Consolidated Addendum to April 25, 2004 - Pioneer Profiles: R

Ramsay, W. H.

W.H.Ramsay was a CPR Station Agent in Calgary in January of 1884.

Ref: The Calgary Herald, Sept. 03, 1955.

Ramsay, William Thomson

William Ramsay, born September 23, 1857, came to Calgary about 1884 as agent for the Northwest Land Company. He was a major land owner and developer of the Ramsay District where the Ramsay School was built in 1913 and named after him. Several of the streets surrounding the school were named after his children. was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1885. He died in Gibraltar in 1921.

Ref: Calgary, Her Industries & Resources March, 1885.

Rankin, Andrew

Andrew Rankin came to Canada in 1880, joined the HBC at Winnipeg in 1882 and then moved to Calgary in 1884. He came to Calgary with Alexander Allan, with whom he opened a Dry Goods store on Stephen Avenue. He had the first piano in Calgary. He was a City Councilor in 1887 and 1889. He joined the Customs Branch in 1900. He was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1885.

Ref: SAPD Black Book files.

Ray, Sam

Sam Ray was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1885.

Rayden, Jim

Jim Rayden homesteaded the SW 1/4 of Sec.18-27-5-W5M in the 1880s. He married Evelyn Phipps in 1894 and for a while after their marriage they lived in Olds. About 1896, Jim gave up ranching to go into the family business, Carr Biscuit Co. of England. He and his wife traveled to Australia for the company and finally settled at Durban, South Africa. They had three children, they both died in the 1950s.

Ref: Big Hill Country, p. 599.

Reach, Charles James

Charles Reach, a merchant, was a charter member of the Masonic Lodge in Fort Macleod prior to December 31, 1890. He died of a heart attach on August 10, 1928 at Fort Macleod.

Reddick, Bernard Sr.

Bernard Reddick arrived in Calgary by train in 1883.

Ref: SAPD membership application files, Re: Mary E. Belisle.

Reddon, Archie & Elizabeth

Archie and Elizabeth (nee Sugg) Reddon homesteaded at Olds in the 1880s. Their first home was a log house with a sod roof. Elizabeth celebrated her 100th birthday on December 11, 1961 in Calgary at her daughters ( Mrs. Pat Duggan) place.

Redpath, John Reginal

John Redpath, son of the owner of the Redpath Sugar Company, was born in Montreal in 1870. He came west to the Stewart ranch east of Pincher Creek in 1889. He eventually started his own small ranch. In 1908 he married Florence Bottrell. They had two sons. They remained at the ranch until the boys were old enough to go to school, and they moved to Victoria B.C. They kept the ranch and spent the summers there until 1935 when he sold out.

Ref: Prairie Grass to Mountain Pass, p.135.

Reed, Joseph

Joe Reed came to Alberta in 1883 and moved to Lethbridge in 1886, where he worked for the A.R. & I. He had a market garden on 20 acres at 13 Street and 6 Avenue S. He also homesteaded a 1/4 Section in the area in 1901 and left for Grande Prairie in 1908.

Ref: Leavings by Trail- Granum by Rail.

Reeves, Emmanuel and Ann

Emmanual Reeves, born in 1850 and his wife Ann, born in 1856, arrived in Calgary from England in March of 1887. They journeyed north with their three small children to Penhold where they built a log house on their homestead Sec.4-37-28-W5M. Emmanual died in 1889 and Mrs. Reeves and the family, now numbering seven children, carried on at the homestead and remained there until her death in 1932.

Ref: Hardwick Papers.

Reid, Alexander Munro

Alexander Reid arrived in southern Alberta prior to December 31, 1890.

Ref: SAPD membership application files, Re: Richard A. Pettit.

Reinholt, Henry

Henry Reinholt, born in 1862 in Iceland, arrived in southern Albert in 1889 from North Dakota. His father, mother, brother and sister, arrived later and homesteaded at Burnt Lake. He worked at many jobs in Alberta, and left the homestead in the early 1900s to live in Red Deer. He enlisted in the army in WW 1 along with his three oldest sons. Having been wounded, he was sent home and later homesteaded at Meanook, Alberta until retiring to Calgary after his wife died.

Reoch, Miss Jessie.

Jessie Reoch arrived in Alberta in 1888 with her friend Jessie Scott, who married Tom Henry. She lived with the Henrys and ran cattle with her own OK brand on the Little Bow with the Henry herd. She died in 1937.

Ref: Leaves from the Medicine Tree.

Reynolds, Miss.

