LETHBRIDGE a CENTENNIAL HISTORY Alex Johnston/Andy den Otter Cover Illustration This mural was created by Donald Alwin (Don) Frache, prominent Canadian artist, in 1959. It was commissioned by Sven Ericksen, restaurateur, and was hung in the dining room of the Marquis Hotel, Lethbridge, where it is stiU located. The 6 x 14 foot mural depicts southern Alberta's prosperity through glimpses of agriculture, coal mining, oU and gas, and other industries. Model for the irrigator was John Deak, then general manager of Frache Bros., Ltd., florists; the automobUe shown near the post office was lawyer Alan J. CuUen's 1952 Plymouth. Painting of the mural, because of its size, was done in a large room in the YMCA, then located at the comer of 4th Avenue and 10th Street South. Color photograph by Edward A. (Ed) Keeling, A. E. Cross Studio; permission to use the mural courtesy of Don Frache, artist, and BelCor Hotels Ltd., owner of the Marquis Hotel. LETHBRIDGE fi CENTENNIfiL HISTORY William Lethbridge, after whom the City of Lethbridge was named, was an original shareholder of the North Westem Coal and Navigation Company, Limited, which in 1882 began to exploit the coal resources ofsouthern Alberta. He was bom at Kilworthy, near Tavistock, Devon, England on 10 February 1825. He was educated at Tavistock Grammar School and St. John's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1850), and was called to the bar from Lincoln's Inn, London, in 1861. He was managing partner with the news agency and book­ selling firm of W. H. Smith and Son. In 1885, he retired to his country estates at Wood in the parish of Southtawton, and at Courtlands, in the parish ofLympstone, Devon. He was a Justice ofthe Peace for Devon and High Sheriff in 1893. He never married He left an estate of nearly 4(X),000 pounds sterling at his death on 31 March 1901. Wm. Lethbridge never saw the prairie city that bears his name. LETHBRIDGE e CENTENNIfiL HISTORY ALEX JOHNSTON and ANDY A. den OTTER Advisory Editor Hugh A. Dempsey Published by The City of Lethbridge and The Whoop-Up Country Chapter, Historical Society of Alberta Lethbridge 1985 Copyright © 1985 by the City of Lethbridge. Crown copyright reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the pubUshers. ISBN 0-919224-42-3 cloth Cartography: Barry R. Peat Design: Carlton R. Stewart Printed and bound in Canada By Ronalds Printing, Lethbridge Division Canadian Cataloguing in PubUcation Data Johnston, Alex Lethbridge Includes Index. I. Lethbridge (Alta.) — History. I. Otter, A. A. den (Andy Albert), 1941- II. Lethbridge (Alta.) III. Lethbridge Historical Society IV. Title FC3699.L48J64 1985 971.23'4 C84-090194-1 F1079.5.L5J64 1985 Contents Maps 5 Acknowledgements 6 Message from the Mayor 7 Chapter 1: Origins of Wealth 9 Chapter 2: The Prairie People 21 Chapter 3: Coal Mines and Railways 37 Chapter 4: The Rainmakers 61 Chapter 5: Boundless Optimism 81 Chapter 6: Portents of a City 99 Chapter 7: Depression Mentality 121 Chapter 8: The Second World War 139 Chapter 9: Age of the Consumer 157 Maps Chapter 10: A Planned Society 175 Post-glacial lakes 10 Chapter 11: Garden on the Prairies 191 Irrigation districts 12 Chapter 12: Modern Lethbridge 207 Soil zones of western Canada 18 Appendix: 1885 Lethbridge Directory 227 Whoop-Up country in the 1870s 28 Population 230 Whoop-Up flats about 1872 32 Lethbridge in 1885 46 Population by Districts 231 Lethbridge in 1891 56 Mayors of Lethbridge 232 Restricted and Segregated areas 57 Members of the Legislature 233 Gait land holdings 67 Lethbridge in 1915 96 Members of Parliament 234 PoW Internment Camp No. 133 143 Bibliography 235 Lethbridge in 1980 212 Index 238 Annexations 1913-1984 220 Acknowledgements Those who undertake to compUe the history of a city soon find themselves in debt to many individuals and institutions. We are indebted to the City of Lethbridge because the primary sources used herein were Council Minutes and other civic documents of the period 1891-1984. John Gerla, City Clerk, and M. Jean Potts, Assistant City Clerk, provided access to the Minutes, as well as to consultants' reports and other studies of the last 70 years. Support was received from Mayor A. C. Anderson and City Council, which, on 17 January 1983, passed the foUowing resolution: "That letter from Judge Ronald A. Jacobson, Chairman 100th Anniversary Committee, submitting a proposal from the Lethbridge Historical Society to prepare an illustrated history of the City of Lethbridge as a centennial project ... be filed and further that the funding be included in the 1983, 1984, and 1985 operating budgets." Others who contributed included Betty Balfour, James H. Carpenter, Drs. Robert and Jo-Anne Corbett, W. J. Elliott, L. Gregory Ellis, Ralph L. Erdman, Sharon E. Grismer, Helen Henderson, George Higa, Dennis Ito, Edward A. Keeling, John Kolpak, Patricia A. Marshall, FeUx W. Michna, Cecil Murakami, David Obee, Linda Sears, Kenneth G. Smclair, and Gwen L. Wilson. Lethbridge oldtimers who shared memories with us over the years included Chris Gibson, George B. McKillop, Dr. Asael E. Palmer, Mrs. Annie Peat, Mrs. G. H. Starnes, Andrew J. Staysko, Dr. J. S. Stewart, George Watson, and many more. Institutions that provided study materials and much other help included the Lethbridge PubUc Library, the Sir Alexander Gait Museum/Archives, the Lethbridge Herald, the Lethbridge Research Station, and the Glenbow-Alberta Institute. Foreword A Centennial Message From The Mayor: We've come a long way! From our commercial beginnings as Citizens of Lethbridge over the past 100 years deserve credit a whiskey-trading post, we have developed into a modern, for the success of our community. Our citizens have contributed progressive city — the envy of many of our sister cities. not only to their city, but to their province, their country, and the Native people Uved here for over 10,000 years before the arrival world in the areas of the arts, sciences, and humanities. And of fur and whiskey traders and, subsequently, of the North-West although we have grown, we have retained much of our former Mounted PoUce. Far-sighted men such as Nicholas Sheran and Sir small town flavour. People here are friendly. We care about our Alexander and EUiott Gait were our first developers. Coal, raUways, neighbours. We warmly welcome visitors. agriculture, and irrigation aU played a role in the development of I would Uke to extend my thanks to the Whoop-Up Country our city. Our history is rich with the stories of people who settled Chapter of the Historical Society of Alberta, to Dr. Andy den Otter, here. I am confident you wiU enjoy reading about our past in the and to Dr. Alex Johnston because, without the efforts of this pages of this book. organization and these people, this book would not have been We are the third largest city in Alberta. We are proud of what written. we have accompUshed. Our city is a showcase of educational My personal thanks go to Alex Johnston for his unselfish faciUties, retail facilities, industries, culture and recreational service in recording the history of our city. He makes this material faciUties, and parks and open spaces. We are fortunate that the come aUve. Through his writing, he encourages us to become aware University of Lethbridge and the Lethbridge Community College of our past. I have often turned to him for material because 1 know were estabUshed here. The appearance of our city is changing that it will be meticulously researched. He has devoted uncounted constantly; many new developments are underway or in the hours to the production of this book. Thank you, Alex! And, planning stages. Because of the relocation of the CP Rail marshalling yards, about 95 acres in the heart of our city are HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LETHBRIDGE! available for new development. And in conjunction with railway relocation, a major new roadway system is being built and will provide improved transportation through and around Lethbridge. The motto on the city crest reads, "Ad Occasionis Januam, " or "Gateway to Opportunity." 1 beUeve it to be true. Our future looks bright. I am confident that the years ahead will see us continue Mayor, City of Lethbridge to grow and prosper. January 5, 1985 Exposures of Labuma till, called by the Blackfoot "Aksaysim" or "Steep Banks," in June 1883. The area is now known as Indian Battle Park Chapter One Origins of Wealth The origin and vitaUty of the City of Lethbridge are deeply a large body of water. When the new mountains blocked the warm, rooted in its natural environment. The vast coal beds of southern moisture-laden Pacific winds, Arctic air masses gained the upper Alberta attracted the entrepreneur and the miner, while the great hand and the cUmate became cool, dry and subject to seasonal expanse of fertile land lured the rancher and the farmer. When fluctuations. New plants appeared in response to these profound rainfall proved to be too scarce and too irregular for intensive climatic changes. They included species which produced seeds and agriculture, local rivers provided vital water suppUes for irrigation. thus suspended life during the cold season, trees which shed their Coal, soil and water: these three resources gave Lethbridge its life leaves and thus endured the harsh winter months, and a few and strength. rudimentary grasses, which ceased to grow during the coldest and The creation of this natural wealth required an aeons-long driest parts of the year.