Origins

In 1957, when Everett Baker was elected as the first president of the Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society, he also acted as the Society's convener of Historic Sites and Trails.

In this latter role, Everett lead the marking of the trail used by the NWMP in conducting their business between two of their three main Western posts: Wood Mountain and Fort Walsh.

For the ten years prior to his retirement in 1957, Everett had been the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool's Field Man for the south-west region of the province. This experience endeared him to the mystique of the trail by hearing stories surrounding it and actually seeing portions of it.

One of the first projects that SHFS ever undertook was the marking of the trail used by the NWMP in its regular patrols from their post at Wood Mountain to their post at Cypress Hills. The members of the NWMP traversed this route on horseback from 1875 until 1912.

In 1959 SHFS undertook the marking of this route along the path that had originally been used by the Assiniboine, Cree, Gros Ventres, and Blackfoot, and later by the Métis fur traders, commemorating NWMP's patrols. The marking of the trail was completed in 1964.

Researching the main routes travelled and checking maps against old-timers' memories was the most time-consuming portion of the project. Some of the prime researchers were Rube Freel, Reddy Parsonage, Boyd Anderson and Russell Flynn.

The marked trail consisted of 260 reinforced, white concrete markers, topped by 6" x 15" embossed, cast aluminum plates. The concrete shaft is a foot square at the bottom, tapering to 6 inches at the top. Total weight of the marker is 480 pounds. As a rule, the marker was placed one yard south of the trail.

Through Everett's single-handed collection process, $10,000. was raised from individuals, Wheat Pool communities, community clubs, Rural Municipalities, villages and the Province.

 Spring, 2002

Over the years the markers have deteriorated, although some local residents have quite admirably maintained the posts that ran through their properties.

Four years ago the Board of Directors of SHFS determined that this trail's markers should be refurbished. To this end SHFS established the "Friends of the Trail" program where an individual with a donation of $100 to the project could have a post refurbished in their name. 

Repainted, the posts are a brilliant white and can be seen for quite some distance. A new plaque is installed if required, as many have gone missing over the years. In refurbishing the posts a small acknowledgement is attached to the plaque listing the donor's name and home community. In addition to the acknowledgement, donors receive an enlarged photograph of their refurbished plaque.

At the May 2002 Board of Directors meeting held in Val Marie, members of the Board took the opportunity to perform trail refurbishment work and acknowledge the latest three donors.

To date SHFS has received 30 "Friends of the Trail" donations, they are:

Celebrating Canada - Saskatchewan
Building the Dominion

At Wood Mountain Post Provincial Historic Park on August 16 2005, the first of two sets of bilingual historic plaques was unveiled. The plaques will draw attention to the Fort Walsh-Wood Mountain Trail, which was used extensively by the North West Mounted Police in the late 1800s. The trail allowed easy transportation of supplies, troops and dispatches between Fort Walsh and its outpost at Wood Mountain.

Fort Walsh was established by the NWMP in 1875 to maintain peace in the Cypress Hills region and to express Canada’s sovereignty over its newly acquired North West Territory. Follow-ing the Battle of The Little Bighorn in Montana Territory on June 25, 1876, Sitting Bull and approximately 5,000 Lakota sought refuge in Canada’s Wood Mountain region. As a result, Fort Walsh was made headquarters of the NWMP and a former Boundary Commission depot at Wood Mountain became an important outpost of Fort Walsh. Superintendent James Morrow Walsh and the NWMP at Fort Walsh and Wood Mountain were charged with maintaining peaceful relations with the Lakota people.

These and other events were largely responsible for presence of the Mounties. The North West Mounted Police enforced Canadian law and Indian policy, ensuring Dominion sovereignty over the area then known as the Northwest Territories.

A fitting manner to celebrate the province’s centennial, the Society is placing descriptive plaques at Wood Mountain and Fort Walsh to ensure this important historic trail would be preserved for the benefit of future generations. The Wood Mountain Post Provincial Historic Park unveiling took place in the picnic area. The unveiling of the plaques at Fort Walsh National Historic Site took place on August 27. Her Honour Dr. L. Haverstock, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, unveiled the plaques in the parade ground.

Everett Baker, the first President of the Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society, began in 1961 to determine the exact location of the trail, garner donations and finally erect 260 white concrete posts. Each post was topped with a metal marker that pointed to the direction of the trail in both directions. The first post was erected at the edge of the parade grounds at Fort Walsh National Heritage Site and the last post stands at the current picnic area of the Wood Mountain Post Provincial Park.

In 1999 SHFS began to refurbish these markers. “Friends of the Trail” are individuals who have contributed to the cost of locating fallen posts, repairing cement and replacing the original metal sign with a replica.

Additional funding for this project was received from the Culture Initiatives Fund, Saskatchewan Culture Youth and Recreation.