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Mormon Settlement in Southern Alberta

Conditions in Utah, 1880

Charles Ora Card was a prominent citizen in Logan, Utah during
the 1880s, and by 1885 he was being sought by U.S. marshalls for
practising polygamy.² Card was therefore looking for a place of
refuge to elude the marshalls and escape imprisonment. He coun-
seled with John Taylor, president of the Church, and asked Taylor if
Mexico would serve as an appropriate place to relocate. President
Taylor had lived in eastern Canada prior to joining the Church, and
advised Card not to go to Mexico but to go to Canada. President Tay-
lor felt the Church members would receive justice and fair treatment
under British rule. Taylor advised him to make an exploratory trip to
western Canada to look for a suitable place of refuge and possible
settlement, and then to report back to the First Presidency of the
Church.

Early History of Land Settlement in Western Canada³

In the early 1850s there was increased interest in settling the
western area of Canada. There was also rising opposition to the
monopoly the Hudson's Bay Company held over the vast territory of
Rupert's Land. The potential use of this land for settlement and the
possibility of its being annexed by the U.S. were two of the reasons
for several investigations and reports conducted by the British and
Canadian governments.⁵

The government of Great Britain sent Captain Palliser and the
Canadian government sent Professor H. Y. Hind to explore the possi-
bilities of agriculture in western Canada. Captain Palliser considered
the land comprised two divisions: the fertile belt and the semi-arid
belt. The fertile belt included the wooded northern area, the semi-
desert area included the treeless prairie of the southern plains of
what is now Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Professor Hind's report was more favorable to colonization than
Palliser's but both felt that the treeless southern plains were unfit for
settlement because of the climate, the soil and the absence of fuel.

After several years of negotiation, the Hudson's Bay Company's
rights over this area were cancelled. In 1870 the Canadian govern-
ment annexed and opened the territory for settlement. By June 8,
1870, all territory previously held by the Hudson's Bay Company
was transferred to the Dominion of Canada. The Hudson's Bay Com-
pany was paid 300 000 pounds sterling to surrender all of its rights
and privileges in Rupert's Land. The company did, however, retain a
land grant of one-twentieth of the land situated in the fertile belt, cer-
tain blocks of land located in the vicinity of trading posts amounting
to 50 000 acres, and the right to continue their fur trade.⁶

The land grant of one-twentieth of the land located in the fertile
belt has had an important influence on the land policy of western
Canada. At the time of the transfer of Rupert's Land to the Canadian
government, the West, and especially the area later known as
Alberta, was sparsely inhabited. After the transfer of the land to the
Dominion govemment, the Dominion Lands Act was passed. This Act
outlined the survey system and the method of land settlement to be
followed. The grid system of survey used in the westem United States
was adopted; and since the territory of western Canada was not
settled when the survey system was adopted in 1872, a uniform and
integrated survey was feasible throughout most of the area.⁷

Surveying the land prior to settlement avoided much of the
difficulties arising from squatter settlement. The 1874 establishment
of the Royal North West Mounted Police (RNWMP) also insured a
more orderly settlement in western Canada than had been experi-
enced in other frontier areas. Thus the Mormon settlers who came to
southern Alberta in 1887, in fact all settlers who came to western
Canada, were able to establish themselves in a fairly orderly way.

Southwestern Alberta Prior to 1887

By 1881 the Cochrane Ranch Company owned and leased a large
area of land west of Calgary. The Cochrane Ranch Company suffered
severe cattle losses during the first few winters in the Calgary area.
As a result, its interest shifted south where in 1883, the company
purchased approximately 66 500 acres in the "chinook belt" located
between the Belly and Waterton rivers. In addition, it acquired a
grazing lease on nearby lands.

Prior to 1887, there were a few men located on small land hold-
ings in the Lee's Creek, an area not far from where Cardston is
presently located.⁸ The majority of these men had been discharged
from the RNWMP while some had been formerly employed on
nearby ranches. Included in this group were Fred and Vern Shaw,
and E. N. Barker who later knew Charles Ora Card.⁹ The present
Blood Indian Reserve, which borders the north edge of Cardston,
was established in 1883 under Treaty No. 7, Adhesion 203. This
reserve covers 541 square miles, and is the largest Indian reserve in
Canada.

