Lethbridge Branch
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HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF ALBERTA LETHBRIDGE BRANCH Number 1 NEWSLSTTBR February, 196? Alex Johnston, President Andrew Staysko, Vlce-Pres. Mrs. Lucille Dalke, Treasurer Dues, including subscription to the Alberta Historical Review, S3»00 per year. Send to: HISTORICAL SOCIETY, BOX 97^, LFTHBRIDGE. The Lethbridge and District Historical Society seeks new members, members who are interested in the history of southern Alberta and who wish to preserve It. The Society has as Its main projects the development of the Sir Alexander Gait Museum, the writing of local history, the preservation of historic sites and landmarks, and the promotion of an interest in Alberta's history. Two books have been published: "The Battle at Belly River" and "Boats and Barges on the Belly", The Society sponsors summer field tours to hls'torlc places of interest and winter monthly meetings at which papers are presented. On February 25, 196?, the annual meeting of the Historical Society of Alberta will be held in Lethbridge, Both the afternoon business session and the evening banquet will be held in the Alberta Room, El Rancho Motor Hotel, The afternoon business session will start at 2:00 p. m., the evening banquet at 7:00 p. m. Tickets to the latter are $2.50 per plate. All members and any Interested guests are welcome to attend the afternoon and evening activities, WATERTON LAKES We associate Waterton Lakes with that gentleman-adventurer, John George "Kootenai" Brown, whose story has been told by Canon S, Mlddleton and others. But Kootenai Brown was not the first to see and appreciate Lethbridge*s favorite summer resort. Waterton was known to the Indians as A-kwote-katl-nam and this name appeared on the maps of the first International Boundary Commission of 1857-61. (The lake was shown as "Waterton Lake" on the maps of the International Boundary Commission of 1872-74.) Waterton was traversed annually for many generations by the Kootenai Indians who crossed the Continental Divide by the South Kootenay Pass to hunt buffalo on the eastern side of the mountains. The first reference to the name "Waterton" appeared in a "Report on the exploration of the Kootanle and Boundary Passes of the Rocky Mountains In 1858" by Lieutenant Thomas Blakiston of the Palliser Expedition. The report was written at Fort Carlton, In It Blakiston described his crossing of the South Kootenay Pass and said, "After two hours travelling on level ground along Red-stone Creek we emerged on the Saskatchewan Plains, Just six ... miles north of the 49th parallel, and camped at Waterton Lakes, two miles east of the mouth of the pass." (Blakiston named the Galton Range, Castle Mountain, Gould's Dome, and Livingston's Range, as well as Waterton Lakes, on this trip.) George M. Dawson, an early geologist, said In a 1884 report: "Waterton Lake (also Chief Mountain Lake, sometimes erroneously called Kootenai Lake), The name Waterton has appeared on maps for 25 years but of late some confusion has arisen because recent settlers called it the Kootenai; the latter name has even appeared on some maps. There is nothing to be said in favor of this change and the name already in use should be retained," Who was the Waterton after whom the lakes, river, town, and park were named? Squire Charles Waterton (1782-1865), of Walton-hall, In the County of York, was a well-known eccentric and naturalist of 19th century England, We don't know if he was acquainted with Lieut. Blakiston but the latter, because of the small scientific community of the day, must have seen and known of Waterton, Waterton was best-known as a naturalist and made several trips to South America in search of rare birds and animals; these he later mounted for display. In 1839 he published a book, "Wanderings In South America, the North-West of the United States, and the Antilles, In the years 1812, 1816, 1820, & 1824, with original instructions for the perfect preservation of birds &c, for cabinets of natural history," The book described Journeys to Dutch and Portuguese Guiana, Brazil and the United States, On the latter trip he travelled to Niagara Palls and went on to Montreal and Quebec before returning to New York and England, This was the only time he visited Canada and, of course, he never saw the lovely lakes and river that were to bear his name, Waterton had a few strange characteristics. He customarily travelled about the forests of South America in his bare feet and described, in his book, of how each night he removed insects, slivers, stones, and bits of