The Beginnings Of A Great City
In 1884 the Governor General visits Calgary. Calgary at this point
consists of The Hudson’s Bay store, I.G. Bakers store, The mounted
Police Barracks and the commanding officers house. The Population is 75
souls.
The Ribbon of Steel- on August 11, 1883 engine number 87 pulled into
Calgary. At the controls were Jim O'Hagan as engineer and fireman
John"Scotty" Ormiston.. This was the construction train pulling into the
very young Calgary. The citizens all came out to view the event. There
were some who had never seen a train and others had not been on one
for years.
Fifty six years later sixteen survivors of the original party
had a reunion. They described the day as very hot. They said water was
very scarce and bad along the way. Many of the men had typhoid fever.
They said all there was to Calgary at the time was a couple of trading
stores and the mounted police barracks. On the on the east side of the
Elbow was a collection of tents and shacks. From the east of the Elbow
crossing there was nothing to see but open country.
The men on the train had been drinking nothing but slough water
for quite awhile and were awfully thirsty. They jumped from the train
and ran down to the Bow and spent the better part of an hour just
cooling off and drinking the cool clean water.