Galt Irrigation Canal, Magrath, Alberta

Back in Alberta I picked up where I started and left off last year, exploring the history of irrigation and agriculture in Southern Alberta.

This is what is left of the Magrath Diversion Works from 1920, part of the Galt Irrigation Canal



The Galt Canal was built from 1898 to 1900 and was the first large scale irrigation project in Canada. Sadly the original canal is drained right now.

Some remnants of the original canal works.

The 1900 canal was dug using these slip scrapers

Fort Benton

Fort Benton, Montana is another spot important to the history of North American travel and of settlement in the American (and Canadian) Northwest

It was the furthest spot on the Missouri River that could be navigated by steamboat. As such it was the major crossroads for moving people and supplies to the Northwest before the transcontinental railroads. For gold rushes, trade with the Native Americans, and getting supplies up to Alberta this was the place where everything was unloaded from the river boats.

The recreated fort on the original site

Lewis and Clark obviously traveled through here on their Expedition. Sacagawea looks like she's thinking "are we there yet?" "can we please just stop and ask for directions?"

A nice old ad for passage on one of the steamboats

For onward travel from Fort Benton this guy, John Mullan, made a 600+ mile road to the head of navigation on the Colombia River at Fort Walla Walla.

Mullan's road took 47 days to travel and combined with the steamboats up the Missouri and down the Colombia it was the fastest land-water route across the continent in it's day. For some reason this sign is a lot closer than 28 miles from Fort Benton

Most interesting to me is Fort Benton's connection with Alberta's history. Traveling via the Missouri and Fort Benton was the easiest way to get people and supplies to Alberta before the railroad.

Golden Spike

I find the history of travel in North America to be very romantic; fur trade routes in the 18th century, wagon trains and the railroad in the 19th century, flying boats in the 20th century. Golden Spike National Historic Site marks the spot where the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869



At the site they have replica trains

and lumps of coal

and old adverts, this one from when the line only ran as far west as North Platte Nebraska. This ad states that passengers "Will save 200 Miles Stage Travel and 48 Hours Time by taking this Route"