Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BUTTON

Date Range From

1974

Date Range To

1980

Materials

STEEL

No. Pieces

1

Diameter

5.6

Description

BUTTON: "THE WHOOP-UP FLAG 1869-1874 LETHBRIDGE ALBERTA" FACE DEPICTS A BLUE, WHITE & RED FLAG.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

History

DESCRIPTION OF FLAG RESEARCHED BY DR. ALEX JOHNSTON, BADGE COMMEMORATES FT. WHOOP-UP PART OF THE WHISKEY TRADE, HALTED BY NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE IN 1874. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A COLLECTION SURVEY, INCLUDING A HUMIDOR DONATED BY BETH FAIRFIELD. FURTHER RESEARCH REVEALED THAT ELIZABETH FAIRFIELD WAS ONE OF THE TWO DAUGHTERS OF DR. WILLIAM HARMON FAIRFIELD, OBE. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM VARIOUS LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES REGARDING THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. FAIRFIELD. DR. FAIRFIELD WAS BORN IN PENNSYLVANIA IN 1874. THE FAMILY RELOCATED TO DENVER, COLORADO AS DR. FAIRFIELD’S FATHER ENTERED INTO FARMING AND RANCHING IN THE AREA AFTER WORKING IN THE OIL BUSINESS. IT WAS IN COLORADO THAT DR. FAIRFIELD ENROLLED IN AT THE STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AT FORT COLLINS. IRRIGATION WAS GETTING A GOOD START IN THAT AREA AT THAT TIME. HE RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN 1894 AND WAS AWARDED HIS MASTER’S DEGREE FOUR YEARS LATER. HE WORKED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING AS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF AGRICULTURE FROM 1985 TO 1901. IN ADDITION, HE WAS THE HEAD OF A SMALL EXPERIMENTAL FARM IN LARAMIE, WYOMING. AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS IN AGRONOMY AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES BEING MADE IN CANADA’S WEST, HE MADE HIS MOVE TO THE REGION AND LANDED IN LETHBRIDGE IN APRIL 1901. IN THE SOUTHERN OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY, DR. FAIRFIELD AND HIS BROTHER – HARRY FAIRFIELD – BOUGHT AND BEGAN SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF A FARM, WHICH DR. FAIRFIELD OWNED UNTIL HIS DEATH. A STORY ABOUT DR. FAIRFIELD’S CONTRIBUTION TO AGRICULTURE IN THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA REGION IS RECOUNTED IN HIS OBITUARY (PUBLISHED BY THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ON MARCH 24, 1961). IT IS AS FOLLOWS: “CHARLES ORA CARD, THE MORMON FOUNDER OF CARDSTON, HAD TOLD DR. FAIRFIELD THAT FOR SOME STRANGE REASON ALFALFA WOULDN’T GROW SUCCESSFULLY IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD GROWN IT SUCCESSFULLY BACK IN UTAH. THE MORMONS WERE EVEN THINKING ABOUT LEAVING THIS LAND. YOUNG FAIRFIELD… RECALLED THAT SOMEWHERE IN HIS TEXT BOOKS HE HAD READ THAT ALFALFA SEED HAD TO BE INOCULATED VIA WYOMING FOR A BAG OF SOIL IN WHICH ALFALFA HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY GROWN. THE ALBERTA SEED, INOCULATED VIA WYOMING, GREW A LUSH CROP THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND SOUTHERN ALBERTA BECAME A GREAT LIVESTOCK CENTRE, AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE GREAT DAYS OF OPEN RANCHING." MEANWHILE THE ALBERTA RAILWAY AND IRRIGATION COMPANY WAS HELPING TO SETTLE THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA REGION AND THEY SET UP DEMONSTRATION STATION WITH DR. FAIRFIELD IN CHARGE TO SHOW WHAT COULD BE DONE ON THE LAND. IN 1906, THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE DOMINION EXPERIMENTAL FARM BEGAN AS THE ALBERTA RAILWAY IRRIGATION COMPANY DONATED FOUR HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND TO THE GOVERNMENT. AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ON JULY 29, 1908 EXPLAINED THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM WAS “IN A UNIQUE POSITION IN SO FAR THAT ON IT ARE CONDUCTED EXPERIMENTS IN TWO DISTINCT SYSTEMS OF FARM. HERE THE LAND IS CULTIVATED UNDER THE SYSTEM OF IRRIGATION AND ALSO BY THE SYSTEM KNOWN AS NON-IRRIGATION OR ‘DRY-FARMING.’ NO OTHER STATION CONDUCTS EXPERIMENTS UNDER THE FORMER SYSTEM…” AFTER HEARING ABOUT DR. FAIRFIELD’S SUCCESS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE EXPERIMENTAL SERVICES FOR CANADA WAS PROMPTED TO ESTABLISH THE LETHBRIDGE EXPERIMENTAL FARM WITH DR. FAIRFIELD AT THE HELM. HE RETIRED FROM THAT POSITION IN 1945 AFTER 39 YEARS OF SERVICE. DR. FAIRFIELD MARRIED IDA PATTERSON IN FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, WHERE HE WAS STUDYING AND SHE WAS WORKING AS A REGISTERED NURSE. HER LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY, PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 20, 1954, STATES THAT HER HUSBAND MOVED TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA “AT THE REQUEST OF THE GALT INTERESTS WHO HAD JUST BUILT THE MAIN CANAL FROM KIMBALL TO LETHBRIDGE TO CARRY THE WATER OF ALBERTA’S FIRST LARGE SCALE IRRIGATION PROJECT. THE COUPLE HAD TWO DAUGHTERS, THE DONOR ELIZABETH FAIRFIELD OF LETHBRIDGE (D. 1989) AND MRS. E. H. STRICKLAND OF VICTORIA. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING HARD COPIES OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES AND OBITUARIES.

Catalogue Number

P19900032001

Acquisition Date

1983-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail