Fort Steele, British Columbia, flourished in the1890s, and then began to decline when the railroad by-passed the town in 1898.Today Fort Steele is a Heritage Village in which visitors can experience what life was like in the 1890s. The Heritage Village includes restored buildings,replica buildings, and buildings which are allowed to decay naturally.
In the developing communities in the west, the newspaper served to create and enhance the sense of community. The newspaper was not only a source for local news and gossip, but it was also the means for finding out about what was happening elsewhere in the world. With the advent of telegraph and telephone, communities become more connected, and more quickly connected, with the rest of the world.
Newspaper
The town of Fort Steele had only one newspaper: The Prospector which was established by A.B. Grace in 1895. Three years later, the railroad bypassed Fort Steel in favor of Cranbrook and Fort Steele began to decline. In 1905, A.B. Grace moved the newspaper and print shop to Cranbrook where he continued to publish until 1915. The building shown below is actually a replica of the original building based on old photographs. The replica was built in 1965.
Telegraph and Telephone Office
In the era before the internet made communications almost instantaneous, the telegraph was the first electronic communications system which allowed information to flow rapidly from one community to another. In 1897, telegraph reached Fort Steele and in 1898, a telephone system was installed.
Museums 101
Museums 101 is a series of photo tours of museum exhibits, including history museums, art museums, and science museums. Here are the links to some other museum photo tours.
Museums 101: The Chinese in British Columbia (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Hall of African Mammals (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Sedman House in Nevada City (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Romanian Royal Artifacts (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Settlers in the High Desert (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: California Transportation (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Dairy and Canning (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Parlor at the Fort Dalles Museum (Photo Diary)
If you are interested in joining the new Museum group on Daily Kos, let us know in the comments.