Brown left the gold diggings along Wild Horse Creek near today's Cranbrook. After crossing through the sun parched Tobacco Plains and into the beautiful valley of the Flathead he appeared over the pass.

Emerging from the South Kootenay Pass we hit the foothills near the mouth of Pass Creek and climbed to the top of one of the lower mountains. The prairie as far as we could see east, north and west was one living mass of buffalo. Thousands of head there were, far thicker than ever range cattle grazed the bunch grass of the foothills. We killed a three year old bull just at the entrance of the pass. None of our party up to this time had ever seen a buffalo.

Kootenai who arrived in 1865 went on to say:

I recall my first impression of Kootenay Lakes, now known as Waterton Lakes . . . Coming down from the mountain, where we got our first glimpse of the buffalo, we soon reached the prairie shore of a large lake at the further side of which a mountain rose to a sofa-like peak among the clouds. This mountain was afterwards called Sofa Mountain.

George "Kootenai" Brown's cabin in Waterton Lakes

About 12 years after first passing over the South Kootenay Pass into Waterton lakes, Brown settled in the area as a trader, guide and packer. He saw the need to protect this beautiful spot and his efforts eventually led to the formation of Waterton Lakes National Park.

Return to In the Footsteps of Thomas Blakiston

How do I participate in the student Sketchbook Project?


Thomas Blakiston in Japan

Back to Our Heritage Home Page