Fort Whoop-Up

[Stump Water]

Fort Whoop-Up (officially known as Fort Hamilton) was the nickname given to an area near Lethbridge, Alberta which, during the late 1800s, served as a centre for various illegal activities. During this time, the sale of whiskey was outlawed; however, due to the lack of a police force in the region at the time, many whiskey traders had settled in the area and taken to charging unusually high prices for their goods.

Fort Whoop-Up was first built in 1869 by J.J. Healy and A.B. Hamilton with the purpose of being a whiskey post. Its first structure was destroyed by fire within a year of its construction — whether this was an accident or deliberate arson is unknown. A second, more sturdy structure later replaced Fort Whoop-Up.

One type of alcohol sold by the Whoop-Up bandits was known as Whoop-Up Bug Juice. Whoop-Up Bug Juice was a highly-priced alcohol spiked with ginger, molasses, and red pepper. It was then coloured with black chewing tobacco, watered down, and boiled to make "firewater". One Native man reportedly traded two horses for a single jug of the Bug Juice.

Most notably, the outlaws of Fort Whoop-Up and surrounding areas directly contributed to the formation of the North-West Mounted Police.

Once formed, the North-West Mounted Police helped drive-out the Whoop-Up whiskey traders. Their first strike on the traders came after a Native complained at Fort Macleod about a group of whiskey traders who had sold him overpriced Whoop-Up Bug Juice. Shortly after, the North-West Mounted Police caught and fined the perpetraters. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the whiskey traders were chased out of "Whoop-Up Country".

http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/jankej/oldwest/whoop_up.htm

[RattlesnakeJack]

Interesting post  - the original site of Fort Whoop Up is about 100 miles west of my location - as is the modern recreation of the Fort of which you can take a "virtual tour" through one of the links on the website Stump Water included in his post.  Been there numerous times, including attendance at several re-enactment events on site.

Here's a "tintype" of Rattlesnake Jack, Rocky Mountain Ranger Scout, with a prisoner I brought in to Fort Whoop Up for questioning:   



And a couple of North West Mounted Police Constables, gettin' ready to conduct the interrogation:

[Texas Tall]

An interesting site Stump and some nice pics RJ.

Regards.....Texas Tall.

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[Forty Rod]

Watch that critter, Jack.  You could be in over your head.  Look at that ready-to-fight stance, those steely eyes, that lithe combat-honed physique.

[Nine Toe Jim]

Actually it's the other way around. Rattlesnake is the captive and his captor has graciously allowed him to hold his Unloaded Rifle for the picture to avoid his embarassment to the rest of us Rocky Mountain Rangers

[Micheal Fortune]

And interestingly enough, it ties in with some of our local history.

Fort Benton, Montana (42 miles NW of here) is (was) the Head of Navigation for the Upper Missouri River.

Steamboats used to bring goods up the river from Saint Louis and parts East.  Until the train made it's way by here in '69 this is how this part of the world got supplied and settled.

There is, or was, a trail leading from Fort Benton to Fort Whoop-up, called, of course, The Whoop-up trail.  Google it up.

Here is a link that explains a little of it.
http://fortbenton.blogspot.com/2005/09/along-whoop-up-trail-fort-benton-and.html

[Nine Toe Jim]

Hi there Micheal - We've been to Ft Benton Twice now over the years I've been shooting in Montana and they are coming along nicely with the restoration of the old fort there. The little museum is informative too.