Fort Edmonton Park - Edmonton, Alberta - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com

Though interest in such a park in Edmonton existed since 1915, when the remains of the original Fort Edmonton were torn down, construction of the park did not begin until 1969, under the direction of the Fort Edmonton Foundation.

The park is divided into four distinct sections:
1846 Fort – Fur Trade Era (1795–1859)
This was the time before settlement of Alberta, when the only whites in the west were the fur traders. The fort is a replica of the Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Edmonton. Just outside the fort is a Cree encampment, as it would have been in 1846.

1885 Street – The Settlement Era (1871–1891)
The trickle of settlers coming to the west began at this time. 1885 Street is a recreation of the small settlement of Edmonton, a new community with the beginnings of necessities and conveniences such as a newspaper, post office and telegraph.

1905 Street – The Municipal Era (1892–1914)
With the opening of government land to homesteading, the trickle turned into a flood, and the areas of Saskatchewan and Alberta were the recipients of thousands of settlers during this time. New communities sprang up like mushrooms throughout the prairies, and established ones quickly grew larger. Edmonton became the government seat of Alberta and the University of Alberta was established.

1920 Street – The Metropolitan Era (1914–1929)
As towns became cities, facilities for communication and transportation bloomed with the cities. Small business became big business and back room workshops became factories.


From Wiki, here are some highlights:
"1846 Fort:
York Boat
A replica York boat is displayed near the river and is sometimes moored in the water. Another York boat may be seen under construction within the walls of the fort.

The Rowand House
The imposing residence of John Rowand and his family, this massive structure was one of the largest houses in present-day western Canada in its own time. The house has four levels, and they are (starting from the bottom): one for servants, one for dining and business, one for the family and guest rooms, and a garret for storage.

The Men's Quarters
Directly opposite of the Rowand House on the fort's courtyard, several apartments make up the residence of the Hudson's Bay Company's labourers. Some quarters are also the workspace of the fort's skilled tradesmen. Many beds furnish these quarters, as each small apartment was to house several working men and, if married, their families.

The Clerks' Quarters
This is a building which, according to the Fort Edmonton Foundation, was rebuilt incorrectly. Historically, this was a building for the fort's educated clerks to dwell in. The second floor, which would have had the clerks' bedrooms, was mistakenly not built in this reproduction. Instead, this building is almost entirely a dining hall, which would have been an important but not all-encompassing portion of the original. This building is among several in the park that are rented out for private functions.

The Indian House/Trade Store
A common sight in Hudson's Bay Company posts, this was the point of trade for fur brought by natives who bartered them for European goods. The working men of the fort would toil in counting, storing and eventually transporting the furs to Hudson Bay, where they could be shipped to England and sold.

Aboriginal camp
To date, the main depiction of aboriginals in Fort Edmonton Park has been through a small Cree camp, located just outside of the fort. One of the potential upcoming expansions for the park is a larger post-horse aboriginal village.

1885 Street:
Covered wagon
This type of vehicle was used to carry settlers and their belongings overland from Winnipeg or Ontario. The wagons were made narrow to permit passage along the meagre trails.

Jasper House Hotel
While the original hotel is still in use by a different name at its original site in downtown Edmonton, Fort Edmonton Park's iteration reproduces the first building in the city to be made entirely of brick. It is rented out for private functions.

McDougall Methodist Church
An original structure that was moved to Fort Edmonton Park, this church, built in 1873, was one of the first structures built outside of Fort Edmonton. It displays the prominence of Methodists in early Edmonton's community, a tradition carried on in this era by Reverend George McDougall from the first Protestant missionary in the region, Reverend Robert Rundle, who had lived in Fort Edmonton during its fur trade years.

The North-West Mounted Police Outpost
A replica of the office used by officers of the North-West Mounted Police (precursors to the present-day Royal Canadian Mounted Police).

The Ottewell Homestead
A reconstruction of an original house paired with an original barn from the same era, this house is indicative of the lifestyle of homesteaders who populated the Edmonton area in the late 19th century. Live animals are kept at the site.

1905 Street:
Tent City
Due to Edmonton's economic boom in the early years of the 20th century, the large influx of newcomers to Edmonton arrived to find no housing available. Fort Edmonton Park's tent city reflects the temporary solution that people used until houses could be built. This historical reproduction found a contemporary parallel in 2007, when economic prosperity in the province of Alberta meant that many of the poor could not afford rising rent costs, and a tent city was erected in downtown Edmonton populated by about two hundred homeless people.

Rutherford House
This was the house of Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first Premier of Alberta and a major figure in the University of Alberta's inception. It was moved to Fort Edmonton Park from its original location in south Edmonton. It is distinct from Rutherford's later residence located on the University of Alberta campus.

Streetcar
The Edmonton Radial Railway Society operates a streetcar with service to both 1905 Street and 1920 Street. This service first becomes available at the junction of 1885 Street and 1905 Street. No fare is required to use the streetcar. Additionally, vintage automobiles may be seen operating on this street and 1920 Street.

1920 Street:
Blatchford Field Air Hangar
A replica of the hangar present at the current Edmonton City Centre Airport, Blatchford Field was the first "Air Harbour" in Canada. This incarnation of the building doubles as a rental space for private functions. A replica biplane like that flown by aviator Wop May will be displayed at the hangar site.

Hotel Selkirk
An approximation of a hotel that once stood in the core of present-day downtown Edmonton, this building actually functions as a real hotel within the park, allowing visitors to stay overnight.

Mellon Farm
This building is an original. It was located close by to its current location because the land that Fort Edmonton Park sits on was once owned by the Mellon family.

Al-Rashid Mosque
The Al-Rashid Mosque has the distinction of being the first purpose-built mosque in Canada. Though it was built in 1938, outside of 1920 Street's apparent range, its move to Fort Edmonton Park saved it from demolition. Historically, many Muslim immigrants to Canada chose to live in Edmonton because they had heard that a mosque was there.

1920 Midway & Exhibition
A recreation of a 1920s midway opened at the end of 1920 Street, near the park's entrance, in 2006. Various games of skill may be found on the midway, and a carousel featuring hand-carved horses is housed just inside of a permanent pavilion nearby. The Fort Edmonton Foundation has recently expanded the Midway & Exhibition to include an Exhibits Building and other rides such as a Ferris Wheel."

Wikipedia Url: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log to this waymark you need to visit and write about the actual physical location. Any pictures you take at the location would be great, as well.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   03/14/2017 gypsie2 visited it