flesh from his feet with a pocket knife. He never seemed to carry firearms and fearlessly tackled snakes and other animals with his bare hands. He was Insatiably curious and would stop at nothing to obtain useful information, A few comments from his book show these characteristics, "I had often wished to have been once sucked by the vampire, in order to have it in my power to say it had really happened to me .,. Many a night have I slept with my foot out of the hammock to tempt this winged surgeon; but it was all in vain; the vampire never sucked me, and I could never account for his not having done so, for we were Inhabitants in the same loft for months." "I once caught a fine labarrl poisonous snake , and made It bite Itself, I forced the poisonous fang Into Its belly. In a few minutes I thought It was going to die, for It appeared dull and heavy. However, In half an hour's time he was as brisk and vigorous as ever, and in the course of a day showed no symptoms of being affected," "I ,,. Jumped on his alligator, or cayman's back, turning half around as I vaulted, so that I gained my seat with my face in a right position, I immediately seized his forelegs, and, by main force, twisted them on his back; thus they served me as a bridle ,,, He began to plunge furiously and lashed the sand with his long and powerful tail. I was out of the reach of the strokes of it, being near his head. He continued to plunge and strike, and made my seat very uncomfortable ... It was the first and last time I was ever on a cayman's back. Should it be asked, how I managed to keep my seat, I would answer—I hunted some years with Lord Darlington's hounds." On a trip to Buffalo, N, Y,, Waterton stepped out of the stage and sprained his ankle on the rough road. He had sprained an ankle some years previously and his doctor at that time told him to hold it under a pump two or three times a day. Charles Waterton (I782-I865), from a painting by C. W. Peale 1824, courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London. Thus when he saw Niagara Falls a day or two later, his first thought was to hold his sprained foot under the fall, "I descended the winding staircase .,. and hobbled to the scene of action. As I held my leg under the fall, I tried to meditate on the immense difference there was betwixt a house pump and this tremendous cascade of nature, and what effect it might have upon the sprain; but the magnitude of the subject was too overwhelming, and I was oblidged to drop it," After his third voyage to South America, Waterton*s cargo of specimens was held up by Customs, His relations with Customs officers had been excellent but on this occasion, "... another officer entered the cabin. He was an entire stranger to me, and seemed wonderfully aware of his own consequence ... He abruptly declared himself dissatisfied with the valuation which the gentlemen of the Customs had put upon the collection, and sald''he must detain It." It was some weeks before the collection was released and then only after pajrment of additional duty. Waterton was much annoyed at the Incident and had a unique revenge. He was a skilled taxidermist and had a specimen on hand of a howler monkey from South America. He mounted one of these, dressed it in fashionable clothes, and gave its face a resemblence to the Customs officer who had displeased hlm_. And then he displayed it in a London club as an example to other over-zealous officers. At home, Waterton liked to crouch In his hallway and, when guests entered, to snarl like a dog and to sink his teeth Into their ankles* He was an ardent Roman Catholic and spent much time in the extermination of black riats, arguing that they had been smuggled Into England by Hanoverian Protestants. Once he established a sanctuary for magpies, crows, and buzzards, as he thought that these birds had been discriminated against. Ee seldom wore shoes, unlesis indoors, and contended quite seriously that no one could climb trees properly unless bare-footed. He never persuaded his friends to stop wearing shoes, however, even though he used to demonstrate the ease with which he could scratch the back of his head with his naked big toe. Nor did his friends adopt his habit of sleeping on the floor with his head resting on a wooden block. But he was a great favorite with all who knew him. "He would come out to welcome me," wrote one of his friends, "In Clippers and prove his pleasure by actually dancing dpwn the whole length, of the broad flagged walk, occasionally throwing one.of his loose slippers from his foot high In the air and expertly catching it in his hand on its descent.