History Post-confederation (1867-)
Frontier Cowboys and the Great Divide
Early Ranching in BC and Alberta
- Publisher
- Heritage House Publishing
- Initial publish date
- Apr 2013
- Category
- Post-Confederation (1867-)
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781927527092
- Publish Date
- Apr 2013
- List Price
- $19.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781927527108
- Publish Date
- Apr 2013
- List Price
- $9.99
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Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 15
- Grade: 10
Description
Despite being neighbouring provinces with long ranching histories, British Columbia and Alberta saw their ranching techniques develop quite differently. As most ranching styles were based on one of the two dominant styles in use south of the border, BC ranchers tended to adopt the California style whereas Alberta took its lead from Texas. But the different practices actually go back much further. Cattle cultures in southwestern Spain, sub-Saharan Africa and the British highlands all shaped the basis of North American ranching.
Digging deep into the origins of cowboy culture, Ken Mather tells the stories of men and women on the ranching frontiers of British Columbia and Alberta and reveals little-known details that help us understand the beginnings of ranching in these two provinces.
About the author
Ken Mather has been involved in researching, writing and interpreting western Canadian heritage for nearly four decades. He started out as a researcher for Fort Edmonton Park in 1973. In 1979, Ken moved to BC to work at Barkerville Historic Park; he became the park's curator in 1982. From 1984 until 2004 he was the manager/curator of the historic O'Keefe Ranch near Vernon, BC, where he developed his love of early cowboy history. Ken continues as the curator at the O'Keefe Ranch and lives with his wife, Debbie, near Armstrong, BC.
Editorial Reviews
"With his tight focus on frontier and early ranching personalities in British Columbia and Alberta, Mather gives the reader a colourful, informative, and entertaining insight into two very different ranching frontiers." —Max Foran, BCStudies
Librarian Reviews
Frontier Cowboys and the Great Divide: Early Ranching in BC and Alberta
Cowboy culture is representative of the history of the West, the emergence of an industry and the lives of the working class. Mather compares and contrasts cowboy culture in BC and Alberta during the years of the gold rush, from 1858 to 1868. For example, BC cowboys used the California and Mexican styles of ranching. BC ranchers also employed many Aboriginals for their ability to speak Chinook, a trade language shared by Whites and Native people. In Alberta the English and Texan styles of ranching prevailed. Ranchers in Alberta did not speak Chinook and there were treaty disputes. Eventually Alberta became known for its extremely talented riders of Blackfoot descent. Other chapters discuss frontiersmen, Mounties, cattle drivers, ethnic minorities and women.Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. BC Books for BC Schools. 2013-2014.
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