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iously short memories for names and dates, other than their own. Indeed the tale may have been but an Indian myth. The Old Man River is a swift and treacherous stream, of which the Pinckey Creek is a tributary, and was aq mamed because a party of sur veyors lost a pair of pincers in it. About ten miles from the mouth of Pincher Creek, three branches unite, the North, Middle and South Forks, each a good sized wm ‘ntain stream, abounding in fish. These branches are called Livingstone, Crow’s Nest and the Castle River. The hills within the Gap are the Lily Hills and the Adaman; the cou t the Corriger, Black Bear and a he, Pe the mountains, ‘Steunder, Mountain, which the Indians hold as being the place where their yj, the Thunder Bird, has its hab itations... Black Tail Mountain, Look out Butte, Mount Lyall, the Elevator, ah Mountain, ‘and the Beehives, whic k the British Columbia houndary Prospecting for Gold Thora is a pack trail going south oy Racehorse Creek across the hills god mountains and coming out by Crow's Nest Mountain, above Cole yen. It was by this trail that Lemon and his partner prospector entered, when prospecting in the Gap for gold, vrecation became known as the ous “Lemon Diggings,” which, however, were lost almost as soon as they were found. It is supposed the men quarelled over their find and that one of them killed the other, as only one was known to have left the Gap, also a mountain slide must have covered the ledge where the gold wag squad, for many prospecting par ties have since searched for the “Le mon Diggings,” but never a trace of ‘them has ever been found. This report occasioned « minature ‘gold resh up the North Fork, a few years afterwards, when a guoodly num per dreamed of acquiring untold wealth. First White Men of the Gap Gourd's Game is the splendid peak that rears itself in sight as you ap proach the Gap, even before you have reached the famous “Hog’s Back.” 1 is said that a Dutchman, Mootz, was probably the first white man to have gone into the Gap. Hart Holloway was one of the party to investigate the affair of the “Lemon Diggings,” John Nelson accompanying him. Biggs, an old-time trapper, was a fre quenter of the Gap. Later he was accompanied by George Stuart, well known as “Rawhide.” Logs were brought down the river from the mountains to his sawmill on the North Fork by De Wolf in the eighties. Mr. A. W. Gillingham, who built the Gillingham mill, made the first wagon trail into the Gap, pre sumably in the eighties. As the Livingstone comes boiling and foaming and tossing its white horses without the Gap, it flows be tween two mammoth rocks, which al most join in an arch above. These rocks, from the peculiar sound the river makes in passing between them, are known as “Whispering Gates.” The first creek on the north side of the river is called, the Bob Creek, where in the early eighties miner known as “Old Bob” opened up a coal mine. He also caught fish in great quantities, which he sold to J. W.W. Smith and I. G. Baker in Macleod. Titley Creek joins the North Fork on the south bank, being named after Frank Titley, who with Mr. Geo. Hen ton came from the Old Country in 1887. Settlement of Poverty Flats The Hon. Thos. Arthur Craven and Jack Elwell were, in 1885, the first settlers on Poverty Flat, which they named from Bret larte’s poem, “The Lily of Poverty Flat.” Mr. Heaton, F. ‘fitley and Malcolm Heath formed a partnership in 1888 and started with sheep, which they bought from Fret Morris (Baldy), who was also a pioneer settler on the North Fork and an old Police Scout. Mr. Titley re turned to England,, where he re mained. Mr. Heaton ctained the ranch started by Craven and Elwell, together with their famous “Tele scope” shack, in the fall of 1888. He bought the other end of Poverty Flat from Mr. Frank Park in the spring of that year, and started “The Park Ranch.” Mrs. Heaton is also one of the pioneers of the country, having come to visit her sister, Mrs. Wum phrey (now Mrs. R. B. Clarkson), on the “Rondee” as early as the eighties. On the other side of North Fork, the Walrond Ranch was started in '82 or ‘83 with cattle. Later they had from three to four hundred horses, with WR as the brand, Dr. MacEach ern, of Montreal, was general man ager, and Mollison was the manager of the Upper Ranch. In '93 Dr. War nock became manager of the Walrond Ranch. The lease extended for miles on the other side of the river. History of Local Creek Names Across the North Fork is Heath Creek, named after W. H. Heath, who, with his wife and family, lived on the ranch later owned by Mr. Frank Blake, who came to the North Fork In 1886. Olia Creek is named after Bill Olin, a buffalo hunter of the seventies, who took up his ranch near where the bridge now is. Windy Gap is a draw in the hills that has the reputation of being the windiest spot in the country. Todd Creek is a good-sized creek that rises below the Livingstone. Qn d Todd Creek is the Key Ranch, which was taken up by Messrs. Maurice and Thos. Wilson, who, In the eighties, came to Medicine flat with a party of surveyors. They were the first on the Starlight Ranch on Pincher Creek. The Lynch Stauntons In 1883 R. Lynch-Staunton, of An telope Ranch on Todd Creek, accom panied his father, F. H. Lynch-Staun ton, D.L.8., who was in charge of the survey party as far as Medicine Hat, the party being 200 miles In ad vance of the railroad. Tn 1886 he again came near, this time to Pincher Creek, travelling from Lethbridge by stage, with Max Brui vette, an old-time character, as driver. When Mrs. Staunton came on a visit to her brothers at Starlight Ranch some thirty years ago, she travelled by the same interesting route. Mr. Staunton acquired his ranch on Todd Creek from the Lloyd Bros., Bill and Dick, who removed to Bob Creek, where they went to fur worse raising (Continued On Page Ten.)
Newspaper Details
Medicine Hat News
Medicine Hat, Alberta, CA
Sat, May 06, 1922
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Jeffrey O.
USA 15 Jun 2026
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