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Louisbourg |
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Fort Rodd |
Halifax Citadel |
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Fort MacLeod
Fort Steele |
Fort Henry |
Fort Anne
Fort Steele got it's
start in 1864 when a small gold rush brought a number of
prospectors and accompanying people into the area on the
western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The original name
of the town, Galbraith's Ferry got it's name form John
Galbraith the towns founder. The lakes in the area ran
for hundreds of miles along the large trenches between
the huge mountain ranges. Galbraith was able to set up a
ferry service for people to cross the lake and he made
good money at the business.
By 1888 Sam Steele of
the North West Mounted Police was assigned to the area
and when a dispute between a settler and a local native
erupted, and threatened a flare up in relations between
the white people of the town and the local native bands,
he was able to diffuse the situation. Most of the
townspeople were so grateful that they renamed the town
after Steele.
In the 1890's the
future of the town depended upon the coming construction
of the railway through the town but because of political
interference the railway line was built a short instance
form the town where James Baker had brought all of the
land and established the town of Cranbrook. He then
began to sell land to all of the residents of Fort
Steele and made a small fortune. The people moved away
from Fort Steele and essentially became a ghost town
until 1967 when it was designated as a provincial
heritage site and the preservation and restoration of
the town began. Fort Steele Heritage Town was opened in
1969 and its has experienced millions of visitors since
that time.
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