NEWSLETTER Lethbridge Historical Society The Southern Alberta Chapter of the Historical Society of Alberta P.O.BOX 974 Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada TIJ 4A2 ®Copvtiahl1999_ INumba-l NbWt^Lfc 11 bti ISSN 0836-724^ Membership in the Historical Society of Alberta is $25.00 per year single or $30.00 a couple or family. It includes a subscription to the quarterly ALBERTA HISTORY, and members residing from Nanton south are also registered with the Lethbridge Historical Society and receive newsletters and notices. (Your mailing label expiration date will be highlighted when it is time to renew) Please send dues to the treasurer. LETHBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS Presktent Carlton R. (Barbara) Stewart Vtoe& Past President Wm. (Bill) (Juanita) Ungard Seaetary/Newsletter Editor Irma (Jake) Dogterom Treasurer David J. (Gerry) Dowey Council Member (1999 Richard Shockley (Leslie) Council Member (1999 Helen Kovacs Council Member (2000 Ernie (Goldie) Snowden Council Member (20CX» R. W. (Dick) (Theresa) Papworth Council Member (2001 AudreySwedish Council Member (20011 Robert (Emerice) Shore Book Distribution & Sales Ralph Erdman ^ Regular meetings are held in the Theatre Gallery of the Lethbridge Public Library at 7:15 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Notices From the executive meeting minutes: The annual meeting was held November 24 in the Suggested guidehnes for memorials for deceased Theatre Gallery of the Lethbridge Public Library. The members have been compiled as follows: new officers are noted above. 1. Such donations to be determined by the executive with The following notice of motion was made at the approval from the membership. meeting: "/ move the following Notice Of Motion to all members at large of the Lethbridge Historical Society. 2. The Society (Executive) wiU decide what projects in the This motion presented November 24th 1998 at the community it wishes to support. If one of these projects is "Annual General meeting" of the Lethbridge Historical approfaiate the Executive will recommend that support be made Society and will be subsequently voted on at the January as a memorial remembrance to the deceased member rather than 1999 meeting of the Society. 'That the Lethbridge state that a sum of money be donated in honor of a member and Historical Socioety spend not more than $5000.00 for then look for a project to donate it to. the purpose of publishing a book tentatively entitled: A proposal for reducing some of the inventory of slow Tales of a Mounted Police Oficer: Superintendent moving titles was discussed and passed. Some of these Deane of Lethbridge Division, 1888-1902 written by Dr. titles along with titles donated by the HSA will be William (Bill) Baker." Moved by Cariton R. Stewart. packaged and donated to schools in southem Alberta. A proposal re the Lethbridge Foundation will be brought The next regular meeting of the LHS will be held on before the members at a later date. Wednesday, January 27*, with Professor Malcolm The time slot for funds for the Somerville Film Coll. Greenshields of the University of Lethbridge as the donated in memory of four deceased members, has speaker for the eveidng. Please note the change of day. been extended to April 30 (or after the next Lethbridge Lottery allocation). Social Evening & Banquet! Mark your calendar for Monday, Feb. 22nd! It will be a social The HSA is looking for someone willing to serve on the evening at the Royal Canadian Legion. Donny White Millenium Com. or the Centennial Committee. Contact of the Medicine Hat museum will speak on "The Search Carly Stewart if you are interested. For Geraldine Moody". Geraldine Moody was an early A suggestion has been made re compiling a walking tour photographer in the Canadian west. This promises to or bus tour of historic buildings in Lethbridge. Input be an excellent program. from members would be welcome. The location of the March meeting may have to be -^°y decision on a plaque or marker project has been changed. Watch for information in the next newsletter. deferred to the next meeting Paul Bunyan in Southern Alberta by D. Tracy produced by W. N. Auden and the English Composer Anderson Benjamin Britten, ^ Prologue Elsewhere, Scandinavian, American Indiaii, the Hungarian steel worker Joe Mogerac and the pioneer The Paul Bunyan Story Nebraska wheat farmer Febold Feboldson became Paul Bunyan was a subject of folklore and eventually folklore heroes. he became a national legend^. There are two conflicting Civic festivals were held to attract tourists to suggestions concerning his origin. The most popular "Bunyan Land." Statues of Paul Bunyan stand on the indicates he sprang from the character of a real person. Lakefront in Bermidje, Minnesota, in Bangor Maine, and There was a French Canadian named Paul Bunyon, who in the giant redwoods