The Cardston area is located in the black and dark-brown soil
zone which is fertile and good for agriculture. However, this area has
a short growing season and limited rainfall. These two factors caused
problems for the early settlers.

Exploratory Trip to Western Canada

Card and those with him were impressed with the land around
High River and noted several desirable locations available for settle-
ment between Calgary and Fort MacLeod. Notwithstanding, they
continued southward. Eventually they reached the area between the
Belly and Waterton rivers and were impressed with the land in the
Stand Off area. Following this brief exploratory trip, Charles Ora
Card returned to Utah and submitted a written report to President
John Taylor. His report was favorably received and for the next
several months Card engaged in gathering a party of settlers to go to
Canada.

Over forty families initially promised to emigrate with Card, but
only ten remained interested by the time he was ready to leave. Card
left Cache Valley, Utah, on March 23, 1887 and on April 16 he and six
other men crossed the border into Canada. However when the men
arrived at the designated spot between the Belly River and Waterton
River, the land was under lease to the Cochrane Ranch Company and
consequently not available. E. N. Barker, a local rancher who had
settled in the Lee's Creek area in 1884, and Herbert A. Donovan of
the Cochrane Ranch Company, told Card other land was available in
the Lee's Creek area. On April 26, Card reported that the group had
inspected the land and it was unanimously agreed that the Lee's
Creek location was the best available alternative.

While the land had been leased, the lease had expired in the fall
of 1886 and in 1887 Card made claim to the land.^l0After making
claim to the area Charles Ora Card left instructions with the
RNWMP to direct Mormon settlers to the area located approximately
three miles up stream from where Lee's Creek flows into the St
Mary's River. By May 1, the settlers had ceremoniously plowed the
first furrow, started to cultivate the land and to plant crops. By June
3, 1887, there were 41 settlers in the community which was to
become the town of Cardston.

The Town of Cardston Established

The naming of the town was evolutionary. From June 1887 to
July 1888 the community was referred to as "Lee's Creek," and from
July 1888 to May 1889 both "Card" and "Lee's Creek" were used.
However, the name "Cardston" was officially adopted in November
1889. Cardston was proclaimed a town on July 2,1901 and C. O. Card
was elected as its first mayor on July 22,1901.

To the settlers, Cardston was a place of refuge. They came seek-
ing to establish their homes where they would be free from prosecu-
tion and imprisonment, under U.S. law, for practising polygamy.
These first settlers were devout Mormons willing to sacrifice and
endure hardship and privation for the right to worship as they
believed. Many of these first settlers had been well-established in the
Cache Valley area prior to coming to Cardston, yet, they were willing
to forsake what they had to establish new homes in the frontier area
of southern Alberta. These settlers were "a homogeneous group . . .
definitely loyal to the tenets of the Church. This religious homo-
geneity made for effective social control in the community on the
frontier.... Cardston was a colony with a purpose ... It was dedi-
cated to a cause.''^ll

For those who came later, southern Alberta (where land was
available for settlement) was considered a place of economic oppor-
tunity. This was especially so after the new colony showed signs of
permanency: "While the desire to escape persecution was the pri-
mary motive for the settlement of Cardston the attraction of
economic possibilities was the basis for the new movement which
began in 1899.''^l2

Church officials in Salt Lake City were anxious to see the new
settlement become permanent and offered assistance in several
ways. Financial assistance was given to purchase the townsite and in
1889 the Mormon Church bought 9 840 acres in Township 3 Range,
24 West of the 4th Meridian (Woolford area) and leased 18 400 acres
in Township 2 Range 24 West of the 4th Meridian. This land was
located east and south of Cardston. The land was operated as a
church ranch for a short time, and the leased land was later pur-
chased by the Church and sold to settlers.

