Saturday, October 3, 2009

Who was the 1100th Hit?


It was someone from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Was it John Glenn or his beautiful wife Adelaide? "John Glenn (1833 in County Mayo, Ireland – January 9, 1886 in Calgary, Alberta) was the first documented European to settle in the Calgary, Alberta, Canada area. John Glenn took a ship to New York when he was 16 years old. Upon arriving in the United States he decided to travel to Waco, Texas where he took employment on a ranch. In 1861 he was drafted into the Confederate Army, however, as he did not believe in slavery, he deserted and joined the Northern Federal Army. He served during this period under General William Tecumseh Sherman until the end of the Civil war in 1865. He then traveled around the United States, working in mines and in 1867 he moved to British Columbia and then on to Barkerville (along with James Votier and Sam Livingston - who would later become his neighbours in the Calgary area). He spent many years as a solitary man, and at the age of 40 he decided, in 1873 to settle down and this is when he married Adelaide Belcourt of Lac Ste. Anne. The marriage took place in the mission in St. Albert (built by Father Lacombe twenty years earlier) and the ceremony was performed by Father Leduc. They then headed out to find good land to settle on. When they reached Fish Creek they were impressed by the rich soil and decided to make their home there. They built a log cabin in 1873, becoming the first settlers in what is now Calgary[1]. Later he said "I like the climate better than any I have found between the Atlantic and the Pacific; the Rio Grande and the Peace, over all of which Territory I have travelled. There is everything in the country a settler can desire".[Wiki]

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