Fort Steele, British Columbia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Steele, British Columbia
Commercial buildings, Fort Steele, 2006
Location	East Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada
Founded	1864
Governing body	Friends of Fort Steele Society (non-profit), Heritage Branch, Province of British Columbia
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Fort Steele is a special heritage site in the East Kootenay area of southeastern British Columbia. It's a popular place for visitors to learn about history. You can find it on the east side of the Kootenay River. It's about 17 kilometers (11 miles) northeast of Cranbrook.

Fort Steele: A Historic Town in British Columbia

How Fort Steele Got Its Start

In 1864, a man named John Galbraith came to look for gold. He was near Wild Horse Creek. Soon, he found a better way to make money. He started a ferry service across the Kootenay River. This ferry helped people get across the river. It was very busy because of the gold miners.

John also opened a general store. Both the store and the ferry made good money. He brought his family to join him. Later, John and his brother Robert bought land. This land was near what is now Cranbrook.

The ferry was used for many years. It could carry animals, but not wagons. In 1888, a new bridge was built. This bridge replaced the ferry. Floods later destroyed this bridge. New bridges were built over the years. In 1966, a modern concrete bridge was built for the highway.

The Story Behind the Name

At first, the area was called Galbraith's Ferry. This was named after John Galbraith. In 1887, a police officer named Sam Steele arrived. He came with a group of NWMP officers. Their job was to help keep peace between settlers and First Nations people.

There wasn't a real "fort" built. But the police buildings looked like a fort. They had very few windows. Sadly, some officers got sick and died. In 1888, the community decided to change its name. They renamed it Fort Steele, in honor of Sam Steele.

Getting Around: Old Roads and Rivers

In the early days, supplies came by pack train. They traveled all the way from Walla Walla, Washington. In 1886, a wagon road opened. It went north to Canal Flats.

During summer, you could travel from Golden to Fort Steele. This trip used riverboats, a tramway, and stage coaches. By 1895, another wagon road was finished. This road connected Fort Steele to the Elk River. It even linked up with Montana in the USA.

Later, two riverboat companies served the area. They ran trips between Jennings, Montana, and Fort Steele. In 1898, a special taxi service started. It connected the town to the Eager train station. The main highway used to go through the town's Main Street. But in 1965, it was moved to its current location.

Life in Fort Steele: Boom and Bust

In 1864, over 3,000 people lived here. But by 1869, most had left. Only a few people remained. In 1888, the NWMP police left. The buildings they used were empty. About 11 white settlers and 60 Chinese people lived by the river. Chas. Clark was the first postmaster.

By 1892, Fort Steele had government buildings, a hotel, and two stores. In 1894, the town was officially mapped out. The first teacher, Miss Adelaide Bailey, started teaching. Two more hotels were built. Fort Steele was becoming a mining center.

In 1895, a mining group was formed. The local newspaper, The Prospector, also started. The town had two general stores, three hotels, and a sawmill. By 1897, Fort Steele was growing fast. More hotels opened. A new Government Building was built. It had a courtroom and offices. A hospital, an opera house, and a Catholic church also opened. The town even joined the US telegraph network. Its population grew from 300 to 3,000 people in just six months!

In 1898, a large water tank was built. Water pipes were installed. A volunteer fire department started. A Presbyterian church was built. But then, the railway decided to bypass Fort Steele. This caused many people to leave. Businesses started moving to Cranbrook or Fernie. Cranbrook took over the government offices in 1904. The newspaper moved there in 1905.

The town couldn't afford to keep the water tank full. Without enough water for fires, most of the business area burned down in December 1906. The town continued for many years. The school closed in 1954. The Windsor Hotel closed in 1958. The general store closed in 1961. The post office closed in 1997.

The Railway's Big Decision

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) was building a new line. Many people thought it would go through Fort Steele. Fort Steele was the biggest town around. But a man named Colonel James Baker owned land in Cranbrook. He offered CP land for free. This made Cranbrook a better choice for the railway.

Robert Galbraith, who owned land in Fort Steele, didn't offer the same deal. So, in 1898, the railway went through Wardner instead. It completely bypassed Fort Steele. This was a big reason why Fort Steele started to decline.

Later, another railway, the Kootenay Central Railway (KCR), came closer. It was also part of CP. In 1914, the tracks reached near Fort Steele. Train service began in January 1915. In the 1970s, a new dam created Lake Koocanusa. This meant the old railway bridge had to be moved. A new rail bridge was built at Fort Steele in 1970.

Visiting Fort Steele Today: A Step Back in Time

Leather working demonstration at Fort Steele.

Fort Steele was the first NWMP police post in British Columbia. Because of its history, it was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1925. In 1961, the province bought the site. They wanted to make it a historic park. In 1972, Queen Elizabeth II and her family visited the park. Since 2004, a non-profit group called the Friends of Fort Steele Society has managed the site.

When you visit, you can see real buildings from Fort Steele. Some were moved to the park. These include the old schoolhouse, two churches, the Opera House, and the Windsor Hotel. There are also new buildings that look just like the old ones. You can see old machines and railway items.

Actors dressed in old-fashioned clothes walk around the town. They make it feel like you've stepped back in time. The Wildhorse Theatre puts on live shows. You can get your picture taken in old-time style. You can also try gold panning or take a horse-drawn ride. Watch people show how things were done long ago, like blacksmithing. You can eat at the International Hotel restaurant or get snacks at the City Bakery.

Explore the Historic Trains

During the summer, you can ride a steam train! It's a 2.5-mile (4 km) round trip. The train stops at the "St. Mary's look-out."

Fort Steele has several old locomotives:

• A Shay locomotive called "115." It was built for logging on Vancouver Island. It's the biggest Shay locomotive in Canada. It's not running right now because of engine problems.
• A 2-6-2 prairie class locomotive called "1077." It was built in 1923 for logging. The 1077 is the main train used at Fort Steele. It was one of the last steam trains used in Canada. It has even been in movies like The Grey Fox and Shanghai Noon.
• Two old diesel switching locomotives from the 1950s. They are not in good shape and are for sale.

Other train cars include open-air passenger cars, a parlor car, a baggage trolley, and a caboose. There are also snow plows and tank cars.

Images for kids

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  Reconstructed government building, Fort Steele, 2013

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  Entry/reconstructed brewery facade, Fort Steele, 2012

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  Fort Steele in 1910.