Red Deer Forks Trail
The Red Deer Forks Trail, also referred to in literature and anecdotes as The Winnipeg Trail or the Ft. Walsh to Edmonton Trail was an early Western Canadian trade route. Literature describing the Ft. Walsh to Edmonton trail, states that it crossed the Red Deer River where it joins the South Saskatchewan south of the town of Empress, near the geographic feature known as “The Bull’s Forehead”, and the long abandoned 1800 Peter Fidler Hudson’s Bay trading post named Chesterfield House which ceased operations in 1823.
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The trail then traversed NW following the East side of Sullivan Lake before entering the Battle River region, and eventually reaching Ft. Edmonton. The trail became an important artery in the early 1880’s for transporting freight by Red River cart from the rail terminus at Swift Current since the Red Forks Trail cut off several weeks of travel travel time compared to the 900 mile Ft. Garry to Edmonton (Carlton) trail. Reports state that Red River carts would travel 20 miles per day, in dry weather. The transportation of goods from Ft. Garry became increasingly important when declining bison populations could no longer feed the native population now on reserves, or supply growing trading centres like Edmonton. Once the rail line to Calgary and then on to Edmonton neared completion, useage of the trail declined.
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In the Battle River region, as in many others, optimistic settlers believed/assumed future transportation routes would follow established trails. First, Old Red Willow (E1/2 14-41-17W4), established in 1902, several businesses and residences were built, flourishing until 1904, when speculation grew that the railway would pass slightly further East. The confident Hayes family established the townsite of Glen Hayes (W1/2 24-41-17W4), through which the trail passed. Between 1904-09 several homes were built in Glen Hayes, including one for a mine manager they had employed to exploit a coal deposit in the Red Willow Creek valley. When the announcement was made that the Canadian Northern Railway would be built 4 miles west and bypass both Glen Hayes and Old Red Willow, many of the buildings from both villages were moved to the new Red Willow townsite. The Hayes family subsequently moved to the East side of Buffalo Lake where they operated a store in their home until 1911, likely to capitalize on arriving settlers and the traffic on trails passing the Boss Hill Metis settlement on the East side of Buffalo Lake, Tail Creek and onward.
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Another example of a business established to capitalize on Red Deer Forks trail traffic was the Olstad and Ellefson Store, built in 1902 above a prolific spring in the Meeting Creek valley in the SW corner of the SE 2-43-19W4. It is at this location that the trail split into its westerly leg following the valley West, and the northerly leg to Ft. Edmonton. When the partnership of Olstad and Ellefson dissolved, and upon the death of Mr. Ellefson in 1910, the Vikse brothers (August& Mike) purchased the stock, continuing operations there until 1911 when they moved the business to Donalda to capitalize on the impending arrival of the railway in 1912. While not documented, the spring was likely where freighters overnighted and restocked at the store, before resuming their journeys. Coincidentally, the distance between the Red Willow Creek crossing, also a likely overnight stop based on reports that Donald Whitford had established a Hudson’s Bay affiliated trading post in the area, and the store/spring East of Meeting Creek, is the distance travelled by a Red River cart in one day, 17 miles.
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My research into the trail route is covered by the Township maps of Twp 40 Rge 17, 40-18 (where it crossed Red Willow Creek), 41-18, 42-18 (where it entered the Meeting Creek valley at present day Donalda), 42-19 and 43-19 at the spring/store where it split into the two routes, one continuing up the Meeting Creek Valley to Todd’s Crossing on the Battle River East of Wetaskiwin and a Northern route which leaves the Valley just East of Hwy 56, with this leg continuing on to Salois Crossing on the Battle and eventually Ft. Edmonton. The initial maps, called the “Special Survey of Standard Meridians and Parallels” were compiled in 1878 with more detail following a surveys in 1893 And 1898. The maps which I copied are from records at the Alberta Provincial Archives, created by the Dominion Surveys of Canada, the first to display surveyed Townships complete with geographic features and trails to assist homesteaders in locating their chosen properties.
Research derived from local the following sources:
- Red Willow Reflections
- Donalda’s Roots and Branches
- Echoes of Empress, Empress, AB
- The Whitford Diaries - Donalda and District Museum
- Interview with Flora Chalmers - Donalda and District Museum
- Marion Carlson - landowner, Meeting Creek
- AB Research studies:- The Boss Hill Metis Site - Provincial Museum of Alberta
- “Far Corner Of The Strange Empire Central Alberta On The Eve Of Homestead Settlement” -William Wonders, University of Alberta
- The Carlton Trail - First Western Highway, Manitoba Historical Society
- Township Maps - Alberta Provincial Archives - Edmonton