Fort Calgary was started in 1875 as Fort Brisebois by the North West Mounted Police on the forks of the Bow and Elbow rivers in what is now Calgary, Alberta. This was initiated in April 10, 1875 by a federal order to force out the whiskey traders from the area. Contruction started around August or September and the first fort was completed in time to host Christmas dinner for the local residents. Commanded by Éphram A. Brisbois, the F Troop travelled north from Fort Macleod to find a suitable spot on the Bow for the fort. On arrival of the location they made a makeshift boat with a wagon box and tarpaulins to cross the Bow. Corporal George Clift King was the first of the troop to step foot on the location, which is why he is sometimes cited as Calgary's first citizen. The fort was constructed out of pine and spruce logs cut upstream and floated to the site and consisted of: men's quarters, a guard room, stables and storage facilities. Shortly after the erection of the fort, two businesses set up in Calgary: I. G. Baker Company and the Hudson's Bay Company.
Captain Brisebois named the fort after himself. Due to the unpopularity of Captain Brisebois, it was renamed Fort Calgary in 1876 by James MacLeod, after Calgary House, a castle at Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. It is now a National and Provincial Historic Site operated by the Fort Calgary Preservation Society .
Much of the fort was torn down in 1882 and new Barracks were constructed. A two-storey building that could house 100 men was built in 1888, since a fire in 1884 had destroyed one of the barracks. A replica of this Barracks was completed in 2000 at the current Fort.
The Deane House was built in 1906 for the Superintendent of Fort Calgary, Captain Richard Deane. It was originally constructed near 9th Ave and 6th St SE, facing east towards the Barracks. Deane felt the previous superintendent's house was not good enough for his wife Martha. Although the budget for the project was $5,000, the total cost was $6,200.
In 1914, The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway bought the land for use as a rail terminal and demolished all the fort buildings except the Deane House. The house was moved to the southeast corner from its original location. The house was then purchased by C. L. Jacques in 1929 and moved across the Elbow River, where it stands today.
In 1969-1970, an archaeological dig was started to find remenants of the old fort. They had much success and discovered hundreds of artifacts.
In 1974, the city of Calgary reclaimed the land and it was designated a National and Provincial Historic Site. The present site was reopened on May 18, 1978.
External links