Pioneers by Rick Day

#horse #Pioneers #RickDay

Climb inside a wagon? You don't need to ask us twice.

While at Four Mile Historic Park we came upon this covered wagon. The kids immediately climbed inside to look around.

The wagon had the accouterments those who drove those wagons across the Plains and through the mountains of Colorado would store for the trip.

Denver's Four Mile Historic Park showed us much of what life in Colorado in the 19th Century was like.

#coveredwagon #Colorado #fourmilehistoricpark #familytravel #pioneers

Say Her Name.

Gladys West, 

a largely-unheralded black woman who passed away at the age of 95 on January 17, 2026.

Her scientific contributions enabled us to understand geodesy and the shape of the Earth well enough to make GPS technology possible

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/gladys-west-einstein-gps/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=swab

#sayhername #science #pioneers #womenshistory #WomenInSTEM #women

#KnowledgeByte: #Healthcare is one of the fields which has seen remarkable progress in last few centuries - based on different discoveries and inventions by the #Pioneers of the field.

Here is a list of some of these pioneers and their contributions. #HerosOfMedicine

https://knowledgezone.co.in/posts/Heroes-of-Medicine-659badd2b5fad7c7b2e139fc

Hype for the Future 8D: Madonna of the Trail Statues

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2025/11/08/hype-for-the-future-8d-madonna-of-the-trail-statues/

Maple Creek’s Intriguing Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre

The first shipment of cattle from western Canada left Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, for eastern markets in 1884. Thereafter, the town became known as “The Old Cowtown of Maple Creek.”

Today, Maple Creek’s location just twenty minutes from the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, along with its old west history, make it an important Saskatchewan destination. And the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre museum does a fabulous job of archiving its intriguing history.

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

My favorite spot in the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre Museum was where we started our tour in The Old West Room.

It’s home to a bright, dynamic collection of painting prints by Charlie Russell. The room also contains a collection of vintage saddles donated by local ranchers.

The 110 piece collection was put together by Rodger Newby, a rancher in the Maple Creek area.

Over the years Newby had collected the prints from vintage calendars and magazines. Then, he framed them.

Charlie (C.M. Russell or Charles Marion Russell) was born in 1864 in St. Louis, Missouri. In the 1880s he traveled west to Montana, where his first painting was commissioned in 1885 by a saloon owner in Utica.

Russell created more than 2000 paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, and landscapes set in the western U.S. and Canada, before passing away in 1926 at the age of 62.

What’s in the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre?

The Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre is located in the former Jasper Street School. It was built in two sections, 1910 and 1914, using local bricks. After being closed as a school in 1986, it opened as a museum on July 1, 1988.

Today, the museum provides around 20,000 sq. feet of exhibition, meeting, and programming space. Ceilings are still finished with the original molded-tin and hardwood floors. You can almost see children rushing up the well-worn stairs and through the long hallways.

The museum is divided into a number of smaller galleries beginning with the original Fleming Collection. The Fleming collection was from Irvine and Phoebe (Tootsie) Fleming. They were local ranchers who had originally displayed the collection on their ranch.

Now, the Ranch House Room is set up with artifacts from the 19th century.

More Galleries & Rooms

Altogether there are nearly 20 different galleries and rooms covering different periods in Maple Creek and area history, as well as art collections. They’re organized by theme, ranging from a NWMP room to a Victorian Parlour with a dining table originally from the NWMP “A” Division Barracks.

With our family history of rodeo, we spent a lot of time going through the Bert Ingram Rodeo Room. It included information about regional rodeos, the cowboys, and the rodeo stock providers.

Moving on, the Boardwalk Room contained many artifacts from the Dixon Brothers’ Department Store.

The cash register built in 1885 was one of my favorites!

The People

The strength of local museums is always in the histories of those who built the community.

From the Post Office Room with artifacts donated by 1976 to 1986 postmaster, Bill Colquhoun, to the Geraldine Moodie (first professional female photographer working east of Winnipeg and into the Arctic) Women’s Gallery, to the Michel Oxarart Western Gallery (Oxarart was the first official rancher in the Cypress Hills area), its a history rich in story.

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

Maple Creek is located a few miles south of the Trans-Canada Highway in southwest Saskatchewan. It’s a great day-trip destination.

These are some of my favorite places to check out in town:

• Cowtown Kids Toy & Candy: Largest independent toy store in Saskatchewan with over 30,000 products. It’s an amazing place to shop for kids.
• Hill Country Clothing: Excellent collection of cowboy gear for everyone, right down to the kids. You’ll find clothing, footwear, tack, accessories and more.
• Rebellion Apparel, Antiques and Local Artisan Shop: Modeled after a trading post, this proudly Indigenous, passionately local, shop has lots everything from fresh honey to hand-crafted souvenirs.
• Broken Spoke Fine Art Gallery: A wide collection of showings by various Western Canadian artists.
• Cypress Hills Winery and Rafter R Brewing Company: Enjoy some adult beverages.

We also recommend the Jasper Lounge & Liquor Store for a cold one or meal. It’s the oldest tavern in Saskatchewan with 120 years of history!

Who Should Visit Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre?

The Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre Museum is a must-see stop for those interested in how the “west was won” in late 1800s Saskatchewan.

Ranching was a hard life, and the museum explores the lives of cowboys and the women who managed the ranch house.

Due to the arrival of train service in early 1883, just months after it reached the capital city, Regina, the area was settled early in Saskatchewan’s history.

Displays are spacious, so there’s lots of room to see and explore. Historic information is provided about each grouping of artifacts, along with many individually identified items.

The museum has an elevator and stairs between the floors.

We spent a couple of hours in the museum. However, those who have less familiarity with ranching and rodeo will likely need longer.

How Do You Visit the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre Museum?

Maple Creek is around 100 km from Medicine Hat, Alberta, just a few minutes from the Trans-Canada Highway.

Street Location: 311 Jasper Street, Maple Creek.

The museum is open year-round. Check the days and hours at the Jasper Cultural and Historical Centre website.

Learn more about the museum and keep up to date with what’s happening on the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre Facebook page.

Take a virtual tour of the museum with The Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre video on YouTube.

Or, check out the opening for the Geraldine Moodie Women’s Gallery on YouTube.

More Places to See in Saskatchewan

Check out all of guide2museum.com’s reviews of museums in Saskatchewan.

Read More Reviews of Heritage Museums

• Maple Creek’s Intriguing Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre

• Front Street Cowboy Museum: Ogallala, Nebraska

• Discover the Mormon Handcart Historic Site & Devil’s Gate in Wyoming

• See 100 Miles Across Nebraska From Scotts Bluff National Monument

• Standout Ranching History at the MonDak Heritage Center: Sidney, Montana

• New Iceland Heritage Museum: Gimli, Manitoba, Canada

• Crazy Horse Memorial & Museums: South Dakota’s Black Hills

• Myra Museum: Lustron House & More in Grand Forks, North Dakota

• Fort Cody Trading Post: Miniature Wild West Show in North Platte, Nebraska

• Miracle of America Museum: 40+ Buildings in Polson, Montana

• Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

• Museum of Northern British Columbia: Indigenous Art & History in Prince Rupert, British Columbia

• Heritage Village: Museum in Weyburn, Saskatchewan

• Vermilionville: Living History Open Air Village in Lafayette, Louisiana

• Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience: New Orleans, Louisiana

• National Doukhobor Heritage Village: Veregin, Saskatchewan

• Bonanzaville: Open Air Pioneer Village Museum in Fargo, North Dakota

#Canada #cowboys #history #lifestyles #museums #pioneers #Saskatchewan #TransCanadaHwy #travel