List of 150 Alberta Historical People



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79) Johnny Bright


Johnny Bright was an American football player born on June 11th, 1930 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. During his teenage years in high school, Johnny led his school’s team to a city title in 1945 as well in the same year leading his basketball team to Indiana’s Final Four. After being rejected by a number of universities, Johnny settled for a track scholarship to Drake University in Iowa on the requirement that he could try out for the football and basketball teams. He made the football in his second at university and the coaches recognize Johnny’s special talent. As a young adult Johnny broke several game records. And heading into his last year of college he was nominated for the Heisman Trophy Award. Johnny went chosen as a player for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.

After a few years with the Stampeders he was sent to the Edmonton Eskimos. Where he helped Edmonton wins Grey Cups in 1954, 1955, and 1956. In 1958 he broke a record for single season rushing yards. In 1959, he was chosen for the Schenley Award as the league’s best player. After finishing his football career Johnny became a junior high principle in Edmonton. In which a school was named after him in Edmonton. On December 14th in 1983 Johnny passed away.

By Michael Peace

80) John Glenn- First European Settler in Calgary Area


John Glenn was born in Ireland in 1834 and at age 16 years he set off for adventure in North America. While John was working on a ranch in Texas, he was drafted into the Confederate Army in 1862 to fight in the Civil War. Given John was totally opposed to slavery, he switched sides and joined the Union Army which was victorious in 1865.

After the war was over John went to search for gold, first in in the American west, then the province of BC, followed by panning for gold in the Saskatchewan River. He met a wonderful Metis woman named Adelaide Belcourt. They were married on September 1st, 1873 in St. Albert by Father Leduc, after whom the city of Leduc is named.

When John and Adelaide loaded up their mule and headed south to where the Fish Creek River flows into the Bow River, they became Calgary's first European settlers. John wore many hats including, a rancher, who raised cattle and grew hay and oats to be sold to the North West Mounted Police; a freighter, who traded with the Hudsons Bay Company and First Nations people; a tradesman, who built the stone fire places at both Fort Macleod and Fort Calgary; and an innovator, who built an historic irrigation system. Apart from his ranch, John also bought the very first lots in Calgary, where the Telus Convention Centre is now located. He and Adelaide raised 6 children. They sold their first ranch to the Canadian government for $360.00 including a cow and calf.

By Rob Lennard


81) John Ware- Remarkable American Cowboy who Settled in Alberta


John Ware was a cowboy and rancher. He was born in 1845 in Georgetown, South Carolina. He grew up as a slave on a cotton farm in Texas. After the civil war in 1865, he was freed. He is most well-known for his strength and skill when it comes to ranching. He is also known as a talented horse trainer. In 1882, John Ware was hired to move 3000 cattle from the United States to Bar U Ranch in Alberta. John Ware started his own ranching brand around 1885, which he called Four Nines and re-named it to Three Nines in 1898. He stayed in Alberta after completing the job and began working at a few different ranches and started his own ranch in 1890.

In the spring of 1902, his ranch was destroyed by a large flood. The area where he rebuilt his ranch house is now known as Ware Creek. It is near the Red Deer River. Many places in Alberta are named after John Ware including Mount Ware, Ware Creek, John Ware Junior High School in Calgary, John Ware Ridge, and the John Ware Building and Four Nine’s Cafeteria at SAIT. John Ware died in an accident while riding his horse. He was 60 years old. He is most well-known for his actions rather than the words he said.

By Laura Peace

82) Joni Mitchell- Award Winning Folk singer from Fort Macleod


Roberta Anderson was born in Fort Macleod Alberta in 1943; Joni Mitchell became her stage name later in life. She considered Saskatoon her hometown after moving there around the end of World War II. At the young age of 9, she contracted polio, which left her bed ridden. Many doctors predicted that she would never be able to walk again, but defying doctor’s beliefs she fully recovered after spending many nights in a children’s hospital in Saskatoon. She considered Saskatoon her hometown after moving there around the end of World War II.

She grew up immersed in arts and music, constantly singing, teaching herself to play the guitar and taking piano lessons. In her school-aged years her peers and teachers praised her drawing and arts skills. Her teachers in high school encouraged her skills by asking her to write poetry and complete art projects. When she became old enough she moved to Calgary. She enrolled herself in Alberta College of Art, where she discovered her love for folk music. While in Calgary she played her music at local bars and clubs.

After school in Calgary, she moved to Toronto and began travelling around the country playing at concerts and music festivals. Her first year in Toronto was difficult; she struggled to make enough money to join the musicians union, which meant she struggled to find work as a musician. During this time Joni became pregnant, and gave her child up for adoption. She married Folk musician Chuck Mitchell and moved to Detroit. She continued to play in music festivals in and around Detroit.

A couple years later, her marriage to Chuck ended and Joni moved to New York to pursue her career further. She began building quite a following by playing live music down the East coast of the United States. By this point she was travelling all over the United States and had many hit songs. She began to move away from her folk roots, to more commercially acceptable pop music in order to appeal to the masses. One of her most successful albums, “Blue” was written during a European Vacation. Musical stars from today such as Taylor Swift still look to this album for inspiration of their own.

By Aurelia Minutoli


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