24 Photos Show Canadian Cowboys from 1883 to 1926
Southern Alberta was, and remains, a ranching country, with a number of acres of grasslands supplying pasture for hungry cattle. Several ranches were set up in the province starting in the 1880s, and cowboys were employed to tend to the cattle, horses, and other livestock.
In the spring, the animals were branded. Then huge round-ups happen in the fall. The cowboys took shelter in bunk-houses and tents, ate chuckwagon grub, were adept horsemen (a few even joined the rodeo circuit), and spent most of their lives in the saddle.
Delight in this few cowboy photographs, from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.
Calgary Cowboys, Alberta, 1883


Group at Medicine Hat, Alberta, 1885


A lad in his cowboy outfit, 1888


Branding at the OH Ranch corrals, near High River, Alberta, 1892


'Bachelor's Hall', interior view of a bunkhouse on a Southern Alberta ranch, 1894


Roping a heifer for spaying on ranch, Maple Creek area, Saskatchewan, 1897


Bruce and Jim Hunter in homestead shack, Dog Pound area, Alberta, 1897


Cowboys stretching a steer at round-up, Maple Creek area, Saskatchewan, 1897


Bar U Ranch cowboys, general round-up, southern Alberta, May 31, 1901.


Bar U Ranch cowboys, general round-up, southern Alberta, May 31, 1901


Cowboy riding a bucking bronco on Billy Cochrane's CC Ranch, Mosquito Creek, Alberta, 1901


Riders of southern Alberta round-up, 1901


Branding at Brown Ranch, Queenstown, Alberta, 1900-03


Bar U Ranch group on round-up, Pekisko, Alberta, 1900-05


Last Bow River Ranche cattle round-up, near Cochrane, Alberta, 1905-06


Cowboy Clem Gardner wearing chaps, Pirmez Creek, Alberta, 1906


Man doing laundry outside cabin, Longview, Alberta, 1907


Sarcee boys in hats, Calgary, Alberta, 1912


Tom Three Persons, blood cowboy, September 1912


Cowboy with horse and dog on top of Burgess Pass, British Columbia, 1914


Cowboys on Fred Andrews bunk, bunkhouse, Bar U ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1917


Wild horse round-up, Hussar, Alberta, 1919


Group on street at Gleichen, Alberta, 1920-21


Cowboy having meal during cattle round-up drive, 1926


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