pg 732 More Big Hill Country 2009
Herbert “Soapy” Smith was born in Vermont, USA and came to Canada in 1904. He homesteaded the NE Sec 16 Twp 25 Rge 5 W5M. He obtained his title in 1910.
Soapy worked at various ranches in the Jumping Pound and then moved to Banff. He was a very good horseman and was in the business of buying and selling horses. He also raised some horses. During WWI he handled remounts for the army and brought in some very rank horses to sell to them.
In Banff Soapy was employed as a harness maker by Bill and Jim Brewster. He was anxious to get out on the trail and went out as a camp cook for Bill Brewster for about four years. He then started as a guide for Brewsters and worked for them for twenty years.
Herb “Soapy” Smith built a log house on his homestead but didn’t live there all the time. He and John Park were good friends and Soapy’s house was built close to the Park’s. His homestead was a ridge of rock and not suitable for anything except grazing so he sold it to John Park and bought Sec 9 Twp 25 Rge 6 W5M. He lived there during the winter and returned to guide pack parties for Brewsters in the summer.
Soapy settled at Seebe in 1922, raising horses and taking out parties on his own. He became well known to tourists from all parts of the world. He married Eva Mills in the Church at Morley and they had one son Michael. They acted as camp cooks on the rides of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies until about 1946.
Soapy was looked upon as a very necessary part of any trail ride. Soapy Smith passed away April 7, 1948, at the age of seventy years, after a six month illness.
He had a half brother, Fred Scott who ranched in the Jumping Pound and then moved to British Columbia.
