John Ware, 1850-1905, was born in the USA, possibly in Fort Worth, Texas. He worked as a cowboy from his youth, and drove cattle in Oregon, and into Canada for the Bar U Ranch ca. 1892. He worked for the Bar U west of High River, Alberta and on other ranches, and became Alberta's most famous black cowboy. He began his own ranch on the north fork of Sheep Creek in 1888. In 1892 he married Mildred Lewis, 1871-1905. Mildred's parents, Daniel V. and Charlotte, had come from Whitby, Ontario. John and Mildred had six children, Amanda Janet "Nettie", 1893-1989, Robert Lewis, 1894-1980, William Henry, 1898-1934, Mildred Jane, 1898-1988, Arthur Nelson, 1900-1989, and Daniel Lewis, 1901-1904. In 1902 the Wares moved to the Red Deer River, north of Brooks, to ranch. After the death of their parents the Ware children were brought up by Daniel and Charlotte in Calgary. John Ware School in Calgary was named in his honour in 1968. The fonds consists of account of John's life based on an interview with Nettie (1956); reminiscences about John by S. Marsden; John's agreements of sale of land (1901) and cattle transfer (1887); newsclipping of marriage announcement (1892); letters from Nettie Ware about the opening of the Ware cabin in Dinosaur Provincial Park (1959-1960); photocopies of letters from John and Nettie (1898, 1899); and personal files of Nettie Ware regarding her father's biography and her involvement in the Vulcan/Kirkcaldy community. Also consists of photographs of the Lewis and Ware families and Ware ranches (1896-ca. 1900); the Lewis' legal agreements (1911, 1912) and a statutory declaration (1917). AMDigital Reference: M-1281-2.
Original Version
Reproduction of: "John Ware, Famous Cowboy, of the Bar U".
