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Edmonton was founded in 1795 when a Hudson's Bay Company Trading Post was
established with the construction of Fort Edmonton. John Rowand, a fur
trader for the North West Company, arrived in Edmonton in 1804 and became
respected and accepted as a leader by the Plains Indians, managing
Edmonton's fur trade with the Cree and Blackfoot in Edmonton for about 30
years. Fort Edmonton became a local economic centre, the major stopping
point before pioneers headed up north or farther west.
More people began settling in the vicinity of
Fort Edmonton in the 1870s after the government offered the land to settlers
at a good price. Edmonton officially became a town in 1892 with a population
of 700. The city boomed during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 as thousands
of eager prospectors heading north via the "All Canadian Route," stopping in
Edmonton for supplies. By 1904 Edmonton had 9,000 residents, and a year
later it became incorporated as a city and declared the provincial capital. |
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In 1912 Edmonton, which was located on the north shore of the North
Saskatchewan River, amalgamated with its sister city of Strathcona on the
southern shore to attain a combined population of 53,000. The High Level
Rail Bridge across the river was completed in 1913, cementing the link
between the north and south sides of Edmonton. In the 1930s Edmonton
continued to thrive as a northern business centre, and an aviation shipping
point for food and medical supplies using the new bush planes. In 1942 the
construction of the Alaska Highway made the city into a major ground
transportation and supply centre to the far north. It was at about this time
that Edmonton officially became known as "Gateway to the North."
Shortly after World War II oil was discovered near the nearby towns of Leduc,
Redwater, and Pembina. The area around Edmonton became home to most of
Alberta's oil production, and the subsequent oil boom gave Edmonton new
status as the Oil Capital of Canada. The city began growing even more
dramatically after the Arab Oil Boycott of 1973, and combined with satellite
cities such as St. Albert and Sherwood Park, Edmonton's metropolitan
population now sits at a 937,845 (per the 2001 census). Oil production and
refining remains the basis of many Edmonton jobs, but other industries have
also risen in prominence as the population grew and diversified. |
