Edmonton in 1819

1819

(Heritage House at 105th St. X 84th Avenue, Edmonton, has an old church bell that was forged by T. Mears in London in 1819. We don't know where it was -- or what events it wrung for -- prior to coming to the old St. Anthony Church on that site around 1906 (or 1895?).

What was life like back in 1819, the year the bell was forged?

HBC's Fort Edmonton and NWC's fort too  was down on the flats near Rossdale power station,

amalgamated two years later.

Fort Edmonton being rebuilt up on hill 11 years later.

The Treaty of 1818 sets the 49th parallel north, west of the Lake of the Woods, as the international border between British North America and the U.S., and also designates the Oregon Country as a shared region.

(later the U.S. would be given Oregon.)

The mutiny of the Bounty against Captain Bligh had been only 30 years earlier.

It happened after the Bounty failed to make it around the the Cape Horn at south tip of Chile. making only 120 kms in 31 days, and then deciding to go around Africa to get to Tahiti where the mutiny happened.

 the growing use of "around the Horn" voyages meant that Edmonton as travel route to west coast was not used as much by 1860s. firmly ended by opening of Panama Canal in 1914.

1819 excerpts from the Edmonton House Journal

1819 -- Jan 12. Sent 6 men with horse sleds for canoe gunwales,

very cold weather, minus 49 Fahr. [-45 Celsius!]

[record coldest recorded temperature in Edmonton is -49C in 1886 and 1893]

Buffalo seen not far from "hunting tent" (which was likely not too far from Edmonton).

1819 Jan. 14 -- sent A. Campbell, W. Bird to the hunting tent with ammunition for the hunters with others to remain there and assist in laying up meat.

(This "W. Bird" is William Bird, who was father of the William Bird who in 1870s set up a flourmill, giving Mill Creek its name.)

1819 Jan. 16 -- sent five me with dog sleds to haul home birch for sleds....

...

1819 Feb. 25 -- ...John Rowand, a clerk for the NWC, [arrived]  ....

(after amalgamation, Rowand was hired by the HBC, and later rose to be chief factor at Fort Edmonton and head of the Saskatchewan district. died in 1854 of heart attack while stopping two of his boatmen fighting.)

1819  March 26  -- People employed haling firewood... several of the people are snow blind...

...

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Father Lacombe came through Edmonton in 1852, mostly at first serving the Cree at Lac Ste. Anne.

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Historical background for 1819

Battle of Waterloo knocking off Napoleon 2.0 (after his escape from Elba), had happened in 1812.

War of 1812 had ended in 1813, with Canada surviving independent from the U.S.