Fifty Years of Fort Steele

Destinations

Fifty Years of Fort Steele, by Melissa MacDougall

The history of Fort Steele is as rich as the gold that once lay in the ground here. Mineral-laden hills and creeks took the city from boom town during the rush of 1864, to ghost town after miners and prospectors descended on the place and swept up all the riches they could carry out.

It was in 1888 that the newly erected town of Galbraith's Ferry was re-named in honour of Superintendent Samuel Steel, of North West Mounted Police fame. Steel is noted for his gift of settling ongoing tensions between white settlers and the First Nations people of the Ktunaxa.

After an initial decline, the discovery of major mineral deposits in the East Kootenays renewed interest in Fort Steele once again, creating a secondary boom in 1897. But the following year the boom turned to bust as the BC Southern Railway bypassed the town, delivering passengers on to Cranbrook instead.

As with many pioneer mining towns in B.C., it was left to die a slow and rather unceremonious death. Decades passed before a resurgence took place, compliments of a government revitalization project that left Fort Steele one of British Columbia’s legendary heritage pioneer towns.

After decades - some 64 years later - the province of BC obtained the site and began reconstructing and preserving it to the historic town it has now become. Continued preservation initiatives bring visitors ever closer to its old world farming, gold panning and social life of the late 1800’s.

Presently, Fort Steele has been graced with the divine pleasure of hosting the traveling exhibit of well-known photographers Ansel Adams and Leonard Frank. This impressive collection of black and white photographs, taken during the early years of World War II during the internment of Japanese Americans and Canadians, is on display until April 23, 2011. Admission by donation.

In approaching its 50th anniversary – a celebration taking place on July 1st, 2011 - Fort Steele is sure to be a hot-spot for historians and families alike. Celebration exhibits including local farming methods, ice cream making, and rides by train or wagon, promise to complete the pioneer experience. Until July 1st, visitors can send in their favourite Fort Steele family photos and stories to Info@FortSteele.bc.ca .