around a long time. Our Fidler represents what is thought to be the first view Europeans had of the buffalo. The sketch was first published in 1554. It was done by an artist who never saw the animal, and was drawn from descriptions sent back to Spain by early adventurers in America. WHY DO WE CALL HIM FIDLER? The great Hudson's Bay Company surveyor and explorer, Peter Fidler, arrived in Southern Alberta in 1792 and gave us the first written descriptions of the area. Just one of the many fascinating characters you will read about in the Highway History Series. WHERE WILL THE HIGHWAY HISTORY SERIES TAKE ME? BOOK 1 — Highways 1 & 3 — Saskatchewan to Lethbridge BOOK 2 — Highway 3 — Lethbridge to Cranbrook, B.C. Available from the publisher @ $9.95 each, plus $2.00 to cover shipping and handling for each order. Historic Trails Society of Alberta c/o Historical Research Centre 1710 - 31 St. N. LETHBRIDGE, AB T1H 5H1 We also accept VISA. Call us at: (403) 328-9011 WATCH FOR THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES: BOOK 3 — Highway 2 — Carway (U.S. border) to Calgary — available in the spring of 1988. The following are some of the communities included in this book: Cardston, Stand Off, Fort Macleod, Granum, Claresholm, Stavely, Nanton, High River, Okotoks and Calgary. Waterton Park and communi­ ties along Highway 22 will also be included. /r Knowledgable sales consultants, skilled craftsmen operating modern equipment, combined with graPHCom professional, friendly service have made us Southern Alberta's largest commercial printer; PRINTERS LTD incorporating • Creative artwork and design services • Computerized photo-typesetting Equipped to interface with customers' PC diskettes or by telephone modem • Full range of press capabilities • Complete bindery and mailing service For the finest production of: 329-3388 • Full colour annuals, reports and brochures • Newsletters, magazines and catalogues 1009 - 2nd Avenue South, P.O. Box 516 • Labels — roll, sheet and pressure sensitive Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 3Z4 • Business stationery and forms Fax (403) 329-8293 • History books ITS NOT RYE HONEST ! Bellevue It looks, smells and even tastes like Canadian rye whisky but it isn't. BELLEVUE Anew How did Bellevue get its name? technological process allows us to Bellevue was named by Elsie Fleutot, who exclaimed, "Quelle un belle vue!" (French for "What a beautiful view!") when she stood at the site of the new town. She was the produce a revolutionary daughter of J. J. Fleutot, an early prospector who was part of the area's mining heritage. new product which Bellevue and the long-vanished town of Lille were both started with French capital. At tastes like aged whisky one time the French franc was so common in the area that it became an accepted form of currency. The mining camp became known as Bellevue, and the town which grew up without the cost of around the mine took the same name. aging ... and the savings are passed on to the What was the worst mine disaster in Bellevue's past? customer. It was a mine disaster on December 9,1910, in which thirty men perished. It is said great discontent arose from the manner in which the Trust and Guarantee Company settled the miners' claims. Who were "The Three Mad Cossacks?" A train robbery between Lethbridge and Cranbrook led to a bloody shoot-out in the quiet town of Bellevue during prohibition days. On August 2nd, 1920, Tom Basoff, George Arkoff, and Ausby Holoff robbed passengers of several watches and about $400. They escaped and headed in the direction of Coleman, but soon split up after a dispute John over the best way to evade detection. Holoff headed for the United States, while the other two continued east. Four hundred dollars was a lot of money in those days, but Palliser nothing compared to the money it is said they missed; ten thousand dollars which Emilio Picariello had stuffed under the cushion of his seat on the train. Premium Basoff and Arkoff, the two who remained on this side of the border, seemed in no hurry Liquor to escape. They made their leisurely rounds of the towns in the Pass and visited a house of ill-repute in Blairmore. In Bellevue, they had a few drinks at a club and attended a dance. On the morning of August 7th, they strolled down the street and stopped to read a wanted poster for their arrest. On the fifth day after the robbery, the men stopped at the Bellevue Cafe for coffee. (Today it is known as the Bellevue Restaurant on the corner of 213 St. & 24 Ave.) Although they took a curtained booth near the front door, Basoff was recognized because he had a glass eye. The law was quietly notified, and officers who were scouring the countryside, converged on the little cafe. Three mem­ bers of the Alberta Provincial Police and the R.C.M.P. were at the cafe in minutes and A pioneer in our entered by front and back doors in an attempt to surround the wanted men. One of the industry, named by us officers nervously pushed the curtains aside and told the men to put their hands up. for a pioneer in the Basoff moved to put his coffee down. The officer panicked, thinking the thief was history of the reaching for his gun, which he may well have been. He fired at Basoff, missing. The wanted men both went for their guns and the shoot-out was on. Gunfire was heard by Canadian West. on-lookers outside, and later nine bullet holes were counted within the booth. It was never known what actually happened inside, but suddenly the cafe door flew open and Manufactured by men stumbled out of the restaurant. Arkoff and Constable Usher were fatally wounded. Palliser Distillers The constable collapsed in the doorway and Arkoff about 80 meters from the cafe. Lethbridge, Alberta Constable Bailey tripped over the fallen officer in the doorway and fell into the street. Before he could get up, Tom Basoff, with a revolver in each hand, fired six shots at CtOfo0t«0t $300 him. Witnesses later said Basoff looked like a crazed animal. Trailing blood from a Main §>tvttt Wvwtt bullet wound in his leg, he limped off, heading in the direction of Frank Slide. Ifie community is working with the provincial government and local merchants to restore their downtown to reflect the rick historical The search for the robber and murderer was on. After five days, tension was high. importance of this period coal mining town'. Another death resulted when a constable shot another officer, mistaking him for Basoff. Bloodhounds were brought in from Washington, but rain washed out the man's trail. Basoff later said that many times the searchers came so close to his hide-out in the rocks of the slide that he could have reached out and touched them. Hunger drove him to ask for a meal at the Holloway Ranch. As soon as he had eaten and left, Mrs. Holloway phoned the police. Two days later, worn down by hunger and the wound in his leg, Building From The Past For The Future Basoff was finally apprehended without a struggle near the rail yards at Pincher Creek. MAIN STREET BELLEVUE, ALBERTA Basoff s lawyer tried to get the murder charge reduced to manslaughter, as the officers Ph. (403) 562-8588 had fired first. Bailey's exhumed body showed that only one fatal bullet actually hit the officer, although six shots had been fired at the fallen man in front of witnesses. But the WOOD TRAVEL toll of five lives seemed to demand some payment, and Basoff was executed on Decem­ ber 22nd, 1920. TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS * Our prices are the What about the one that got away? same as the airlines Same-day ticket service It was not until 1924 that Holoff, the third man involved in the train robbery, was found near Butte, Montana.