Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"FLYING U"

Date

1970

Materials

IRON

No. Pieces

1

Height

8.4

Length

88.2

Width

16.5

Description

HANDMADE. CORRODED. HANDLE FEATURES AN IRON ROD WITH A HOOK LOOP OPPOSITE BRAND END. SMALL SHINY BLACK MARKS ARE PRESENT NEAR THE END OF THE HANDLE. FACE OF IRON IS THE WIDEST PART OF THE OBJECT IN THE SHAPE OF A CURVED ‘FLYING U’. IRON IS BLACK IN COLOUR WITH MARKINGS OF ORANGE RUST, WHITE AND GREY CORROSIVE MARKINGS THROUGHOUT. SOME WARPING IS PRESENT ON FACE OF BRAND.

Subjects

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY T&E

Historical Association

AGRICULTURE

History

ON APRIL 11TH, 2023, MUSEUM COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH BRAND DONOR RICHARD GWATKIN, WHOSE FAMILY OWNED AND USED THE “FLYING U” BRANDING IRON. DURING THE INTERVIEW, GWATKIN ELABORATED UPON THE STEPS OF BRANDING CATTLE, AND SHARED WHY HE WANTED TO DONATE THE RIGHTS TO USE THE BRAND TO THE GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES, “IT IS A [SIGNIFICANT] AND HISTORIC [BRAND] AROUND HERE.” ON THE BRAND ITSELF GWATKIN DESCRIBED, “YOU CAN SEE THIS BRAND WOULD BE EASY [TO APPLY]. …THIS IS A WONDERFUL BRAND BECAUSE [IN] THE HEAT IT NEVER SMEARED.” GWATKIN EXPLAINED THE PROCESS OF USING THE BRANDING IRON: “… ONE GUY HELD THE CALF DOWN FROM THE FRONT. HE TWISTED THE FRONT LEG AROUND A BIT, AND KNELT DOWN WITH ONE KNEE ON THE NECK, AND ONE KNEE BEHIND THE LEG. THE BACK GUY [HELPING] PUT ONE FOOT UP AGAINST ITS BUM, AND THE OTHER FOOT ON THE LOWER LEG, AND THEN THE TOP LEG. [IT WAS CRITICAL THAT THE] BACK GUY [DOESN’T] LET GO, BECAUSE HE CAN HURT THE FRONT FELLOW, [AND] THE CALF WOULD START THRASHING. …WHEN YOU WERE DONE, OR IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM, [THE ONE IN THE FRONT LETS GO AND ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY, THEN THE ONE IN THE BACK RETREATS]. …THAT WAS KIND OF THE ONLY SAFETY [MECHANISM]. PLUS, THE GUY IN THE FRONT DIDN’T WANT TO PUT HIS KNEE BY THE BRANDING IRON.” GWATKIN DETAILED THE ANNUAL ACTIVITIES OF CATTLE BRANDING: “…I REMEMBER BRANDINGS FROM WHEN I WAS PROBABLY [IN] GRADE ONE. JUNE IS USUALLY BRANDING TIME [BECAUSE] IT WAS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR THE GUY DOING THE ROPING…IT STARTS WITH A PROCESS OF ROUNDING UP THE CATTLE [AS] YOU DON’T WANT TO HAVE A MIX- UP THERE WITH BRANDING SOMEONE ELSE’S CATTLE. [NEXT] THERE WOULD BE A PERIOD OF A FEW DAYS TO GET IT ALL ROUNDED UP. THE BRANDINGS WERE ALWAYS ON THE WEEKEND. …IT’S EASIER IF YOU HAVE A ROUND CORRAL BECAUSE THE CATTLE DON’T GET BUNCHED UP IN THE CORNERS, AND THE ROPER CAN FOLLOW THEM AROUND… THE ROPER WAS ALWAYS ‘TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN’ AT THE BRANDING, AND THE BOTTOM [WERE TWO 12 YEAR-OLD HELPERS CALLED] THE ‘FLAT ASSES.’ THAT’S HOW YOU STARTED IN BRANDING! [NEXT], ONE OF MY DAD’S OLDER FRIENDS WHO HAD SOME SKILLS, HE’D DO THE CASTRATING. THAT WAS USUALLY A MORMON CHURCH FELLOW. …THEY WOULD DRINK BEER AND HAVE WATERMELONS. WE’D ALL SAVE THE “MOUNTAIN OYSTERS” [ALSO KNOWN AS PRAIRIE OYSTERS]; [THAT’S WHAT WE CALLED] THE CALF NUTS. THEY WOULD ALL COME HOME, AND MY MOM [SKINNED THEM AND THEY LOOKED] LIKE A WALNUT. [THEY DON’T] TASTE VERY GOOD [BUT THEY DON’T] TASTE BAD. IT’S LIKE EATING CHICKEN, [IT] WAS SORT OF A TRADITION. [ALL IN ALL] IT WAS HARD WORK BUT FUN! THE MOTHERS, OR THE WIVES (DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU’D GO) [WOULD] HAVE APPLE PIES, AND THAT WAS GOOD, UNLESS IT RAINED. RAINY WEATHER PUT A STOP TO THE BRANDING BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW HOT THE IRON WAS, WHEN IT GOES ON THE WET HIDE, IT JUST [SIZZLES AND] SMEARS EVERYTHING AND YOU CANNOT GET A DECENT BRAND. …EVERYBODY’S BRANDING WAS MORE OR LESS THE SAME, [HOWEVER] NOW IT’S A NEW WORLD AROUND HERE. THERE [ARE] PLACES [THAT] I’M SURE THAT THEY TRY TO BRAND LIKE THEY USED TO. [BUT] NOWADAYS, YOUNG PEOPLE SEEM TO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF INTEREST TO BE OUT THERE, MAYBE KICKED IN THE NUTS, THAT KIND OF STUFF. …EVENTUALLY, THE FELLOWS FROM THE GOLD RIDGE COLONY [AND] THE TURIN COLONY [HAD BROUGHT] A GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY WERE VERY GOOD, AND THEY WOULD COME AND BRAND. GET HER DONE IN NO TIME!” GWATKIN STATED THAT THIS IRON WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR CATTLE UNDER THE GWATKIN FAMILY OWNERSHIP AND WOULD BRAND 250 HEAD EACH YEAR. ORIGINALLY, [THE IRON] WOULD HAVE BEEN PAIRED WITH AN IDENTICAL MATE AS THE PROCESS WAS THAT “…ONE IRON [IS] IN THE FIRE [AND] THE OTHER ONE IS BEING USED. [YOU ARE] GOING BACK AND FORTH AND SAVING TIME INSTEAD OF WASTING TIME… THIS PARTICULAR IRON IS KIND OF WORE OUT [AND SO] ONLY A BLACKSMITH CAN [MAKE ANOTHER].” GWATKIN STATED THAT THIS IRON WAS FORGED BY BLACKSMITH ART BELL OF BELL’S WELDING. ON THE PROCESS OF REGISTRATION, GWATKIN EXPLAINED, “ON AN ANIMAL, YOU CAN PUT THREE BRANDS…YOU CAN PUT A BRAND ON THE [SHOULDER, RIB, AND HIP]. SO, IN REALITY, THAT BRAND CAN BE USED SIX DIFFERENT TIMES [IF YOU] TURN THE ANIMAL OVER AND DO THE SAME THING ON THE OTHER SIDE. …A FELLOW PHONED ME FROM BROOKS, AND HE’S GOT A PLACE ON THE RED DEER RIVER. HE’S GOT THE SAME BRAND, BUT IT’S ON THE OTHER SIDE. THIS BRAND IS ONLY LEGAL ON THE LEFT RIBS, AND HE’S GOT [IT] ON THE RIGHT [OF THE ANIMAL].” INFORMATION PERTAINING TO BRAND REGISTRATION WAS PROVIDED BY EMAIL TO MUSEUM COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN BY JOLENE AIRTH OF THE STOCKMEN’S MEMORIAL FOUNDATION LIBRARY IN COCHRANE, ALBERTA ON FEBRUARY 13TH, 2024. ACCORDING TO THE FIRST EDITION OF THE HENDERSON’S NORTHWEST RANCHER’S DIRECTORY AND BRAND BOOK, THE “FLYING U” BRAND FIRST APPEARED ON RECORD IN 1888 AS REGISTERED TO THE NORTHWEST CATTLE COMPANY ON THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF THE ANIMAL. THE “FLYING U” BRAND NEXT APPEARED IN THE THIRD EDITION OF THE HENDERSON’S NORTHWEST BRAND BOOK IN 1894 AS REGISTERED TO A.L. FAULKNER OF PINCHER CREEK, INCLUSIVE OF BOTH HORSES (ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER) AND CATTLE (ON THE LEFT RIBS) IN THE NORTH FORK KOOTENAI AREA. THE “FLYING U” IS THEN FEATURED IN THE 1900 EDITION OF THE NORTHWEST BRAND BOOK AS REGISTERED TO W.D WHITNEY OF LETHBRIDGE ON THE LEFT RIBS. THIS ENTRY IS IDENTICAL TO THE FOLLOWING ENTRY OF THE “FLYING U” IN THE 1903 EDITION OF THE NORTHWEST BRAND BOOK, AS THE REGISTRATION REMAINED THE SAME. THE “FLYING U” IS NEXT FEATURED IN THE 1907 EDITION OF THE ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN BRAND BOOK AS REGISTERED TO MARTIN MACLEOD OF PINCHER CREEK ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER. THE ‘LIVESTOCK IDENTIFICATION SERVICES LTD.’ RECORDED THAT IT WAS AGAIN REGISTERED TO W.D. WHITNEY OF LETHBRIDGE IN 1915 UNTIL 1927 WHEN IT CAME INTO OWNERSHIP OF THE GWATKIN FAMILY. ON ITS PRE-1915 ORIGIN, GWATKIN STATED THAT, “MY DAD BOUGHT THE BRAND FROM …CURLY WHITNEY.” THE ‘LIVESTOCK IDENTIFICATION SERVICES LTD.’ RECORDED THAT THIS BRAND TRANSFER OCCURRED IN 1927 FROM W.D. WHITNEY OF LETHBRIDGE TO B.G. GWATKIN OF LETHBRIDGE. IT WAS THEN TRANSFERRED TO GWATKIN FARMS LTD. IN 1978, OWNED BY BOTH RICHARD AND HIS MOTHER EMILY GWATKIN. FOLLOWING EMILY’S DEATH IN 1993, RICHARD BECAME THE SIGNING AUTHORITY. IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSFERRED FROM OWNERSHIP OF RICHARD GWATKIN TO THE GALT MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES ON JANUARY 10TH, 2024 BY THE ‘LIVESTOCK IDENTIFICATION SERVICES LTD.’ GWATKIN STATED THAT THE DONATED IRON WAS RETIRED IN 1970: “THERE’S ALWAYS CHANGES ON THE FARM, EVERY GENERATION; LIKE, YOU BUY $5,000,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT [BUT] TEN YEARS FROM NOW… ITS OBSOLETE. NOWADAYS, THEY WILL NOT ALLOW A BRAND SUCH AS THIS [TO BE REGISTERED]. THEY WANT THE MODERN [PRACTICE]. I CAN SEE BRANDING GOING OUT OF BUSINESS. YOU KIND OF HAVE TO DO IT [IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND] I REMEMBER THE LITTLE BABY CALVES CRYING, AND YOU KNOW IT HURTS THEM. HOW CAN IT NOT? BUT THEY NEVER GOT STOLEN.” ON OWNING AND RENTING THE LAND, GWATKIN EXPLAINED THAT THEY OWNED, “…ABOUT 800 ACRES [BUT] THAT’S NOT ENOUGH ACREAGE FOR THAT AMOUNT OF CATTLE, SO WE’D RENT…PASTURE FROM THE SURROUNDING [AREA] WHICH WAS THE BLOOD INDIAN RESERVE. [ACTUALLY], IT WASN’T SO MUCH RENTING THE LAND AS IT WAS PAYING FOR COW-CALF PER MONTH. THAT’S KIND OF HOW THEY DID [IT BACK THEN]. NOT HOW MANY ACRES, BUT HOW MANY COWS YOU GOT OUT THERE, AND IT WORKED REALLY GOOD…IT’S A MAKE [AND] SPEND MONEY PROJECT.” THE “FLYING U” BRANDING IRON IS CULTURALLY INDICATIVE OF ITS ERA: “IT WAS MORE OF A PASTORAL LIFESTYLE… EVERYTHING WAS WILD. YOU COULD RIDE HORSEBACK FROM HERE ALL THE WAY TO MONARCH. YOU’D HAVE TO OPEN GATES NOW AND AGAIN [AND] IT WAS ALL PRAIRIE. BUT NOW, IT’S ALL OIL WELLS AND BROKEN UP. [AND NOW] EVERYTHING’S GETTING BIGGER. IF EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE KEPT TO THE OLD 150 [OR SO] CATTLE, THERE’D BE [LESS] POLLUTION, BECAUSE EVERYTHING WOULD BE SPREAD OUT THROUGH THE WHOLE POPULATION [AREA]… MY DAD WOULD SAY, ‘RICHARD, THE ONLY BOSS WE GOT IS THE BANK.’” GWATKIN LAST OWNED CATTLE IN 2005. FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING REFERENCED INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTIONS AND SOURCES, PLEASE SEE THIS RECORD’S PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20230004000

Acquisition Date

2023-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail