Pioneer Profiles : U

Underwood, Thomas

Thomas Underwood was a carpenter by trade and came to Calgary with the C.P.R. construction gangs. When that job petered out he worked for two and half years with W.J. Cushing and then launched out in business for himself as builder and contractor. Thomas was born at Asfordby, Leicestershire, in 1863. He came to Calgary in 1885 and married Catherine Graves in 1887. They had nine children, three dying in infancy. Catherine Underwood died in 1934 at Calgary, and Thomas Underwood in 1948 also at Calgary. Thomas was elected to the City Council 1895-1901, and was mayor of Calgary for two years, 1902-03. He was deacon of First Baptist Church for thirty odd years.

Researched by M. Lynas

Urch, Richard

Richard Urch came to Lethbridge in 1884 and established Stop-Over House at Fort Kipp in partnership with William H. Long. He was born in England in 1860 and died at Lethbridge in 1924. He returned to England in 1891 to marry the sister of William Long, Elizabeth Long. Elizabeth died at Lethbridge in 1945. They had three children. A large ranch house was built and the stage coach left Fort Macleod at 9:00 a.m., stopped at the Urch Long Ranch for lunch, and reached Lethbridge in the evening. The family also had cattle and had the UL brand.

 

Urquhart, William John

William Urquhart was born in Glengarry County, Ontario in 1842 and married Margery Grant in 1877 at Winnipeg, Manitoba. They arrived in Calgary in 1889, bringing with them their first child, John Kenneth, born in Glengarry County in 1877. Their second child, a son, was born in Calgary in 1890. A third child was a daughter, born at Olds in 1892. William Urquhart died at Chilliwack, B.C. in 1922 and Margery Urquhart died at Vancouver, B.C. in 1940.