Miss Reynolds was the first Matron of the Medicine Hat Hospital, built in 1889.

Ref: Early History of Medicine Hat Country p. 38-40.

Rice, Robert James

Robert Rice, an engineer, was recorded as a Charter member of Medicine Hat Masonic Lodge No.2 in November of 1889 at the age of 47 years. He died November 19, 1934.

Ridant (Rideout), J. B.

Mr. J. B. Ridant was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1885.

Riddell, Robert

Robert Riddell was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1888.

Riley, J. W.

Mr. J. W. Riley was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge prior to December 31, 1890.

Riley, Thomas

Thomas Riley, born in Derbyshire, England on September 16, 1842, came to Calgary in 1886 after assessing other areas in western Canada. In 1888 he and his wife Georgina and ten children homesteaded the NW 1/4 of Sec.20-24-1-W5M, which contained what is now Hillhurst and West Hillhurst and Hounsfield Heights. Thomas died January 13, 1909, and is buried at St. Barnabas Church in Hillhurst. His wife, Georgina, born in Leeds, England, died January 9, 1907.

Ref: SAPD Black Book files.

Ritche (Ritchie)

Mr. Ritche was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1888.

Rivers, J. W.

Mr. J. W. Rivers was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1886.

Rivers, Wilford F.

Wilford Rivers took out a homestead down the Bow River in the Calgary area in 1882. He died there on April 11, 1893.

Ref: The Calgary Herald Obituary, 1893.

Rivet, John B.

John Rivet a carriage maker and blacksmith, opened a shop on the east side of the Elbow River in Calgary in 1883.

Ref: Calgary, Her Industries & Resources March, 1885.

Riviere, Henri Arnous

Henri Riviere, born in Normandy, France in 1867, came to southern Alberta in 1883 and worked on several ranches in the area. He married Nellie Gladstone and they later settled on the headwaters of Pincher Creek, and he became a hunter and mountain man. He was the Alberta Game Warden from 1911-1928. He wrote wildlife stories for such magazines as The Cattleman. He died 30 June, 1956.

Ref: Prairie Grass to Mountain Pass, p. 137.

Robb, Edward & Christina

The Robbs came to the Pine Creek district in 1882 and homesteaded E 1/2 of Sec.12-22-1-W5M. They had four children, Maurice, Watson, Isabella and Edna. Edna died at the age of 3 years.

Ref: Sodbusters to Subdivisions.

Robertson, Dr. James

Dr. Robertson came to Calgary in July of 1884.

Ref: SAPD membership application files, Re: James Robertson Francis.

Robertson, P.

Mr. P. Robertson started a sheep ranch in the Medicine Hat area in 1889.

Ref: Early History of Medicine Hat Country.

Robertson, Peter

Peter Robertson joined the Medicine Hat Masonic Lodge No. 2, AF&AM in July 1887 at the age of 58. His original Lodge was at Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.

Robertson, Robert Henry

Robert Robertson, born in Toronto in 1857, came to Alberta with his wife in 1890 to run the first CPR station in High River. He was married to Emma Jane Snell and they had eight children. Mrs. Jane Robertson operated the CPR dining hall for passangers, crews and cowboys.

Ref: The Albertan, July 28, 1890.

Robertson, Thomas W.

Thomas Robertson, born in Rothbury, England, came to Alberta from Cheyenne on a cattle drive with the Powder River Cattle Co. in 1886. He remained in the Cochrane, Midford area until he moved to High River in 1889, where he started the H.R. Trading Company. In 1884 he married Eva Limoges and bought land and started the Highwood Ranch. He died in January, 1903 just four weeks after the birth of his twin boys.

Ref: Big Hill Country, p. 139.

Robertson-Ross, Col. P.

Col. Robertson-Ross was the Commanding officer, adjutant general of the Militia of Canada. In 1872 he made a reconnaissance trip through Western Canada to determine the control of the whickey trade as well as to establish law and order.

Ref: Our Foothills-Priddis, Kew, Millarville.

Robinson, Issac

Issac Robinson established a cheese factory on the old Chipman Ranch in 1889.

Ref: The Calgary Herald, July 8, 1950.

Robinson, John & Mary

John and Mary Robinson came from Montana to the Midnapore district in 1882. John homesteaded 1.5 miles west of Midnapore. They had eleven children. Mary died in 1910, and John died in 1916.

Ref: Sodbusters to Subdivisions.

Robinson, R.

Mr. Robinson homesteaded the SW 1/4 of Sec.34-22-2-W5M in the Red Deer Lake district before 1887.

