Cattle Kingdom: Early Ranching in Alberta

by Edward Brado

One of the most colourful chapters in the history of North American settlement began in the 1880s when the rich Alberta grasslands spreading east from the foothills of the Rockies became the magnet for cattle ranching. Award-winning Cattle Kingdom provides readers with all the colourful tales of raffish characters, political intrigues and partnerships, fortunes made and lost, and the harsh realities of prairie winters. The era also gave us the mythic figure of the cowboy, still prominent in Alberta today.

Nowhere is the story of ranching more rich and varied than in Alberta. There was an assortment of high rollers, big-money men from the east, English lords and remittance men, along with refugees from the American west and ordinary folk seeking a homestead and a new dream. The newly formed North West Mounted Police was on hand as well. Famous ranches were created during this period, including the Cochrane, the Oxley and the North West Cattle Company (Bar U). The cast of characters included John Ware; the brave and foolhardy Major-General Thomas Bland Strange, who had plans for a ranch for retired British army types; and the scrappy Pat Burns, who parlayed a small slaughterhouse in Calgary into a giant meat-packing and cattle empire.

By the time of the first Calgary Stampede in 1912, the cattle kingdom was on the wane. More and more settlers arrived and began fencing and farming the once limitless grazing lands. And then came the discovery of oil. But during its brief and brilliant season in the sun, early ranching in Alberta put an indelible stamp on the history and culture of the Canadian west.

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1985

Reviews

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from the library and liked it so much that I purchased a new copy for myself. The history of ranching in Alberta began in Mexico, and then to Texas, and finally north to Montana and across the border. Despite the title, ranching began in Canada long before Alberta and Saskatchewan were provinces. The author explains the process, and goes into some detail regarding the earliest BIG ranches (and they were massive, hundreds of thousands of acres). My favourite part was the latter third of the book when he describes cowboy culture and society, much of which still lingers today on the southern prairies.

[Brit McCarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I'll say about early ranching in Alberta is this: it's a miracle any of those ranching operations got off the ground and became profitable! Between harsh winters, cattle just wandering away on the range, cattle rustlers and shady investors, it's amazing it became the industry it did!

Would have loved to read more about individual cowboys and personalities, otherwise a solid historical offering and fair appraisal of life on the range in Canada in the late 1800s.

[Aaron Lorenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great review of the history, could have used more maps though and a section on general biographies of main characters to use as a refernce.