John Ware: A Legend of the Canadian West

There’s no denying John Ware lived a legend-worthy life. Born into slavery in the American South, he rose far above his humble beginnings to become a Black cowboy with a successful career as a rancher in the Canadian province of Alberta. Throughout his journey, Ware faced racism, prejudice, and the numerous challenges that came from a white-dominated industry. John Ware overcame those obstacles as he managed thousands of cattle and horses for highly successful ranches, ultimately developing a ranch of his own. His renowned skills and experience in the industry, along with his remarkable character, earned him a solid place among the legends of the Canadian West.

Humble Beginnings

Although there are no official records of his birth, most historians believe John Ware was born around 1845 on a South Carolina plantation. However, his marriage certificate lists Tennessee as his birthplace. Ware gained his freedom in 1865 after the end of the Civil War.

Significant folklore surrounds Ware’s life, dating back to his years as a slave. Although the tales can’t be verified, one story illustrates the character of Ware even before he became a free man. The story claims Ware stepped between the plantation owner and another slave (possibly one of his sisters) and, using a combination of strength and humor, diffused the situation, saving his fellow slave from a severe beating.

WF John Ware Discover the Story of John Ware

Embracing Freedom

After gaining his freedom, John Ware moved west to Texas. Overcoming prejudice and the systemic challenges Blacks faced, Ware used his time in the Lone Star State wisely, mastering the skills of a horseman and becoming a Black cowboy.

Ware’s first cattle drive as a new cowboy involved moving 2,400 cattle north from Texas to Montana. At the historic John Ware Cabin in Alberta, Canada’s Dinosaur Provincial Park displays share stories of Ware’s adventures throughout his life, including that original cattle drive to Montana.

“It was during John Ware’s first cattle drive that he experienced one of the most frightening things imaginable to an early cowboy. He was taking his turn as a night herder when a blood-curdling scream tore through the night. Suddenly, the darkness was filled with the commotion of 2,400 frightened cattle. Stampede! John galloped along with the herd, making his way through the pounding hoofs and horns. He reached the lead steers and forced them to turn. Soon, the front of the stampede was chasing its own end. The confused cows began to slow down and finally came to a stop. When the rest of the frantic cowboys caught up with John, they found him resting on the grass, the cattle quietly grazing nearby.”

Finding Success in a New Homeland

Ware remained in Montana for several years before meeting an agent of the Northwest Cattle Company in southern Idaho in 1882. The agent was recruiting cowhands to drive over 3,000 cattle north to Alberta, Canada, for the newly established Bar U Ranch.

Smitten with the northern landscape, Ware never returned to the United States. He was hired on for the cattle drive and stayed to work at the ranch until 1884 when he was given the opportunity to work for Quorn Ranch. At Quorn, Ware was entrusted with the management of expensive breeding stock.

While continuing to work with larger ranches, Ware also developed his own small ranch. Building a reputation based on his deeds, John Ware was a true pioneer. His skills in the saddle impressed everyone and his straightforward honesty earned him respect among the frontier cattlemen.

Canadian Stamp honoring John Ware Photo: Shutterstock

John Ware’s Personal Life

In 1892, John Ware married Mildred Jane Lewis – the daughter of a Black homesteader and cabinetmaker from Ontario. The couple married in the Calgary Baptist church and had six children, five of which survived. Ware built a cabin for his family on the banks of the Red Deer River from the spruce logs that drifted past from upstream sawmills. When a flood washed the cabin away in 1902, Ware built another one on higher ground.

Unfortunately, the Ware family had little time in the new cabin. In the spring of 1905, Mildred died from pneumonia. Later that year, John Ware lost his life when his horse fell into a badger hole, crushing him. His funeral reportedly had the largest attendance in Calgary at that time.

WF John Ware Badlands in Dinosaur Provincial Park

John Ware’s Cabin

Over the years, the last cabin John Ware and his family occupied fell into disrepair. In 1998, Parks Canada restored the cabin and moved it to the Dinosaur Provincial Park. A visit to John Ware’s cabin provides insights into this larger-than-life cowboy. Inside, personal artifacts illustrate aspects of his family life. Other displays share stories of his adventures and his incredible horsemanship skills. I arrived in the Dinosaur Provincial Park in search of dinosaur bones—and I found plenty. But I also discovered the story of John Ware which was equally intriguing. For more information visit www.albertaparks.ca.

Click here for discounted accommodations in Calgary