Ft Steele & Cranbrook, BC. The Kootenays, Local Sights and Sounds

Ft. Steele BC

   A very interesting place from gold rush days of the 1860's.  We could see lots of period buildings and artifacts in museums and displays.  The Ft. shows all kinds of early buildings like a church, assay office, drug store, hardware, blacksmith, hotel, and many others. Mining was active in the area. Some were open pit and a few were shafts. 

The local leather worker told me the sewing machine is from the 1850's but that sounds a bit too early. However it is still doing some great work capable of making or repairing boots as it is a free arm design Singer. 

Many were the horse drawn wagons and implements during those times. This one was designed to be able to haul logs up to 100 feet long out of the surrounding forest.

The giant water wheel is preserved. This is seriously tall.

Flowers are abundant. Summer is seriously in vogue here. 

Today we just took time to see local attractions, no travelling, a short nap and other such important endeavors like finding a good place for supper.  

The Kootenay River is West of the mountain range along which is located Ft. Steele BC

Named after Native American Ktunaxa peoples which lived in the general area of the Northwestern US and British Columbia to the West Coast. They were at least as far east as Montana in the US.

     Cranbrook, BC  is near the Kootenay River. 

  Tomorrow we plan to go northwesterly and cross the River on a ferry, then southwest to the town of Grand Forks, BC to meet the Borthwick Family.