The Calgary-Edmonton Trail

Scott and Leeson were the owners of the stagecoach that carried passengers between Calgary and Edmonton along the Calgary–Edmonton Trail. The journey took about a week. The stagecoach could hold around twelve passengers, and the fare was $25.00 for a one-way trip.

The Dickson-Stevenson stopping house was about a one-day journey from the pickup point in Calgary. It was located between what is now the City of Airdrie and the town of Crossfield, along the Dickson-Stevenson Trail, which linked up to the Calgary–Edmonton Trail. This route was originally a natural migration path for animals and Indigenous peoples, who had traveled it for thousands of years. By 1886, it was a well-worn trail, clearly showing evidence of long use.

The trail followed the Nose Creek floodplains between Calgary and Crossfield, providing water for both travelers and horses. The Calgary–Edmonton stagecoach operated from 1883 until 1891, when the Calgary–Edmonton Railway was built.

Long before stagecoaches or railways, however, this trail already had a deep history. It was first a migration route for the animal’s native to the Alberta plains, later used by Indigenous peoples for millennia, then by fur traders, and finally by settlers. This path has carried people from all walks of life, and it continues to do so today—its curves (or lack thereof) are now followed by the Queen Elizabeth II Highway.

The Stagecoach Robbery near Sharp Hills

Pete Campbell was nearly finished with another successful trip along the Calgary–Edmonton Trail. On the morning of August 23, 1886, he readied the horses and stagecoach for the final leg back to Calgary. Around noon, the coach left the Dickson-Stevenson Stopping House with three passengers on board.

About four miles southwest of the stopping house lay McPherson Coulee, with two small lakes and a creek—Nose Creek—flowing out of it. The coulee’s water and fertile ground grew long, lush grass, tall enough to conceal a person. As Pete and his passengers made their way near Sharp Hill, they had no idea they were about to experience something unforgettable.

Out of the tall grass emerged two masked men—one carrying a carbine, the other a revolver. They ordered the passengers out of the coach and instructed Pete to move it out of sight from the trail. Pete obeyed, and the passengers followed on foot. One robber collected money from the passengers while the other held them at gunpoint.

The robbers allowed each passenger to keep a dollar or two, but they took the rest—about $544, which would be roughly $18,550 today. They also searched the stagecoach’s mailbags, but found nothing of value.

When they were finished, the robbers unhitched the horses, mounted them, and rode off, leaving Pete and the passengers stranded. They walked back to the Dickson-Stevenson stopping house. A nearby farmer lent Pete a team of horses, and with help, they recovered the abandoned stagecoach and continued to Calgary.

By the time the Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) were alerted, it was around 5:30 p.m., and the robbers were long gone. Eighteen officers tracked them for a short while, but the trail ended with two pairs of brown overalls and a piece of a Union Jack buried in the dirt—items that matched the robbers’ description. One had even used the Union Jack as a mask, a detail the passengers remembered clearly.

Although the NWMP never caught them, they were convinced the culprits were Charlie Lafferty and Jack Young, two men already known for causing trouble. Despite extensive searches from the stopping house into Calgary, the only evidence found was the discarded clothing and the Union Jack mask. Still, many eyewitnesses reported seeing men fitting the robbers’ descriptions in the area earlier that day.

The same men were also suspected in the murder of Scott (Clicker) Kruger, a somewhat shady businessman in the area. Though no one was ever charged, the NWMP believed the robbers likely came across his cabin while fleeing the scene of the robbery. Whether Lafferty and Young were truly responsible for both crimes may never be known. One thing is certain, though—their deeds left behind stories worth telling.

Sources:

Sharp Hill Alberta’s Only Stagecoach Robbery an anthology of stories donated to NCVM by John Bushfield.
100 Years of Nose Creek History e.d. Stephen Wilk, Valerie Jobson and C. Redvers Perry.
One Day’s Journey by Stephen Wilk
Images from Glenbow Archives (Public Domain)