The effect of human inhabitation on the Cypress Hills has been dramatic. The following historical accounts will emphasize man's use of resources in the Cypress Hills.

The Fur Trade

The group headed by Captain John Palliser, in 1859, was the first officially documented expedition to spend time in Cypress Hills. He described the Hills as "a perfect oasis in the desert."

In the 1870s a number of trading posts were established along Battle Creek. Most dealt chiefly in the exchange of liquor for furs and pelts. The two best known posts were operated by Abe Farwell and Moses Solomon.

The Cypress Hills Massacre occurred near Farwell's and Solomon's posts. A group of Assiniboine were camped along the banks of Battle Creek near the posts. American wolfers had stopped in at Farwell's. They had lost some horses and believed the Indians to have stolen them. Eventually the anger, hostility, and alcohol took its toll. When the battle was over, nearly 30 Assiniboine and one white man were killed. The Cypress Hills Massacre helped shape the destiny of western Canada and encouraged the Canadian government to establish the North West Mounted Police.

The North West Mounted Police (NWMP)

Fort Walsh was established near Farwell's and Solomon's trading posts in 1875 and served the mounted police until 1883. Small outposts were scattered throughout the hills. The Mounted Police patrolled most of southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta. They controlled the liquor trade, horse stealing, and illicit border trafficking by both Indians and whites. Fort Walsh National Historic Site is a legacy to the NWMP era. A visit to Cypress Hills is not complete without including Fort Walsh. Interpreters at the site will tell you stories of the young Constable Marmaduke Graburn - murdered in the line of duty. Learn more about the Sioux that followed their leader Sitting Bull across the "Medicine Line."

Metis Hivernants

Metis bison hunters wintered in the hills on a strictly seasonal basis. Accompanied by their families, they followed the buffalo herds in the warm seasons. During the winter months, they assumed a sedentary lifestyle. They constructed several winter camps in the Cypress Hills where they would have remained until spring. The villages normally consisted of log cabins and usually a church. The Metis would often return to the same camp winter after winter. For more information, download our Metis Fact Sheet.

Settlement

The fur trade ended. The NWMP post closed but the Cypress Hills lived on. Farming was short-lived in the Hills as the region was best suited to ranching. Thousands of cattle grazed across the grassland as early ranchers stocked the open range. Many of the earliest ranchers were probably ex-mounties and of British heritage.

Ranching remains the prime land use in the Cypress Hills and the surrounding area.

There were several economic ventures in the Cypress Hills. The Louis Sands Lumber Company was established from 1883-1885. In 1898, a second sawmill was built and eventually sold to the Rutherfords who operated the mill until 1912. The mill provided lumber to the incoming settlers. Several small coalmines were operated in the Elkwater Lake area closing by the mid-1900s.

Recreational Use

This land is not simply a preserve where wildlife and natural vegetation are protected, it has also been developed for recreational use by tourists. Elkwater and the surrounding Cypress Hills have had a long tradition as a recreation area. Picnicking, tenting, swimming and boating in the area have been enjoyed for nearly a century. Park staff are committed to preserving that tradition for generations to come.