Downtown Commercial in Calgary in Calgary Metropolitan Region, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)
The View
Stephen Avenue
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2022
1. The View Marker
Early Calgary developed in the flat, triangular shaped area bounded by the railway tracks and the two rivers. It was a compact community where homes and commercial enterprises were close together, as can be seen in this 1906 picture.
On the extreme right, the square tower of Central Methodist Church, now Central United Church, is clearly recognizable and is the only building remaining. Across the street was the Baptist Church, newly rebuilt after a disastrous fire. Just to the north was Terrill's Greenhouse, which provided seeds and plants to Calgarians for many years. The vacant lot in the centre of the picture is the present site of the Hudson's Bay Company store. The two houses directly across the street belonged to Dr. T.H. Blow who built many of Calgary's commercial buildings, and Dr. J. D. Lafferty, the first Registrar of Alberta's College of Physicians and Surgeons.
The building with the cupola was the James Short School, the first of Calgary's traditional square sandstone schools. The north hill escarpment was still virgin territory.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Churches & Religion • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 51° 2.739′ N, 114°
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Lancaster Building ~ 1911 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Builders (within shouting distance of this marker); The Palace Theatre / Le Théâtre Palace (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Great White Way (about 180 meters away); The Buildings (about 180 meters away); The T. Eaton Co. Limited (about 180 meters away); The Meeting Place (about 210 meters away); T.C. Power & Bro. (about 240 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Calgary.
Also see . . .
1. Thomas Henry Blow.
Thomas Henry Blow was born and raised in South Mountain, in the Ottawa valley. In 1891, Blow entered medical school at McGill University in Montreal. In the year of his graduation, 1895, he married Ida Mulholland in South Mountain. That summer he also passed the state medical examinations in Colorado. Upon his arrival in southern Alberta, Blow had become heavily involved in real estate. He constructed a(Submitted on April 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)warehouse and several business blocks in downtown Calgary. In the 1910s the entrepreneur built and operated a theatre, the Princess, adjacent to the city hall.
2. Marker detail: Calgary 1906
2. Dr. James Delamere Lafferty.
Born in Ontario in 1849, Dr. James D. Lafferty came west as the first western chief CPR surgeon in 1881. After working in Winnipeg and Regina, he and his family arrived in Calgary in 1885, where Dr. Lafferty secured the CPR mainline and nearby Indian Reservation medical contracts. His drive and influence guided the early North West Territories Medical Council and the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons.(Submitted on April 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2022
3. The View Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 55 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
