Nicholas Sheran (1841–1882) was an entrepreneur born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. He spent his early years apprenticing as a printer, working on

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whalers, and serving in the

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History

After his service in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, Sheran followed a fellow soldier (Joseph Healy, a member of the

Kainai Nation The Kainai Nation (or , or Blood Tribe) ( bla, Káínaa) is a First Nations band government in southern Alberta, Canada, with a population of 12,800 members in 2015, up from 11,791 in December 2013. translates directly to 'many chief' (fro ...

who was adopted by the Healy family) to Montana where he worked as a prospector and trader. In 1870, he went north in search of gold to

Fort Whoop-Up Fort Whoop-Up was the nickname (eventually adopted as the official name) given to a whisky trading post, originally Fort Hamilton, near what is now Lethbridge, Alberta. During the late 19th century, the post served as a centre for trading activ ...

, a whiskey-trading post started by Healy's older adoptive brother John J Healy near what is now Lethbridge,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

where he found coal instead. While in the area, Sheran started a ferry service across the Belly River (now Oldman). In addition, he also mined coal from a seam in the nearby

coulee Coulee, or coulée ( or ) is a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley or drainage zone. The word ''coulee'' comes from the Canadian French ''coulée'', from French ''couler'' 'to flow'. The ...

s and sold it to traders who came to the fort. With this, Sheran was responsible for the creation of Alberta's first commercial coal mine. He was able to sell his coal for $5 a ton according to a later newspaper article; but according to this historical document it went for $3/ton at the site, $15/ton at

Fort McLeod McLeod Lake is an unincorporated community located on Highway 97 in northern British Columbia, Canada, north of Prince George. It is notable for being the first continuously inhabited European settlement established west of the Rocky Mountains ...

, and $22/ton at Fort Benton. From 1878 to 1882, Sheran lived

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with a Peigan woman named Mary Brown, and they had two sons together: Charles and William. Sheran drowned the May before his second son was born. In 1899, the Supreme Court for the North-West Territories ruled that Sheran's two sons were ineligible to inherit his estate. This ruling was made because the court believed Sheran could have legally married Mary Brown, but did not.Brian Slattery and Linda Charlton, ed., Canadian Native Law Cases 3, 1891-1910 (Saskatoon: Native Law Centre, 1985): 636-44.

Namesakes

A park
leisure centre
with ice rink and swimming pool, and a
elementary school
in Lethbridge are named after Sheran.

References

External links

Newsletter-Historical Society of Alberta, Whoop-Up Country Chapter (1983)
When Coal Was King
History of Lethbridge 1841 births 1882 deaths Union Army soldiers {{Canada-business-bio-stub