Field, British Columbia
Posted by: 
wildwoodke
N 51° 23.884 W 116° 29.455
11U E 535415 N 5694215
This welcome sign is found at the bridge into the town of Field, British Columbia.
Waymark Code: WMBNFX
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 06/06/2011
Views: 14
"An 1871 agreement to bring the province of British Columbia into the Confederation of Canada set the wheels in motion for the creation of the Field townsite. Crucial to the agreement was a commitment to expand railway access across the continent.
Established in the 1880s as a settlement of tents and shacks to house construction workers for the Canadian Pacific Railway, Field soon became a hotbed of activity in the Rocky Mountains. The townsite received its name in honour of Cyrus Field, an American being wooed by the CPR for investment capital; he never did invest. The CPR greatly influenced development in the area by building many of the hiking trails surrounding Field and erecting a variety of mountain hotels, chalets, and guide houses to attract the wealthy tourists who helped fund construction of the railway, which was completed in 1885. In order to stimulate tourism, experienced Swiss guides were hired to escort amateur mountaineers drawn to the thrill of ascending peaks that had previously been inaccessible. "
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