Title:
Charles Sharples fonds

Date(s):
1888-1905

Physical Description:
12.5 cm of textual records. -- 19 photographs

History:
Charles Sharples, 1856-1909, was born in Quebec. He came to Montana, USA in 1878 and joined a cattle drive bringing livestock to the Cochrane Ranche in Alberta. He remained in Alberta and worked for the Department of Indian Affairs, then in 1884 was appointed manager of the Winder Ranche near Claresholm, Alberta. The ranch ran up to 1100 head of horses, selling most to the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP). When the Winder Ranche Company was dissolved in 1892, Sharples filed as a homesteader on the site of the ranch headquarters. He married Barbara Macdonald in 1892 and they had four children. In 1902, he was appointed brand inspector, coroner and Justice of the Peace for the Claresholm district. For further information see Alice Sharples Baldwin's article, "The Sharples" in Alberta Historical Review. -- vol. 21 (Winter 1973), p. 12-17.

Scope and Content:
The fonds consists of letterbook, notebook, accounts and legal agreement pertaining to the operation of the Winder Ranche, and records relating to cases (liquor traffic, prairie fires, theft, drunkeness, etc.) heard by Sharples as a Justice of the Peace.

Source of Acquisition:
Gifts of Charles and Henry Sharples, 1960-1961.

Language:
The material is in English.

Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.

Finding Aids:
Inventory available. Please consult before requesting material.

View finding aid / scanned documents:
http://www.glenbow.org/collections/search/findingAids/archhtm/sharples.cfm

Call Numbers:
(M=manuscript; N&P=photos; R=sound recordings; S=slides; F=films)
M-1125, PA-328, NC-19