If not for the crafty shenanigans of Colonel James Baker, the community of Fort Steele could be, to this day, the largest city in the East Kootenay.

Alas, the wily Englishmen Baker, the first elected official in the Kootenays, capturing his East Kootenay seat with only 11 voters chiming in, was either able to convince or knew in advance that the BC Southern Railway (BCSR), coming from Crowsnest Pass, would stop at his ‘Cranbrook,’ the former Joseph’s Prairie.

It was a move that cemented Cranbrook’s place as the regional hub and started a rapid disintegration of Fort Steele, formerly known as Galbraith’s Ferry.

Fort Steele became so-known in 1888, soon after Northwest Mounted Police Superintendant Samuel Steele and ‘D’ Division departed Galbraith’s Ferry after successfully tamping down a looming uprising by the mightily irked Ktunana Nation, led by Chief Isadore.

Somewhat ironically, it was Col. Baker who incited the much-respected and occasionally brutal Chief Isadore, who legendarily whipped tribal members on behalf of the Catholic Church.

It all began with fences in Joseph’s Prairie, a move that incensed Isadore and the Ktunaxa people. With the Riel Rebellion fresh in minds, a possible uprising in the Rocky Mountains didn’t sit well with Ottawa and Steele and his 84 troops were dispatched in 1887 after Isadore and 25 warriors freed two Ktunaxa men, Kapula and Little Isadore (no relation to the chief) from the jail at Wild Horse Creek. The two men were arrested by Const. Harry Anderson, the lone law enforcement officer in the wild and wooly region, for allegedly murdering two prospectors, known only as Hylton and Kemp, just north of present day Edgewater, at a spot now known as Deadman Creek.

Isadore commanded Anderson gone from the region, which caught the attention of the B.C. provincial government and a commission was appointed to work with Isadore and the Ktunaxa.

Meanwhile, the flashy red serge of the Mounties appeared along the banks of the Kootenay River. And soon after, Steele released Kapula and Little Isadore after holding a trial. Helping settle the First Nations people down further was a deal that saw recognition given to Baker’s ownership of Joseph’s Prairie, which he re-named Cranbrook in honour of his hometown in England. In exchange, Chief Isadore was granted a larger piece of land, considered more valuable, along the Kootenay River, which now makes up a large portion of the St. Mary’s Reserve.

With fears of an uprising settled, Fort Steele entered its most prosperous period from 1888 to 1898.

From the cacophonous grit and grim of the Wild Horse Creek/Fisherville gold rush, which flowed downhill to Galbraith’s Ferry (replaced by a bridge in 1888) from 1864 to 1870), Fort Steele finally began to emerge as a prosperous ‘city,’ with a population of about 4,000 in 1897/98.

However, the wind was shoved from the sails of this would-be metropolis in 1897 when the BCSR announced it was going to bypass Fort Steele for the bench prairie at Cranbrook, which now makes sense as a better location for a rail yard.

That bad news worked on Fort Steele like a cancer and by 1900, its population began to rapidly decline. In two short years, by 1902, Fort Steele’s population had plummeted to 150. Meanwhile, Col. Baker’s ranch property had swelled to 2,000 residents.

Large mining operations in Kimberley (North Star and Sullivan) and Moyie (St. Eugene), also served to lure people from Fort Steele.

Even the arrival of the Kootenay Central Railway to Fort Steele in 1912, linking the CPR’s main line at Golden with its mining camp feeding/extracting line running from Crowsnest Pass to Moyie, could save Fort Steele and it began a long, slow decline.

In 1961, the Province of British Columbia announced that Fort Steele was an historic site and in 1969 it was opened to the public.

Since then, Fort Steele has become one of the premier heritage attractions in the province, offering a living history model for visitors, with a wealth of preserved buildings, complete with dedicated volunteers dressing in 1890s-era garb, performing typical tasks from those bygone days.

In addition, Fort Steele boasts the Wild Horse Theatre. With seating capacity for 500, the theatre, built in 1972, has hosted countless shows for thousands over the years. The Fort Steele Follies remain a highly popular aspect of the heritage site.

Visitors can take a ride on the No. 1077 Prairie Class Locomotive, one of the last steam locomotives to be retired from service in Canada. The 1077 arrived at Fort Steele in 1989 and has since become a minor Hollywood celebrity, having appeared most recently in the Jackie Chan/Owen Wilson feature Shangai Noon.

Visitors to Fort Steele can take wagon rides around the spacious Fort Steele townsite, pulled by the famous ‘Black Clydesdales’ of the fort.

They can also get bites to eat at the International Hotel or score some delicious ice cream, candy and refreshments from Mrs. Mather’s Ice Cream Parlour.

Another famous landmark at the fort is the Perry Creek Waterwheel, majestically perched above the bank of the Kootenay River. The massive wheel, which came from the Perry Creek gold field, 25 miles west of Fort Steele, was built in 1934 to drive two pumps. The wheel was moved to Fort Steele in 1965.

Finally, the same atmosphere that entranced European settlers who first came to the region seeking routes to the coast and furs (David Thompson), souls needing Christianity (Father De Smet) and the wild riches of gold and silver, prevails today.

Fisher Peak and the Steeples Range still towers above the riverside community, adding an air of lofty hopes and dreams still, and making for some of the most stunning backdrops in the world.

Fort Steele’s summer hours (ending Sept. 3) are 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Its autumn hours (Sept. 4 to Oct. 9 are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 a person and kids under five get in free.

Go to https://www.fortsteele.ca/ for more information.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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