Transportation then was not as
fast as now, but people and supplies still got around. The first
route into the area was the Kalispell/Fort Steele Trail which
went past Jaffray very near the Matson ranch. In the 1890s, 40
to 50 wagons were coming by every day. Steamboats plied the Kootenay
River to Jennings, Montana. The BC Southern Railway was completed
from Alberta to Cranbrook by 1898 and was responsible for the
sudden surge of population and industry in that area. Railroad
service carried mail and passengers to and from Jaffray, right
on the route, once or twice a day.
People often went down to the train station just to watch it come
and go. To catch the train at any other spot but the station you
waved a flag to signal the engineer to stop. Mary liked to visit
her family in Fernie or go shopping occasionally in Lethbridge
or Cranbrook, but such trips were luxuries that happened once
or twice a year. Most shopping was done through the Eaton's catalogue,
particularly the Christmas gifts.Because they had regular train
service, they had daily mail. Outgoing mail was hung on a hook
called a "catch arm" and as the train went by, someone
grabbed it. Incoming mail was tossed out of the train on the way
past—and occasionally run over.
Contrary to what we might assume,
not everyone had horses and wagons. Walking to wherever you had
to go was even simpler and cheaper than a horse and that's how
many people got around. Elmer had a bicycle which he sometimes
rode 40km to Cranbrook or Fernie just for something to do. He
rode it to dances in Jaffray and home in the dark through the
bush.
Another mode of transportation that was popular in Jaffray was
a little contraption which resembled a dog sled, called a "kicker".
You didn't need a dog to operate it, though. A person stood on
the back runner and kicked to propel the sled over the icy roads.
They were traditional transportation in Sweden and were introduced
to Jaffray by one of the resident Swedes. People travelled for
miles in the wintertime on them. Kickers were more reliable on
icy roads than vehicles. During the 20s, wagons or vehicles usually
had to dodge stumps on the rough roads but by the 40s, even the
Crowsnest Highway was complete, and usually passable.
