1874 the Mounties on their historic trek west saw Horse Hill, which they recognized by name, and knew with relief that their march to Edmonton was almost over.
On August 1 the so-called Second Patrol split off of the main body of Mounties to come northwest to Edmonton.
Superintendent W.D. Jarvis, Inspector Gagnon and 20 men escorted 60 horses and 160 cows, calves and oxen to Edmonton.
They followed the north bank of the Saskatchewan River. Horses were so exhausted they were standing only with the help of the policemen.
By then it was October so snow and sleet often drenched the men and animals. Many horses and cows had to be left behind or died on the journey.
By Oct. 28th, Horse Hill was reached but the weather was freezing cold and the horses were stiff and suffered terribly on the iron-hard trail. One wagon made it into Edmonton that same day and sent back barley to give the remaining horses' strength but it was four days before the last of the trek-ers made it into Edmonton. (Douthwaite, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, p. 39) (in Peel's PP website)
The following spring the Mounties established a fort at Fort Saskatchewan, expecting the CPR to cross the river at that point in the next few years. The CPR was instead built through Calgary and no railway crossed at Fort Saskatchewan until 1905.
Note: Horse Hills is one of the earliest of the place names now used in the Edmonton area, only surpassed by the (North) Saskatchewan River and Whitemud (and perhaps Blackmud) creeks. Even Mill Creek did not get that name until the 1870s.
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