The distinction of being the first cattle town in the Canadian West must go to Fort Macleod. When this picture of the main street of Fort Macleod was taken in 1880, the nascent cattle industry was still localized about the divisional headquarters of the North West Mounted Police located here. The police provided a limited local market and at the same time, formed the major initial source of new recruits to the ranching industry, thus contributing profoundly to the region's subsequent social development.
Note the Red River carts in the left foreground and the covered freight wagons beside the building centre left. Red River carts, pulled by multi-yoked oxen teams plied the old whiskey trade trail from Fort Benton, Montana. Until the coming of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Fort Macleod remained part of the economic hinterland of this American centre. The main commercial outlet, the I.G. Baker and Co. store (centre right with men and horses in front) found it easy and almost as profitable to switch from the whiskey trade to general merchandise to serve the new inhabitants.
