Pioneer Profiles : O
Oaks, Arthur William
Arthur was born on December 13, 1865 at Dover, England and died on February 11, 1937 at Calgary. He was married at Calgary in 1890 to Mary Elizabeth MacDonald, who was born in 1873 at Woodstock, Ontario and died at Calgary, in 1911. They had a family of five children. Arthur joined the NWMP in 1885. He was posted in Medicine Hat, in 1886 and Calgary in 1887. He took his discharge in 1900 and worked for Pacific Cartage, later Plunkett and Savage. He was Vice-president of the NWMP Veterans Association from 1927 to 1937.
O'Brien, Mr.
Mr. O'Brien was recorded as a CPR Station Agent at Gleichen in November, 1884.
2004 Addendum.
Ockley, James Walter
James was born in 1849 at Ockley, England and died in 1926 at Priddis, Alberta. He was married at Calgary in 1886 to Susan Theresa Wallin who was born in 1847 in England, and died in 1918 at Priddis. They had one son. James was a surveyor until filing on a homestead near what is now Bowness Park in 1883. He served with the Northwest Rebellion. He sold the homestead and refiled at Priddis being the first one to file in that area.
Ogburn, Robert J.
Robert was born in 1852 at Janesville, Wisconsin and died in 1933. He was married at Calgary in 1884 to Lucy J. McGuane, who was born in 1860 at Buffalo, New York, USA and died in 1935. They had three children. Robert arrived in Calgary in 1883 and operated a barber shop near Bakers store, moving to another small building near the railroad track, and then opposite the Post Office April 4, 1884.
O'Hagan, Robert
Robert was born in 1860 at Kingston, Ontario. At age fourteen he started working in the railroad shops there and as soon as he was old enough he became an engineer. He came to Lethbridge in 1887 for the North West Coal and Navigation Company. He was a train engineer on the narrow gauge railway known as the Turkey Trail, connecting with the main CPR line at Dunmore and to Lethbridge. He was later engineer on company's Great Falls and Canada Railway, the St. Mary River Railway, and on the railway running to Coutts and Macleod. When the CPR took over the AR&I Co., he ran the first CPR train coming to Lethbridge. Robert married Amy May Holmes in 1884, born in Belleville, Ontario, who came to Lethbridge with three small children in July of 1899. They had four daughters: Jean, Florence, Agnes and Myrl. Amy May died December 30, 1937 and Robert died March 16, 1947 at Lethbridge.
Merged with 2004 Addendum. Ref: SAPD membership application files, Re: Florence O. Armstrong. Additional research by JFR.
O'Hare, Peter
Peter O'Hare, born at Newry, Ireland in 1853, came to Canada in the early 1870s. He joined the NWMP as Reg. No. 198 on May 29, 1875 at Fort Macleod. He served at Fort Macleod, Wood Mountain, Maple Creek and Regina and took his discharge from the Force on 30 October, 1891. He served as a Special Constable from 1 January, 1904 to 30 April, 1920.
2004 Addendum. Ref: SAPD membership application files, Re: Nathan John O'Hare. and newspaper clippings.
Olin, Bill
Bill Olin was one of the early buffalo hunters who crossed over from Montana to the Pincher Creek area in the early 1870s. He married and moved up to Olin Creek, a creek that bears his name, near where it enters the North Fork. He died about 1906. Mrs. Olin ran a small cafe in Pincher Creek and later boarded section men in Cowley. They had three Children.
2004 Addendum. Ref: History of the Early Days of Pincher Creek p. 4-5 and Prairie Grass to Mountain Pass, p. 596.
Oliver, Dr.
Dr. Oliver is recorded as the first medical doctor in Medicine Hat.
2004 Addendum. Ref: Early History of Medicine Hat Country p. 33-38.
Oliver, William
Mr. Oliver came to Lethbridge in 1886. He was born in 1850 at Oxford County, Ontario. He died April 27, 1951.William was married in 1888 to Amelia who passed away in 1912. There were three children: William, John and Gladys. Later William married Margaret C. Cossaboom who was born in Nova Scotia. They had one son, Robert. Mr. Oliver was Mayor of Lethbridge from 1902-1905. He was a house builder and in 1887 he turned to manufacturing bricks. Later he went into business for himself as a building contractor. He owned the Oliver Block and Oliver Apartments.
Ollsen, William Louis
William Ollsen was born April 15, 1863 at Madison, Wisconsin, USA and died February 15, 1949 at Calgary. He was married at Calgary on December 9, 1895 to Inga Amanda Foss, who was born April 4, 1876 in Norway and died December 2, 1974 at Calgary, Alberta. They had a family of three children. William was a bookkeeper and came to Calgary with the Eau Claire Lumber Co. in 1886. He was made foreman of the sawmills in 1887. Mr. Ollsen sang in the Methodist Church choir for many years. They lived on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Third Street S.W., Calgary.
Olshaski, John Michael
John Olshaski was born in 1857 at Nizni Slovinki and died at Cardson, Alberta November 5, 1914. He was married in 1872 to Anne Zubak, who was born May 15, 1855 and died May 22, 1934 at Lethbridge, Alberta. They had a family of seven children. John arrived at Lethbridge in 1882.
O'Neil, J. D.
Mr. J. D. O'Neil and A.W. Rowland left Stratford, Ontario and landed in Medicine Hat, the end of the railway, in the spring of 1883. They brought with them a carload of cattle. They trekked west, camping in Snake Valley where the grass was plentiful but they soon realized that the valley was infested with rattlesnakes. They initially homesteaded at Fort Macleod and later moved on to Aldersyde. Rowland's homestead and pre-emption was Sec.18-20-28-W4M and O'Neil's land adjoined on the south.
2004 Addendum. Ref: Leaves from the Medicine Tree p. 350.
Ormiston, John Andrew (Scotty)
John Ormiston was born May 20, 1863 and died September 29, 1949 at Victoria, B.C. He was a locomotive engineer for the C.P.R. and brought the first train into Calgary in August 1883. John Ormiston was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1886. He retired in 1929. He was unmarried.
Merged with 2004 Addendum.
Orr, Wesley Fletcher
Wesley Orr arrived in Calgary from Barrie, Ontario, in 1883. He served as Mayor in 1894, 1895 and 1897, and was editor and manager of the Calgary Herald for many years. He is credited with drafting the application for incorporation of the town of Calgary, and personally drew the city crest with its motto "Onward Calgary." Wesley Orr married Pricillia (surname unknown) in 1863. He had three daughters and a son, Loren.
Ostrom, Simon Charles
Simon Ostrom was born April 14, 1859 at Peterborough, Ontario and died April 12, 1942 at Calgary, Alberta. He was married in 1889 in Ontario to Sarah Ross Campbell, who was born December 28, 1867 and died March 8, 1920 at Calgary. They had a family of five children. Simon came to the Springbank area in 1890, worked for local farmers until buying a farm in 1898. His family came west in 1891 and they lived in the area.
Ott, William A.
Mr. Ott came to Lethbridge in 1886. He operated Ott's barber shop.
Owen, Bert
Bert Owen , a rancher from Vulcan, came to NWT in 1887.
2004 Addendum. Ref: SAPD membership application files.
Owens, Jim
Jim Owens built a one-mile race track complete with steeple chase course in about 1886 on the flats along the Elbow River where Elbow Drive in Calgary is now situated. In 1887 purses were offered for the first time at Owens track.
2004 Addendum. Ref: Newspaper article written by Annie L. Gaetz.