For the Week of Monday, June 20, 2022
On June 23, 1885, the Macleod Gazette published an article about John Ware, a formerly enslaved man of African descent who became a well-known rancher and cowboy in Western Canada. “The horse is not running on the prairie which John cannot ride,” it declared.
Little is known about the early life of John Ware. He is believed to have been born into enslavement on a plantation in the southern United States, sometime between 1845 and 1850, and gained his freedom after the American Civil War. He subsequently moved to Texas, where he learned the skills of a cowboy, driving herds northward to the ranges of Montana. He was a seasoned cattleman when hired, in 1882, to help bring 3,000 head of cattle from Idaho for the newly formed North West Cattle Company to the site of their ranch in the foothills of present-day Alberta, which came to be known by the Bar U brand. Learning that his skills were in great demand, Ware decided to stay in the region, working large herds of cattle and horses for operations, like the Bar U and the Quorn. He quickly became known as an accomplished cowboy.
Popular histories of cattle ranching on the northern plains in the late 19th and early 20th centuries have long emphasized the contributions of white Europeans and Americans. However, large numbers of cowboys and ranch hands were Indigenous Peoples and people of African descent. At rodeos and in informal displays of work-based horsemanship, they demonstrated the exceptional skills that helped them make important contributions to cattle ranching during this period.
By 1888, John Ware owned a small herd of his own and established a ranch on the north fork of Sheep Creek, close to the Quorn outfit. His herd quickly grew to hundreds of cattle. He continued to work for wages at the large ranches around his homestead, and in 1890, laboured for the High River Horse Ranch. In 1892, he married Mildred Lewis, the daughter of a Black homesteader and cabinetmaker who had recently arrived from Ontario. For a decade, Ware ranched on the Sheep, but moved east as surrounding grazing lands began to be fenced by new settlers, likely due to a desire to expand his ranch. In 1902, Ware established a new ranch on the Red Deer River, in the Duchess area, northeast of Brooks. By this time, his family grew to include five children. Tragedy struck in 1905, when Mildred died from typhoid and pneumonia, and John was killed when his horse stumbled in a badger hole. Famous in southern Alberta during his lifetime, legend had it that he could stop a steer head-on and wrestle it to the ground, break the wildest broncos, and easily lift 18-month-old cattle. He remains a Western Canadian folk hero.
John Ware is a designated national historic person. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) advises the Government of Canada on the commemoration of national historic persons—individuals who have made unique and enduring contributions to the history of Canada.
The National Program of Historical Commemoration relies on the participation of Canadians in the identification of places, events and persons of national historic significance. Any member of the public can nominate a topic for consideration by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Learn how to participate in this process.