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Fort Whoop-Up
"One of the principal posts of the traders in that region was Fort HamUton, commonly known as Whoop-Up, situated at the forks of the BeUy and St. Mary Rivers. There were two waUs, about a dozen feet apart, built of heavy squared logs, braced across by heavy log partitions about the same distance from one another, dividing it into rooms, which were used as dwelUngs, blacksmith shops, stores, etc., the doors and windows opening into the square. There were bastions at the corners, and the walls were loop-holed for musketry. Iron bars were placed across the chimneys to prevent the Indians from getting in that way. There were heavy log roofs across the partitions, and a strong gate of oak, with a small operung to trade through. AU other posts merely had paUsades, but they were strong enough for the purpose. The trader stood at the wicket, a tubful of whiskey beside him, and when an Indian pushed in a buffalo robe to him through the hole in the waU he handed out a tin cupful of the poisonous decoction. A quart of the stuff bought a fine pony. When spring came, wagonloads of the proceeds of the traffic were escorted back to Fort Benton, Montana, some 200 odd miles south of the border line."
-Col. S. B. Steele in "Forty Years in Canada."
"I skipped the Missoula country and went across the Line to Whoop-Up, supposed to be then a resort of the most desperate characters escaped from the United States. I saw some dead bodies there but the place was not so bad as represented. I was there partly in charge of the principal fort, when Col. Macleod and his Mounted PoUce arrived from Fort Garry to subdue the outlaws and drive out ilUcit traders. He came with siege guns to reduce our fort, which had been reported in Canada to be bristUng with cannon and needle guns, and he came and found open gates, a cripple [Schafft had both legs amputated below the knees as a result of severe frostbite] as second in command, and six or seven peaceful- looking citizens. Our only Armament were two old steamboat cannons, and any amount of trade rifles, and our whiskey was cached at the bottom of the BeUy River."
-Sketch of a Life: Charles Schafft. Montana Magazine of History, January 1976.
Bull Teams
BuU teams were used in the 1870s and early 1880s to transport goods and suppUes from Fort Benton, Montana, into southern Alberta. Travel was possible only for about eight months of the year, when pasture was avaUable. The 'TauUs" (reaUy oxen) were broken in as four-year-old steers, used for about four years, then sold for beef. In making up a team, the leaders were usuaUy well-broken cattle. It was difficult to yoke up an unbroken team, hence, trains traveUed in brigades so as to have plenty of help available if trouble occurred.
Teams, which consisted of six to eight span of oxen, were hitched to three wagons — lead, swing and traU — plus a cart to carry a cooking outfit, blankets, and a tent. The lead wagon carried 60 percent of the load, the swing wagon about 25 percent, and the trail wagon about 15 percent. About fifteen tons of freight were carried. Two men were detaUed to each team. Brigades of six to eight teams also had a wagon boss, who rode alongside and directed aU operations.
At river crossings, teams were taken to the far side, then wagons were hauled across one by one by means of a long chain. On very steep hiUs, two or more teams were coupled up. And on marshy or muddy ground, the wagons were separated and the team was used to haul each wagon across in its turn.
Wagons were strongly buUt, on a gauge of five feet. They were covered with heavy canvas, with bows on the wagon box, so that goods were kept perfectly dry, no matter what the weather.
The last buU train to pass through Lethbridge from Benton was in the spring of 1885, the outfit being in charge of F. Burel, wagon boss for I. G. Baker and Company, which _ owned the train. These teams were used for freighting in the Fort Macleod district until about 1889.
Benton on the Missouri River and then by steam boat to eastern factories. When U.S. industry expanded due to Civil War production, bison hides became popular for machine belting and the demand for them was insatiable. Healy and HamUton built a cheap, crude post called Fort Hamilton at the confluence of the
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Object Description
| Title | Lethbridge : A Centennial History |
| Local Subject(s) |
Lethbridge (Alta.) -- History Lethbridge Historical Society -- Monographs |
| Description | A publication authored by Alex Johnston and Andy A. den Otter on the centennial history of Lethbridge, Alberta. |
| Creator | Johnston, Alex ; den Otter, Andy A. |
| Publisher | City of Lethbridge and The Whoop-up Country Chapter, Historical Society of Alberta |
| Date.Original | 1985-05-23 |
| Type | text |
| Source | Lethbridge Historical Society |
| Language | eng |
| Relation | University of Lethbridge Library Digital Collections |
| Rights | Copyright - Lethbridge Historical Society |
| Resource Type | monograph |
| Date.Digital | 2009-06-01 |
| Date.Last.Modified | 2009-06-01 |