George Lane (6 March 1856 – 24 September 1925) was an American-born Canadian politician and rancher and known as one of the
Big Four who helped found the
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and featu ...
in 1912. In 2016, he was inducted into the
Hall of Great Westerners
The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American W ...
of the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...
.
George was foreman at the
Bar U Ranch
The Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, located near Longview, Alberta, is a preserved ranch that for 70 years was one of the leading ranching operations in Canada. At its peak, the ranch extended over with 30,000 cattle and 1000 Percheron ho ...
and eventually returned in the early 1900s to purchase it for $250,000. In 1885 he married Elizabeth Sexsmith and they raised 8 children together.
In the
1913 Alberta general election
The 1913 Alberta general election was held in March 1913. The writ was dropped on 25 March 1913 and election day was held 17 April 1913 to elect 56 members to the 3rd Alberta Legislature. Elections in two northern districts took place on 30 July ...
George was elected as the first member for the
Bow Valley
Bow Valley is a valley located along the upper Bow River in Alberta, Canada.
The name "Bow" refers to the reeds that grew along its banks and which were used by the local First Nations people to make bows; the Blackfoot language name for the ...
riding for the
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party (french: Parti libéral de l'Alberta) is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1905, it is the oldest active political party in Alberta and was the dominant political party until the 1921 election ...
. He was somewhat of a star candidate for the Liberal Party, and helped keep a critical southern Alberta seat from going Conservative. He defeated
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Incumbent
Harold Riley who had changed from the Gleichen district. George would spend very little time as a member of the
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. The Legislative Assembly currently has 87 members, elected first past the post from singl ...
, he would resign a short time later so that defeated Cabinet Minister
Charles R. Mitchell
Charles Richmond Mitchell (November 30, 1872 – August 16, 1942) was a Canadian lawyer, judge, cabinet minister and former Leader of the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
Early life
Mitchell was born in Newcastle, Ne ...
could re-gain a seat in the legislature.
Legacy
*
Hall of Great Westerners
The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American W ...
, 2016
Election results
References
External links
George Lane and his home in Calgary*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, George
Alberta Liberal Party MLAs
American expatriates in Canada
1856 births
1925 deaths
Canadian cattlemen
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)