For all the Cowboys. This one is for you.
A Legacy Cache sponsored by DarnSocks & Churchman
Ranching in Canada has traditionally been dominated by one
province, Alberta. The most successful early settlers of the
province were the ranchers, who found Alberta's foothills to be
ideal for raising cattle. Most of Alberta's ranchers were English
settlers, but cowboys such as John Ware—who brought the first
cattle into the province in 1876—were American. American
style open range dryland ranching began to dominate southern
Alberta (and, to a lesser extent, southwestern Saskatchewan) by the
1880s. The nearby city of Calgary became the centre of the Canadian
cattle industry, earning it the nickname "Cowtown". The cattle
industry is still extremely important to Alberta, and cattle
outnumber people in the province. While cattle ranches defined by
barbed wire fences replaced the open range just as they did in the
US, the cowboy influence lives on. Canada's first rodeo, the
Raymond Stampede, was established in 1902. In 1912, the Calgary
Stampede began, and today it is the world’s richest cash
rodeo. Each year, Calgary’s northern rival Edmonton, Alberta
stages the Canadian Finals Rodeo, and dozens of regional rodeos are
held through the province.
In 1884 the Calgary Herald described the Canadian cowboy as one
who was "a gentleman and shunned bravado." South of the border the
image was more violent and reckless. I am sure we had our share of
wildmen in the cowboy ranks.
This cache is part of the Legacy Trail produced by the Canadian
Badlands Geocaching Association for the Best of the Bad Mega
Event.
The Legacy Trail
The Legacy Trail is a collection of geocaches that circles
itsway over 100 miles on country roads traversing some of the
mostscenic and spectacular landscape in this part of the Canadian
Badlands. A large number of caches in a variety of types, sizes and
difficulty are placed on the Trail. Every town, village and
hamletin the Canadian Badlands has its own cache. Some caches were
named after local historic events and people, as well as
celebrities who grew up in this area. Some caches were sponsored by
geocachers who attended the Best of the Bad Mega Event. The Legacy
Trail was produced by the Canadian Badlands Geocaching Association
for the Best of the Bad Mega Event.
The Canadian Badlands
The Canadian Badlands in Alberta are home to the world's most
extensive dinosaur bone beds, badlands and hoodoos, and a
world-class museum that shelters a 75 million-year-old legacy. The
region is rich in culturally and and a complex and diverse modern
society that is still deeply rooted in the spirit of the
frontier.
