Over the river and through the wood, To grandfather’s house we go; The horse knows the way To carry the sleigh, Through the white and drifted snow.
~Lydia M. Child
The image of a horse pulling a sleigh over crisp white snow evokes that festive spirit in many of us. What was once a common mode of transportation during the winter months has now become a family friendly event for those looking to rekindle days gone by or experience a new winter activity. Either way, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.
From all of us at the Calgary Guardian, we want to wish you the safest and happiest of holidays at this festive time of year.
Pearce family at “Bow Bend Shack”, Calgary, Alberta, 1900North-West Mounted Police barracks, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, 1890Group in horse-drawn cutter sleigh, Peace River, Alberta, 1906Horse-drawn sleigh outside Perrenoud house, Cochrane, Alberta, 1890sHorses pulling man on loaded sleigh, Springfield Ranch, Beynon, Alberta, 1900Michichi Creek, Drumheller, Alberta, 1900Thomas Gibson family leaving to get mail at Lawson ranch, Blue Springs Ranch, Wintering Hills, Alberta, 1907Edna Nielsen Kitchen and child, Calgary, Alberta, 1890sSimon John Clarke on sleigh in front of Queen’s Hotel, Calgary, Alberta, 1900Men with horses pulling load of fish, Lake Athabasca, 1940. Object #A14475Men transporting fish, Buffalo Lake, Alberta, 1936-1937. Object #A14369Heated, enclosed horse drawn sleigh, Smoky Lake, Alberta, 1939. Object #G445Winter scene, E. Reese’s farmhouse, Dorenlee, Alberta, 1927. Object #B646Children on a Christmas sleigh ride in Fort McMurray, 1926. Object #A11935Men, women and children on back of horsedrawn sleigh at Little Smoky River Farm Industries settlement. Wooden buildings in background, 1950. Object #A15898Horses and loaded sleigh of survey crew in Peace River area, 1912-1916. Object #A20656Woman petting a horse, 1900. Object #A21386Unidentified men beside a horse-drawn sleigh ready to begin journey, n.d. Object #A3392Two unidentified people seated in horse drawn sleigh, Sedgewick, Alberta, 1916-1918. Object #A9135
The photos above were collected from the Glenbow Archives and the Provincial Archives of Alberta. If you’re interested, additional information can be found for each photograph on the Glenbow website by searching the identification number that is printed on the photo. There is also the option to purchase a high resolution copy. If you search the object number that can be found in the photo captions, you will find additional information about the photographs on the Provincial Archives website. Stay tuned for additional posts featuring historical photos from across Alberta. We’d love to know what you think in the comment section below.
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.
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