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Cattle Drive Heroes and Trail Bosses

John Ware: The Cowboy Who Drove Cattle North and Ranched in Alberta

A former slave turned trail hand became one of the best-known cowboys and ranchers in the Canadian West.

Who was John Ware?

John Ware was a cowboy and rancher who became one of the best-known figures of the early Alberta cattle frontier. The Canadian Encyclopedia says he was born around 1845 to 1850 in the United States, that a marriage record points to Tennessee, and that historians have not confirmed his birthplace or birth date.

He was likely born enslaved and probably gained his freedom after the American Civil War. He could not read or write, so most accounts of his life were written by other people after his death. That limit matters: the details below are the ones historians accept, not family legend.

How did John Ware get to Alberta?

After the Civil War he made his way to Texas. By the late 1870s he was an experienced cowhand who drove Texas cattle north along the Western Cattle Trail to Montana.

In 1882 he was hired in Montana to help bring about 3,000 head of cattle to Sir Hugh Allan's North-West Cattle Company, in the foothills southwest of Calgary. He stayed on and worked for several large cattle companies, including the Bar U Ranch, until 1884.

Where did John Ware ranch?

In the mid-1880s he worked for the Quorn Ranch on the Sheep River as a lead hand and managed its horse herd. In 1885 he registered his own brand, the 9999 or walking-stick brand, and re-registered it as 999 in 1898.

In 1887 he established his own ranch near Millarville, southwest of Calgary. He is considered one of the first ranchers in that area to develop an irrigation system. Around 1902 he moved to a second ranch on the Red Deer River north of Brooks, near Duchess. A spring flood that year destroyed the first house, and he rebuilt on higher ground.

The Key to John Ware's Success

What stands out in the record is how fast a hired hand became an owner. Ware moved from trail work to company payrolls to his own brand within about five years of arriving.

Skill carried him, and the record shows he applied it in ways that built real assets. For more on cowboys of the northern plains, farm.FM keeps a ranching section and a farm.FM story on Alberta ranching.

  • He built experience on the Western Cattle Trail before the drive of 1882.
  • He took on responsibility with employers, becoming lead hand and horse manager at Quorn.
  • He registered his own brand in 1885, a step toward independence.
  • He put capital into land by founding his own ranch in 1887.
  • He experimented with irrigation, an early step for ranchers in the area.
  • He moved his operation to the Red Deer River around 1902 and rebuilt after a flood.

Family and the end of a hard decade

Ware met Mildred Lewis in 1891 and they married in 1892. They had six children, one of whom died as a baby, leaving five surviving children. Mildred died of pneumonia in March 1905.

Six months later, in September 1905, his horse tripped in a badger hole and fell on him, killing him near Brooks. Ranchers from across the region attended his funeral in Calgary.

What is John Ware remembered for?

Places near his first ranch carry his name: Mount Ware, Ware Creek and John Ware Ridge. A memorial cairn stands near his former Millarville ranch, and Calgary has a junior high school and a SAIT building named for him.

Canada Post issued a stamp in his honor in February 2012. In 2022 the federal government designated him a person of national historic significance, as outlined on the Parks Canada designation page. Later works include Cheryl Foggo's play John Ware Reimagined (2014), her NFB documentary John Ware Reclaimed (2020) and the children's book Howdy, I'm John Ware (2020).

Why his story still shapes ranching history

Ware could not read or write, and the accounts of his life were set down by others. His name now sits near the center of Alberta's ranching story, which makes it easy to forget how thin the written record from his own lifetime is.

For deeper reading, the Dictionary of Canadian Biography and the encyclopedia's full article are the standard references. Treat any detail not repeated by those sources with care.

Timeline

  1. c.1845-1850Born in the United States; place and date not confirmed
  2. 1882Hired in Montana to help bring about 3,000 cattle to the North-West Cattle Company
  3. 1884Leaves large-company work after time at the Bar U Ranch
  4. 1885Registers the 9999 brand
  5. 1887Establishes his own ranch near Millarville
  6. 1892Marries Mildred Lewis
  7. c.1902Moves to a new ranch on the Red Deer River near Duchess
  8. 1905Killed in a fall from his horse near Brooks

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Ware?

John Ware was a cowboy and rancher who drove cattle north from Texas, worked for Alberta foothills companies, and built his own ranches near Millarville and Brooks before dying in 1905.

How did John Ware die?

In September 1905 his horse tripped in a badger hole and fell on him near Brooks, Alberta. Ranchers from across the region attended his funeral in Calgary.

What was John Ware's brand?

He registered the 9999 or walking-stick brand in 1885 and re-registered it as 999 in 1898, according to The Canadian Encyclopedia.

What honors has John Ware received?

Canada Post issued a stamp in 2012, places in Alberta bear his name, and the government designated him a person of national historic significance in 2022.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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