of northem CaUfomia. was a lumber camp boss during the 19th century. He was bom in 1837 at the time of the Papineau rebellion in There is no record of when and how he passed away. what is now Quebec. The real Paul Bunyon was a hard worker, but a likable crew boss. His crew spun many Agriculture's Problem stories that exaggerated his unusual strength and As early as 1885 the fledgling Agricultural courage. These stories moved across the Great Lakes and Experimental Farm Service, in reports from Indian Head, by 1860 the legend about Paul Bunyan had filtered recognized the existence of damaging soil erosion by across the Great Lakes, into the Pacific North West and wind on farm fields. It was realized that the machines among the American Indians. Other evidence assigns brought into the prairies were mainly adapted to the origin to Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. mouldboard plow culture. In the early 1900's farmers in Manitoba experimented with new types of machines The legendary Paul Bunyan was reported to have left adapted to cultivation of soils for improved weed control one month after birth with his cradle over his shoulder. on land plowed initially with the mouldboard plow. Two He started his exploits in the forests, where he discovered his blue ox. Babe, as a calf. Babe broke down the forests of these are shown in Figure 1. in a wide-swath on her way over the mountain. Babe's A blade weeder was patented by R. D. Smith of blue eyes were reported to be from 24 ox-handles and a Franklin, Manitoba in 1909. The Guarantee Iron Works, plug, to 42 ox-handles apart. When Babe died Paul Winnipeg, advertised its "Murks Eradicator" for Bunyan excavated Puget Sound as a burial site for his controlling the persistent Canada thistle (the January companion. Paul Bunyan excavated the St. Lawrence 1914 Nor'West Farmer)*". It is recognized that these River and the Great Lakes to store drinking water to developments were the result of a critical weed control satisfy Babe's tremendous thirst for water. He is credited problem. Another example is the publication in 1926 in with excavating the Grand Canyon. Montana of a farmers' pamphlet, "Summer Tillage Implements"***. Items described included a duckfoot During his career as a lumber jack Paul would cultivator using worn disc blades, an improved harvest an entire forest, and with Babe's help, he would "Gooseneck Slicker" describing the best of the straight haul the logs into his camp. One of his best known feats blade weeders. The horse-drawn slicker was used for of strength and ingenuity involved the account of the secondary tillage, but the driver had to dismount Whistling River. The following account is quoted from frequently from the tailboard to "dump" the collection Merit Students Encyclopedia, p. 438, Vol. 14. of weeds on the blade. "Paul had been using a certain river to float logs, but it persisted in rearing up on its hind legs, whistling Serious erosion occurred in southem Alberta in the and squirting water in his face. After thinking for 4 1920's. At that time protective measures were developed days and 23 hours, Paul invented a method for taming and adopted. The adoption of strip farming was initiated the river. He went to the North Pole, trapped a few in southera Alberta. The practice spread quickly and blizzards, brought them back in a sack, and unleashed was adopted early in its history by Montana farmers who them on the river. When the river had frozen, Babe was spread the concept into Saskatchewan. The value of harnessed to it. Paul and Babe together jerked the crop residue as a protective soil cover was first river loose from end to end and straightened out its recognized by A. E. Palmer<^>. He carried the concept to kinks." the Experimental Farm in 1921 and initiated research on trash cover farming. The "Dirty Thirties" proved the The transfer of Paul Bunyan from an object of need for trash cover farming and the need for improved folklore to a national legend began when James cultivators was recognized, if the battle against the MacGillivary published, "The Round River Drive," in desert*^* was to be won. Farmers made efforts to adapt the Detroit News and Tribune July 24, 1910. W. B. equipment, but the need for several tillage operations to Langhead began in Minnesota a long series (1914-1944) control weeds reduced trash cover below that level of pamphlets extoUing Paul Bunyan and the products of required for soil protection. the Red River Lumber Coy. Ltd. He also published story books for children. (They were noted in Canadian Farmers adapted mouldboard plows by removing books). In 1924 Esther Shepherd pubhshed his book, a mouldboards from their plow and used the plow share as collection of exploits "Paul Bunyan." James Stevens an undercutting blade. Named the "Scooter Plow" '^-^^' published collections of Paul Bunyan Tales (1925).