Historic Photos from the Jasper Area

Jasper National Park hasn’t always been known as such. Originally the small community was called Fitzhugh, after the general manager and vice president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, Earl Hopkins Fitzhugh Jr. The original park was established in 1907 and was called Jasper Forest Park. In 1913 the town’s name was changed to match that of the surrounding park. The name ‘Jasper’ comes from Jasper Hawes, a man who owned and operated a trading post in the area for the North West Company. Jasper wasn’t awarded national park status until 1930 when the National Parks Act was passed. Today Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies at over 11,000 square-kilometres.

Although larger in size, Jasper is usually overlooked for it’s more popular sibling to the south, Banff. With Banff’s proximity to a major urban centre closer than Jasper’s that might be the reason for the discrepancy in visitation. You’d be forgiven, however, if you thought Banff had more to offer. Jasper has plenty to rival it’s southerly neighbour with stunning natural scenery, vibrant-coloured lakes, massive glaciers, and an abundance of wildlife. If you haven’t already explored all that Jasper has to offer it might be time for a roadtrip!

The following is a collection of historical photos from this incredible part of the province. I hope you enjoy these photographs from the past. If you’re interested in additional historical posts from our national parks please see the following, Vintage Photographs from the Lake Louise Area and Historical Photographs of Banff’s Cave and Basin. Lastly, if you’re curious to see what parts of Jasper look like today you can visit this blog post. Enjoy!

Grand Trunk Pacific bridge over Prairie Creek, Jasper area, Alberta, 1911-1914
Royal North-West Mounted Police barracks, Jasper, Alberta, 1913
Three climbers on Roche Miette, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1914
Riders and guide at the Lodge, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1920s
D.B. Dowling’s pack horse team, Jasper Lake, Alberta, 1907
Mount Robson and Berg Lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1912
Emperor Falls and Mount Robson, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1912
Pack train on the Jasper Trail, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1915
Crossing Moose River near Jasper, Alberta, 1907
Moose River falls near Jasper, Alberta, 1907
Rock cut on Grand Trunk Pacific line near Jasper, Alberta, 1911
View of Jasper, Alberta, 1910-1911
Surveyors’ cabin, Jasper area, Alberta, 1910
Coal cars, Jasper area, Alberta, 1910
Frank Moberly, guide, at Maligne Lake, Alberta, 1920
Outfitters and guides, Maligne Lake, Alberta, 1923
Cook for guiding party, Maligne Lake, Alberta, 1920
Roche Perdrix and Fiddle Creek, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1910-1912
Main Street, Fitzhugh (Jasper), Alberta, 1910
Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1925
Carrioles near Jasper House, Alberta, 1872
Middle view of Jasper House, Alberta, 1871
Homesteaders’s house, Jasper National Park, Albert, 1900-1912
Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1930s
Alpine Club members cooking a meal, Maligne Lake, Alberta, 1930
The Narrows, Maligne Lake, Alberta, 1929
Pyramid Mountain, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1930s
Pyramid Mountain, with Pyramid Lake in the foreground, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1927
Pyramid Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, 1927
Brewster brothers headquarters, Pyramid Lake road, Jasper, Alberta, 1912-1913

The photos above were collected from the Glenbow Archives. Additional information can be found for each photograph on the Glenbow website by searching the identification number that is printed on each photo. There is also the option to purchase a high-resolution copy. Stay tuned for additional posts featuring historical photos from across Alberta. We’d love to know what you think in the comment section below.

About Tyler Dixon 216 Articles
Tyler is originally from Saskatchewan, and yes he cheers for the Roughriders, but don’t hold that against him as Calgary has been his home for the past eight years. He is a teacher working at a wilderness- based treatment program for youth working to overcome addiction. Tyler is also a volunteer with the GOT Parks initiative, which aims at reconnecting Canada’s youth with our national, provincial, and territorial parks. During his time away from work, Tyler enjoys outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and snowboarding, team sports, travelling, photography, spending time with good friends, and being at home with his wife and German Shepherd, Rome.