The small group of settlers was isolated. A forty mile wagon trail
separated them from the nearest towns of Lethbridge and Fort
Macleod. They struggled under difficult conditions for several years
to establish a stable community. Charles Ora Card was to the Cards-
ton area settlers, what Brigham Young had been to the first Mormon
settlers in Utah. Because of his practicality, his strength of character
and his firm testimony, Card was both their spiritual and temporal
leader. The Church leadership in Salt Lake City gave Card their full
support as he accepted as a mission call the challenge to establish a
Mormon settlement in southern Alberta.

With financial support from his wife, Zina Young Card, Charles
Ora Card promoted, sponsored and invested in many projects that
helped the colony to become well-established. These projects
included a store, a saw mill, a small coal mine, a cheese factory, a
grist mill, and a small irrigation project to irrigate land in the Aetna
area. Not all of these projects were successful; however, all helped to
fill the needs of the settlers at that time and contributed to the image
of a stable community.

These early settlers had considerable irrigation farming experi-
ence. Soon after arriving in Cardston, they developed several small
irrigation projects. In 1898, Card had the opportunity to assist in the
construction of a large irrigation project.

Irrigation Development

Through these efforts, the Mormon settlers introduced irrigation
to southern Alberta and in return were given the land they needed
for settlement and agriculture.

New Towns, Villages Established

In 1905 and 1906, the Mormon church negotiated and purchased
the Cochrane Ranch, a block of 66 500 acres located between the
Waterton and Belly rivers, for $6.50 an acre. Most of the land was
later sold to settlers, and resulted in the establishment of the com-
munities of Glenwood, Hillspring and Hartley. The western portion
of the Cochrane Ranch was operated as a church ranch before being
sold in the 1960s.

Mormons settled in Diamond City and Picture Butte when land
in the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation area was made available in
1925. A few Mormons began to move north to Calgary and Edmon-
ton in the 1920s, however, it was not until after 1950 that a significant
number located in these cities. By 1931, approximately 90 percent of
the Mormons were living in southwestern Alberta.^{l6, l7}

The growth of the Mormon settlements was viewed with some
apprehension and suspicion by non-Mormons in the surrounding
settlements. However, there was no outright persecution as was
experienced in the early Mormon settlements in the United States:
"The Mormons [in Alberta] are viewed by outsiders as a peculiar
people, and they on their part feel that outsiders do not understand
them.''^l8 These feelings unified, isolated and strengthened the Mor-
mon settlements.

In 1987, one hundred years after the first 41 settlers arrived at
Lee's Creek, Cardston's population was approximately 3 500 people
with another 9 000 in the surrounding trading area. A souvenir book-
let published that year states:

And now - after 100 years, it is still a beautiful country, but in a dif-
ferent way. Where once only prairie grass, the wild rose, blue bells,
shooting stars, and a myriad of other wild flowers decorated the
landscape, now stands the town of Cardston with thousands of
trees, beautiful lawns, gardens, handsome homes, stately churches,
modern business blocks and malls, and newly paved roads. Now
the rolling lands of the countryside undulate with the movement of
growing grain where once only stirrup-high prairie grass vibrated
with the western breeze. And still, after one hundred years, this fer-
tile land gives unstintingly to those who use it wisely.^l9

The Mormon pioneers laid the religious, social, and economic
foundation for a stable community. The network of Mormon settle-
ments throughout southern Alberta provided the justification for the
building of a temple.

Growth of the Church Organization²⁰

The 1912 announcement of the building of a temple in Cardston
indicated that the members of the Church in southern Alberta had
shown by their numbers as well as by their commitment that they
were worthy of a temple. The announcement was made just
twenty-five years from when on the first Sunday in the new settle
ment the members held a Sacrament meeting in the tent of Josiah
Hammer.

The church organization had grown steadily in the small com-
munity, and in turn, in the new Mormon settlements of southern
Alberta. On October 7,1888, under the direction of Elders Francis M.
Lyman and John W. Taylor, a ward was organized with John A.
Woolf as Bishop, and Johannes Anderson and Thomas P. Lee as
counselors. This new ward, designated the "Card Ward," was
included in the Cache Valley Stake, Utah. Sterling Williams, son of
Zina Card by a former marriage and a member of the first company
of settlers, stated that after the ward was organized the feeling of
permanency increased in the new settlement.²¹

In 1889 President Wilford Woodruff and Elders George Q. Can-
non, Joseph F. Smith and Brigham Young Jr. of the Quorum of the
Twelve, visited the new settlement. It was at this time the name of
the ward was changed to Cardston. During the early years of the
new settlement, many of the general authorities of the Church
visited southern Alberta. The visitors showed a keen interest in the
increase in the population, and the growth and development of the
Church in this area.

