Calgary's past is full of colourful characters and history altering events. There were booms and busts, heroes, moments of glory and times of tragedy.

NA-967-12 CPR passenger train, Calgary, 1884.

NA-2736-1 Investors waiting to buy oil stocks, Calgary ca. 1914.

NA-952-2 Dingman #1 well, Turner Valley, 1914.

But one common thread tied them all together: The men and women who settled Calgary lived their lives with a spirit of tremendous optimism. And that spirit continues to thrive in our city today.

With a strong pioneering history led by the first settlers over one hundred years ago, Calgary draws significant global attention due to its western spirit and innovative qualities.

In 1875 when the NorthWest Mounted Police (now the RCMP) built Fort Calgary at the junction of the Bow and Elbow rivers it was named Calgary, after Calgary Bay on Scotland's Isle of Mull. Colonel James F. Macleod named Calgary because of his ancestral connections to the Scottish Bay.

As settlers arrived from all over the world, wholesale trade, agriculture and ranching became key components of the local economy - shaping the cultural and social fabric of Calgary for years to come.

Shortly afterwards, the I.G. Baker Company and the Hudson's Bay Company opened trading posts establishing Calgary as a lucrative place to do business- a fact that remains true to this day.

NA-354-19 Stephen Avenue, Calgary 1884. 

NA-1315-9 View of tent town, Calgary, east of the Elbow River, 1883. 

PA-3603-2 Cowboys, ca. 1883.

In 1884 Calgary was incorporated as the "Town of Calgary" with a population of 6,000 people. The position of Calgary at the gateway to the Rocky Mountains paved the way for a number of new train routes to run through Calgary and unite eastern and western Canada.

The influx of people were drawn to the fertile land of the prairies, many farms were set up. Calgary grew slowly until an event occurred that put Calgary on the global map forever.

In 1914 oil was discovered in the surrounding foothills of Calgary. This coincided with the beginning of the First World War, where a lot of oil was needed. Many local ranchers became instantly wealthy and the boomtown of Calgary was born.

Two years before the discovery of oil history was being made on a completely different front. 1912 marked the first year of the Calgary Stampede and the stage was set for "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" to become synonymous with the Calgary name. The Calgary Stampede was the idea of one entrepreneurial spirit, Guy Weadick. He envisioned the Calgary Stampede as being one of the largest wild west shows on earth. This vision has become reality; the Calgary Stampede remains one of the biggest tourist draws to the region of Calgary and fuels its economic prosperity and western hospitality.

Calgary has continued its traditions of entrepreneurial spirit into the 21st century. It is now one of Canada's fastest growing cities and is home to the largest number of head offices in Canada, per capita. Calgary's economy is still boosted by the strong oil and gas industry but has become increasingly diversified with growth in various sectors such as; manufacturing, transportation and logistics and information technology.  

Want to learn more about Calgary? Visit www.liveincalgary.com