Ref: Sodbusters to Subdivisions.

Robinson, Thomas (Tom)

Tom Robinson, born in Nova Scotia, came west to Edmonton in 1874 where he joined Rev. John McDougall visiting various indian tribes in Alberta for some years. In 1882 he was working on the Cochrane Ranch, building corrals etc. He settled just north of the Ghost River on SE1/4 of Sec.8-27-6-W5M. Tom was a bachelor whos name was given to Robinson Creek which flows into the Ghost River.

Ref: Big Hill Country, p. 111.

Rogers, E. R.

Mr. E. R. Rogers was the Fire Chief of Calgary from 1889-1896.

Rosaine, Charles John

Charles Rosaine was born in Sweden and he came to Lethbridge in 1886 to work in the coal-mines. He later returned to Sweden and brought his wife, Wilhelmina, and six children to Lethbridge where he worked for the Pot Hole Mines and was an official of the Miners Union. Charles died December 11, 1899, and his wife Wilhelmina died Marc 26, 1915 in Lethbridge.

Ref: SAPD Black Book files.

Ross, H.

Mr. H. Ross is recorded as a resident of Little Red River in 1887.

Ross, Hector F.

Hector Ross was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1889.

Ross, John

John Ross, drove horses from Colorado in 1886 and settled in the valley on Ross Creek in the Pincher Creek area.

Ref: History of the Early Days of Pincher Creek p. 10-12.

Ross, Walter.

Walter Ross established a large ranch in Southern Alberta around 1887.

Ref: Calgary Herald, July 13, 1943.

Ross, William Edward

William Ross, born September 12, 1862 at Baddock, Nova Scotia, came to the Calgary-Canmore area in mid 1880s. He married Elizabeth MacKay on Nov. 25, 1889 at Calgary and they had ten children. He married a second wife, Mary Anne Whiddon Aug. 17, 1908 and they had three children. He died September 15, 1913 at Edmonton, Alberta.

Ref: SAPD Black Book and membership application files, Re; M. M. and J. E. Bliss.

Rouleau, Archilles (Arthur)

Archilles Rouleau from Quebec, was with the NWMP (reg. No. 497) stationed at Fort Macleod likely in the 1870s and took his discharge in September, 1885. In a partnership with W. H. Metzler, he homesteaded the NE 1/4 of Section 27 in the Pincher Creek area. Having never married, he retired to Pincher Creek and died in the early 1930s and is buried at Fairview Cemetery.

Ref: Prairie Grass to Mountain Pass, p. 450.

Rouleau, Arthur.

Arthur Rouleau was with the NWMP and was at the detachment on Dry Forks. He became a pioneer settler of that district.

Ref: History of the Early Days of Pincher Creek p. 46.

Rouleau, Charles Borromee.

Judge Charles Rouleau, born at Isle Verte, Quebec, December 13, 1840, was called to the bar in 1868, and was appointed Stipendary Magistrate for the NWT in 1883. After settling at Battleford, his duties took him to Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, and Prince Albert. He was eventually transferred in around 1886 to Calgary where he became the first supreme court judge.

Ref: Sagas of The Canadian West, June 1971., p. 21.

Rowe, Amos.

Amos Rowe was a charter member of the board of the first hospital established in Calary in October, 1890. He was appointed the first sub-collector of Customs at Calgary in 1885. He was agent of Dominion Lands for the Calgary district, NWT in 1885 and was also President of the Fair Board, 1888-1891.

Ref: Calgary Daily Herald, November 18, 1933 and Glenbow newsletter February, 1971.

Russell, James & Mary

James Russell and Mary, married in October of 1883 in Portage La Prairie, and moved to Tilley, Alberta with the CPR during the same year. They resided in Tilley until 1885 when they took land in the Longlaketon district and moved to Craven, Saskatchewan in 1901.

Ref: SAPD files, Obituary of Mary Russell.

Russell, Charles M.

Charles Russell arrived in Alberta in May of 1888, a member of the Weinard expedition. He spent the summer and a mild winter visiting various camps in the area and returned to Montana with sketches and memories that he later painted.

Ref: Leaves from the Medicine Tree.

Ruers (Rivers) W.T.

Mr. W. T. Ruers was recorded as a member of the Calgary Odd Fellows Lodge in 1885.

Ryan, Charles

Charles Ryan arrived in Fort Macleod in 1874, as a member of the NWMP under Colonel Macleod. He left the force in 1880 and ranched for a few years and later operated a grocery store in Fort Macleod. He died January 16, 1916.