Two Stakes Established in Southern Alberta

Due to Charles Ora Card's failing health, he was less able to take
part in the temporal affairs of the new settlement after 1900. In 1902,
he was released as stake president and set apart as patriarch. At this
time the Alberta Stake had grown to include the following wards:
Cardston, Aetna, Mountain View, Leavitt, Caldwell, Stirling,
Magrath, Kimball, Taylorville and Raymond. President Card's health
deteriorated further and on December 10, 1903, he left Cardston.
Charles Ora Card returned to Logan, Utah and died September 9,
1906. Brigham Young Card, grandson of Charles Ora Card, stated:
"C. O. Card and Zina Y. Card were unusual pioneers. The spiritual,
economic and overall development of Cardston and southwestern
Alberta today, is in no small measure, a product of their unique,
dedicated, capable and unselfish leadership."^{22, 23}

After the release of Charles Ora Card, Heber S. Allen was called
and set apart as the new stake president. His counselors were Theo-
dore Brandley and Edward James Wood.

The 1893 population of Cardston was 593 and by July 1901 it had
increased to 631. The church membership in Alberta continued to
increase after 1902, especially in Magrath, Raymond and Stirling. The
Alberta Stake was divided by President Joseph F. Smith at a stake
conference held August 30, 1903. H. S. Allen was called to preside
over the newly formed Taylor Stake, with Theodore Brandley and J.
William Knight as counselors. Edward James Wood was called to
preside over the Alberta Stake with Thomas Duce and Sterling Willi-
ams as counselors. These two pioneer leaders served as stake
presidents for thirty-three and thirty-nine years respectively. They
were temporal as well as spiritual leaders of the Saints. Many new
settlements in southern Alberta were established under their leader-
ship. They were the only stake presidents in Canada until 1921, when
the third Canadian stake was created in Lethbridge shortly before
the Temple was dedicated in August 1923.

Heber S. Allen was one of the first settlers in Cardston. He was
the first Government postmaster, and later involved in a Cardston
mercantile business. When H. S. Allen became president of the Tay-
lor Stake in 1903, he moved to Raymond, bought a farm and pur-
chased another mercantile business. President Allen was recognized
as one of the stalwart pioneer leaders in the development of southern
Alberta.²⁴

Edward J. Wood and his family arrived in Cardston on
November 7, 1901 and with T. W. Woolf. T. A. Hammer. Robert Ibey
and Sterling Williams, bought the Cardston Mercantile Co., Ltd.
Edward J. Wood left the mercantile company in 1907 to become the
colonization manager for the large tract of land acquired by the
Church from the Cochrane Ranch Company. During his thirty-nine
years as stake president, until he was 77-years-old, E. J. Wood's role
was the same: "touring the wards and branches of the stake, teach-
ing, preaching, encouraging, buoying up, bearing testimony, solving
disputes, calming quarrels, discerning Saints in need of help, correct-
ing, guiding and inspiring others to change their lives for the better.
In reality, this was the spiritual work of his life."^{25, 26}

Mormon Influence in Southern Alberta

By 1912 the Mormons in southern Alberta were well-established
both temporally and spiritually. The new settlers were generally
industrious and were mainly responsible for establishing several
stable agricultural communities. They took an active part in local
affairs and in many projects that were a benefit to the communities
where they lived. As an example, they were mainly responsible for
the sugar factory construction in Raymond in 1903. By 1912, two
stakes with several wards and branches were organized. Most
members of the stakes were faithful in attending church meetings
and in the payment of tithing and fast offerings. These Mormon
settlers demonstrated by the hardships they endured, by their faith
and by their sacrifices that they were individually and collectively
worthy of a temple being built in this area.

