Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BARONESS

Date

1926

Materials

WATERCOLOUR

No. Pieces

1

Length

40.0

Width

27.3

Description

COLOURS: BLUE, GREEN, BROWN, GREY, BLACK, WHITE, YELLOW. DEPICTS A BARGE WITH PEOPLE WORKING ON IT, DOCKED IN A RIVER. "TREW" (ARTIST) ON RIGHT SIDE.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

COPIED FROM A LETHBRIDGE HERALD NEWSPAPER PHOTO. MRS. DORA TREW PAINTED IT. SHE WAS A REPORTER WITH THE HERALD UNTIL 1926. THE STEAMER BARONESS WAS BUILT IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1883, TO PUSH COAL BARGES TO MEDICINE HAT ON THE NEWLY BUILT C.P.R.. SHE WAS MADE OF PINE, HAULED BY BULL TEAMS FROM THE PORCUPINE HILLS AND WAS USED ONLY ONE SEASON PROVING IMPRACTICAL OWING TO THE BELLY RIVER BEING NAVIGABLE ONLY DURING HIGH WATER. THE BARONESS WAS LATER USED FOR TRANSPORTATION DURING THE RIEL REBELLION, THEN WAS RETURNED TO LETHBRIDGE AND DOCKED WHERE THE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE STANDS. ARTIST FORMER DORA NIMMONS. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE FOLLOWING HISTORY OF THE STEAMER BARONESS WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM A RESEARCH PAPER WRITTEN BY THE ARTIST, DORA TREW, IN 1968 (GALT ARCHIVES 19694701000), UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA ARCHIVES, AND COLLECTIONS RECORD P19940018000-GA. THE NORTHWEST COAL AND NAVIGATION COMPANY INITIATED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STEAMER BARONESS, NAMED AFTER GALT COMPANY BENEFACTOR BARONESS ANGELA BURDETT-COUTTS, ALONG WITH APPROXIMATELY 12 OTHER BARGES, IN THE FALL OF 1883. THE VESSEL WAS COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING SPRING WHEN THE HULL WAS FLOATED DOWN THE BELLY RIVER TO MEDICINE HAT WHERE MACHINERY, THE UPPER DECK, AND THE PILOT HOUSE WERE INSTALLED. THE MATERIAL USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STEAMER AND BARGES WAS DOUGLAS FIR, SHIPPED FROM A MILL OPERATED BY THE COMPANY IN THE PORCUPINE HILLS. THE BARONESS WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED FROM MEDICINE HAT ON JUNE 1, 1883. AT THE SAME TIME, THE COMPANY BUILT ANOTHER STEAMER, THE ALBERTA, AND PURCHASED A SMALLER STEAMER, THE MINNOW, FROM WINNIPEG. THE INTENTION OF BUILDING A FLEET OF RIVER STEAMERS WAS TO ENABLE THE TRANSPORTATION OF COAL BETWEEN COALBANKS AND MEDICINE TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR FUEL ON THE C.P.R. MAIN LINE. DURING THE SEASON OF 1884, THE STEAMER FLEET MADE SEVERAL TRIPS UP AND DOWN THE BELLY RIVER, BUT IT WAS SOON DISCOVERED THAT THEY COULD ONLY BE PROPERLY OPERATED DURING SEASONAL PERIODS OF HIGH WATER. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE BOATS DID NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY AMOUNT OF POWER TO PROPELL THEM UPSTREAM AGAINST THE RAPID FLOW OF THE RIVER - IT TOOK ONLY EIGHT HOURS TO GET TO MEDICINE HAT, BUT THE TRIP BACK TOOK FIVE DAYS AND BURNED ALMOST AS MUCH COAL AS THE STEAMERS DELIVERED. THESE SHORTFALLS COINCIDED WITH THE START OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY FROM DUNMORE TO COALBANKS IN 1885 AND RAIL TRANSPORT OF COAL BECAME THE MORE EFFICIENT SOLUTION. THE BARONESS, ALBERTA AND MINNOW WERE LEASED TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT DURING THE RIEL REBELLION, TRANSPORTING SOLDIERS AND SUPPLIES DOWN THE SASKATCHEWAN RIVER AND UPSTREAM TO PRINCE ALBERT, NORTH BATTLEFORD AND EDMONTON. AT THE END OF THE CONFLICT, THEY CARRIED EASTERN CANADIAN SOLDIERS BACK TO LAKE WINNIPEG. THE MINNOW WAS THEN SOLD TO A LUMBER FIRM IN BATTLEFORD, AND THE ALBERTA WAS DISMANTLED IN MEDICINE HAT. CARRYING THE ALBERTA'S MECHANICAL PARTS TO BE USED IN THE GALT NO. 3 MINE, THE BARONESS ARRIVED BACK IN LETHBRIDGE AND WAS ALSO DISMANTLED FOR PARTS. THE HULL OF THE BOAT WAS LEFT TO DECAY ON THE RIVER BANK, NEAR WHERE THE FOOTINGS OF THE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE ARE TODAY, UNTIL IT WAS WASHED AWAY BY THE FLOOD OF 1902. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST, DORA TREW, WAS FOUND IN HER LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY. DORA TREW WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1891 TO ROBERT AND ELIZABETH NIMMONS, WHO HAD ARRIVED IN THE CITY THE PREVIOUS YEAR FROM REGINA. SHE WORKED AS A REPORTER WITH THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, AND WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB. SHE DIED ON MARCH 21, 1981, AND WAS PREDECEASED BY HER HUSBAND STANLEY NORTHCLIFFE TREW. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPY OF OBITUARY AND SOURCE MATERIAL, AND RECORD P20020080000-GA FOR NIMMONS FAMILY HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P19738850000

Acquisition Date

1973-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail