Isaac Cowie
Encyclopedia
Isaac Cowie was a Canadian pioneer, fur trader, and politician. He served on the town council of Edmonton
.
, Shetland on November 18, 1848. He spent two years volunteering with the 1st Edinburgh and Shetland Rifles. He attended Edinburgh University for one session, studying medicine, but did not complete his education before taking a position with the Hudson's Bay Company
and moving to Rupert's Land
in Canada.
His first posting was in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan
, where he stayed until 1874, acting as manager of the post from 1872. In 1873, he dissuaded disgruntled First Nations
from raiding the fort by meeting an armed band of them at the fort with two other men, revolvers in hand. For this he was made a justice of the peace
.
He was later stationed at Oak Point on Lake Winnipeg
, Fort McMurray, Alberta
, Manitoba House
, and Isle à la Crosse. In 1891, he moved to Edmonton to become the first secretary of its Board of Trade. While there, working under Dr. Franz Boas
, he sent a collection of Cree
artifacts to the World's Columbian Exposition
; this collection later went to the Field Museum of Natural History
in Chicago
.
In 1896
, Cowie ran for Edmonton's town council as an alderman. He was elected, finishing fourth of eight candidates (the top six were elected). However, he resigned on July 7 of the same year.
In 1901, Cowie moved to Winnipeg
, where he commenced writing some memoirs; these were published in 1991 under the name The Company of Adventurers : A Narrative of Seven Years in the Service of the Hudson's Bay Company during 1867-1874.
He was active with the Pioneers of Rupert's Land, a group devoted to the rights of white settlers in Rupert's Land at the time of its transfer to Canada. He was concerned that many of these pioneers did not receive land grants from Canada, and made numerous trips to Ottawa
to fight this. Barbara Johnstone, writing in the Manitoba Pageant in 1959, records that Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden
agreed to have the relevant legislation renewed, but was then defeated in an election by Wilfrid Laurier
's Liberals
; however, this must be in error since Borden was Prime Minister after Borden.
Isaac Cowie died of cancer in Winnipeg May 18, 1917.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
Biography
Cowie was born in LerwickLerwick
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Scotland on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...
, Shetland on November 18, 1848. He spent two years volunteering with the 1st Edinburgh and Shetland Rifles. He attended Edinburgh University for one session, studying medicine, but did not complete his education before taking a position with the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and moving to Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
in Canada.
His first posting was in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan
Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan
These figures do not include the substantial population living along the shores of the Fishing Lakes.-Origins:The current site is the third Fort Qu'Appelle. The first was a North West Company trading post , also in the valley but near what is now the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border...
, where he stayed until 1874, acting as manager of the post from 1872. In 1873, he dissuaded disgruntled First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
from raiding the fort by meeting an armed band of them at the fort with two other men, revolvers in hand. For this he was made a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
He was later stationed at Oak Point on Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
, Fort McMurray, Alberta
Fort McMurray, Alberta
Fort McMurray is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It was previously incorporated as a city on September 1, 1980. It became an urban service area when it amalgamated with Improvement District No. 143 on April 1, 1995 to create the Municipality...
, Manitoba House
Manitoba House
Manitoba House is the name of a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post as well as a separate settlement adjacent to the post.The Manitoba House Trading Post was established in 1797 on the west shore of Lake Manitoba, about fifteen miles north of the Narrows...
, and Isle à la Crosse. In 1891, he moved to Edmonton to become the first secretary of its Board of Trade. While there, working under Dr. Franz Boas
Franz Boas
Franz Boas was a German-American anthropologist and a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the "Father of American Anthropology" and "the Father of Modern Anthropology." Like many such pioneers, he trained in other disciplines; he received his doctorate in physics, and did...
, he sent a collection of Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
artifacts to the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
; this collection later went to the Field Museum of Natural History
Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
In 1896
Edmonton municipal election, January 1896
The first of two 1896 municipal elections was held January 13, 1896 to elect the town council , five trustees for the public school division and four trustees for the separate school division....
, Cowie ran for Edmonton's town council as an alderman. He was elected, finishing fourth of eight candidates (the top six were elected). However, he resigned on July 7 of the same year.
In 1901, Cowie moved to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, where he commenced writing some memoirs; these were published in 1991 under the name The Company of Adventurers : A Narrative of Seven Years in the Service of the Hudson's Bay Company during 1867-1874.
He was active with the Pioneers of Rupert's Land, a group devoted to the rights of white settlers in Rupert's Land at the time of its transfer to Canada. He was concerned that many of these pioneers did not receive land grants from Canada, and made numerous trips to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
to fight this. Barbara Johnstone, writing in the Manitoba Pageant in 1959, records that Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
agreed to have the relevant legislation renewed, but was then defeated in an election by Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
's Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
; however, this must be in error since Borden was Prime Minister after Borden.
Isaac Cowie died of cancer in Winnipeg May 18, 1917.