By 1913, most of the available land had been taken and
immigration to southern Alberta from Utah and Idaho had ceased,
and there were approximately 7 000 Mormons firmly established in
southern Alberta. An article written by Frank Steele for the April,
1914 edition of the Improvement Era states:²⁷

The Latter-day Saints are largely responsible for the mighty
transformation of southern Alberta from its wild, primitive state to
the region of beauty and wealth which distinguishes it today.... It
was in 1887 that Charles Ora Card of Logan, Utah and his resolute
associates of brave men and braver women in the very southwest
corner of what is now the province of Alberta, pitched their tents
for the first time on British soil.... It was from this nucleus that the
first Canadian colony sprang into existence. It is true that they suf-
fered all of the hardships, privations and disappointments con-
nected with such work. The history of those early days would oft
times soften the hardest heart. But they were men and women of
character, and in the gradual conquest of the wilderness, that feel-
ing of ultimate victory spurred them on to greater achievements.

During the 1930s, many members of the Church who lived in the
area served by the Alberta Temple suffered severe hardships and
became discouraged. Some left the area to try to establish themselves
elsewhere. In 1930, approximately 62 percent of the population of
Alberta was classified as rural and 38 percent as urban. By 1970 this
had changed dramatically, 80 percent of the population was
classified as urban and 20 percent as rural. Since the 1940s the aver-
age size of farms in western Canada and Alberta has been increasing
and the number of farms has been decreasing. Consequently, many
of the small rural villages have disappeared. Several of the small
rural wards and branches established prior to 1940 have been dis-
solved and these members have been included in the nearby remain-
ing wards.

The population in rural areas has not substantially increased as
it has in the larger urban areas of Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmon-
ton. There has been a population surplus for the southern Alberta
rural Mormon settlements. Young people have had to leave the com-
munities where they were raised to find occupations elsewhere.
These young people have mainly settled in the urban centres in
Alberta, Canada and the U.S. This exodus of young people from the
southern Alberta Mormon communities continues as the growth of
the Church in Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton in the last forty to
fifty years is evidence. The first Lethbridge stake was established in
1921, Calgary in 1953, and Edmonton in 1960. In 1989 there are two
stakes in Lethbridge, four in Calgary, three in Edmonton and one in
Red Deer, thus, ten of the sixteen stakes in Alberta are located in
large urban centres.²⁸

Most of the pioneers in southern Alberta Mormon communities
were active members of the Church who believed that keeping the
commandments of the Lord was of utmost importance. It is a credit
to the stalwart Mormon pioneer settlers of southern Alberta that
their sons and daughters have strengthened and often formed the
nucleus of the church organization in many urban centres.²⁹ Some
have served in leadership positions at church headquarters, as gen-
eral authorities and in the auxiliary organizations. Many of these
young people have gone on missions, to university, and established
themselves in various professions.

The Mormon population in Alberta has increased from the 41
settlers who arrived in 1887 to over 52 000. The change in the struc-
ture of the Mormon population from rural to predominately urban
has followed the trend of the general population growth of Alberta.

The problems confronting the members of today's Church are
different from those faced in 1887. However, those members who are
willing to sacrifice their time and energy by committing themselves
to regular temple attendance, find that it helps them gain spiritual-
ity, guidance and inspiration to overcome the problems that concern
them. Thus the Temple continues to serve as the spiritual centre to
all the Mormons of Alberta and all church members of the Alberta
Temple district.

Notes

Note: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official
name of the Church, however, the Church is often referred to as the Mor-
mon church as well as the LDS or Latter-day Saint Church.

²Charles Ora Card was President of the Cache Valley Stake from 1884
to 1891, served as the building superintendent during the construction of
the Logan Tabernacle from 1873 to 1877, and later filled the same role for
the construction of the Logan Temple from 1877 to 1884.

³Most of the information on the early history of Alberta prior to 1887
was taken from:

Wood, V. A. "Public Land Policy for Alberta." Ph.D. thesis,

University of Minnesota, October 1953.

Please note: Alberta became a province in 1905, prior to that time it
was part of the Northwest Territories.

⁴"Public Land Policy for Alberta," p.14.

⁵"Public Land Policy for Alberta," p.17.

⁶"Public Land Policy for Alberta," p. 21.

⁷Survey System of Western Canada. See Appendix I.

⁸Lee's Creek was named after Sam Lee who established a trading post
in 1867 on the creek west of Beazer.

⁹Charles Ora Card: Pioneer and Colonizer p.198.

¹⁰Charles Ora Card: Pioneer and Colonizer p.199

¹¹'Nelson, Lowry. "The Mormon Settlements in Alberta," Group Settle-
ment Ethnic Communities in Western Canada Editor, C. A. Dawson, Toronto:
The MacMillan Company,1936, p. 205.

^l2"Ibid.

¹³The directors of the company to build the canal included Charles
Ora Card, C. A. Magrath, E. T. Galt and W. D. Barclay.

¹⁴"Two Hundred Men with Teams Wanted." See Appendix II.

¹⁵Lehr, J. "Mormon Settlement Morphology in Southern Alberta." The
Albertan Geographer, The University of Alberta, No.8,1972.

^l6Palmer, Howard Land of the Second Chance. A History of Ethnic
Groups in Southern Alberta. Lethbridge Herald, 1972.

^I7West, Karen "Cardston: The Temple City." Canadian Geographical
Journal. Vol. 71 (November 1965). See Appendix III.

¹⁸Group Settlement Ethnic Communities in Western Canada. p. 178.

^l9"Souvenir of Cardston and District 100 Years 1887-1987."

²⁰In the Mormon church, local units are called branches or wards
depending on their size. A Branch President and two counselors preside
over a branch and a Bishop and two counselors preside over a ward. A
stake is a larger unit consisting of several wards and branches. It is
presided over by a stake president, two counselors and a High Council
consisting of 12 men. The Church is presided over by the President and
two counselors, a Quorum of Twelve Apostles, a Quorum of Seventies,
and a presiding Bishop and two counselors. These are referred to as the
General Authorities of the Church.

²¹Zina Card, wife of Charles Ora Card, was a daughter of President
Brigham Young. Her first husband, Thomas Williams, died. She then mar-
ried Charles Ora Card.

²²Chief Mountain Country. Volume II, p. ll.

²³For more information see: Charles Ora Card, Pioneer
and Colonizer; The Founding of the Mormon Community in Alberta;
History of the Mormon Church in Canada, 1968; or Founding of Cardston
and Vicinity. Cardston, 1960.

^24A History of the Mormon Church in Canada. p. 100.

When President Allen was released as president of the Taylor stake
on May 3,1936, after 33 years of service, a large gathering was held in
his honor in Raymond. The Saints of the stake were given an oppor-
tunity to show their appreciation to this veteran leader and those
associated with him. Heber J. Grant, president of the Church and his
counselors Antoine R. Ivins, John H. Taylor, and their wives and Eld-
ers Melvin J. Ballard of the Ouorum of the Twelve were present for
the occasion. President Heber J. Grant expressed appreciation for
being present on such a memorable occasion and paid tribute to the
faithful leadership of President Heber S. Allen. Elder Melvin J. Bal-
lard said: "The members of this stake possibly do not realize the great
leadership we have had in President Allen."

²⁵Nielson, Olive Wood A Treasury of Edward J. Wood. Salt Lake City:
Publishers Press, p. 292.

This book gives a history of the life of Edward James Wood and
quotes extensively from his diaries. The diaries have been reviewed
and when quoted from, they will be noted as E. 1. Wood Diary and give
the year of the citation.

^26A History of the Mormon Church in Canada. p. 7P7, compares Wood's
leadership skill to that of Card: "President Wood's leadership of the stake
was much like that of C. O. Card. He led the people in every phase of their
lives."

²⁷Steele, C. Frank, Improvement Era, April 1914.
²⁸In Alberta, there are also two stakes in Cardston, and one in Ray-
mond, Magrath, Taber, and Fort MacLeod.

²⁹When the Calgary stake was organized in 1953 and the Edmonton
stake in 1960, all of the members of the two stake presidencies and the
majority of the members of the High Council came from southern Alberta
communities. For more information see: History of the Mormon Church in
Canada.

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