Marker Logo
THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)
 

The First Settlers

 
 
The First Settlers Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 11, 2022
1. The First Settlers Marker
Inscription.
Arriving in the Fall of 1872, Joseph and François Lamoureux spent the winter sheltered on the north side of the river across from what is now the City of Fort Saskatchewan. This was the beginning of the first settlement in this area which was later to be known as the Lamoureux District.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1872.
 
Location. 53° 42.714′ N, 113° 12.923′ W. Marker is in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. It can be reached from the intersection of 101 Street and 100 Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located at the Jarvis Memorial Park entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10004 101 Street, Fort Saskatchewan AB T8L 1V9, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Alberta’s Edmonton Area. It is also in the Prairies. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony and also Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 21 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Jarvis Memorial Park (here, next to this marker); The First Missionaries (here, next to this marker); The North-West Mounted Police (a few steps from this marker); The Native Peoples (a few steps from this marker); Fort Saskatchewan (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Coal Mines of Beverly (approx. 19.9 kilometers away).
 
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Jarvis Memorial Park
 
Also see . . .
Paid Advertisement
Click or scan to see
this page online

1. Notre Dame De Lourdes, Fort Saskatchewan.
In the early 1870s, French-Canadian brothers Joseph and François Lamoureux were persuaded by a Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.) surveyor to leave Kamloops and seek their fortunes along the North Saskatchewan River valley. They arrived at a site on the north banks of the river near present day Fort Saskatchewan in 1872 and erected some rudimentary structures. Over the next two years, other members of the Lamoureux family were brought to the area from Quebec and the nucleus of one of Alberta's earliest French-Canadian settlements evolved. The Lamoureux family included some of the first farmers, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs in the province; they were instrumental in the growth of their community, establishing a sawmill, gristmill, and ferry for the fledgling settlement.
(Submitted on December 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.) 

2. Lamoureux, Alberta.
Originally from the Montreal area, the Lamoureux brothers heard of the “valley of the Saskatchewan” while searching for gold in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. Soon after their arrival they began farming and lumbering, later rafting the lumber with their steamboat “Minnow.” Transportation between Lamoureux and Fort Saskatchewan was initially
The First Settlers Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 11, 2022
2. The First Settlers Marker
provided by the Lamoureux brothers. At first, they took travelers across the river in a small boat, but by 1882 plans were underway for a cable and regular ferry which they operated until 1897.
(Submitted on December 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.) 

3. François “Frank” Lamoureux (Find A Grave).
He and his brother, Joseph were the first settlers of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta in the autumn of 1872.
(Submitted on December 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.) 
 
Jarvis Memorial Park Entrance image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 11, 2022
3. Jarvis Memorial Park Entrance
(marker visible in right background)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on December 16, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 839 times since then and 139 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on December 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
m=212498

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisement
Jun. 7, 2026