pg 732 Big Hill Country 1977
Wheeler Mickle was born in Ontario in 1840 and came West in the spring of 1862, via St. Paul and the Red River. At Fort Garry he joined a party of men, and travelled the hazardous overland trail to the Cariboo gold fields in British Columbia. Some were disappointed in their search for gold. Wheeler Mickle decided to do packing on the Cariboo Road.
At first mule trains and horses were used; later camels were brought in. The camels rustled their own food and were capable of carrying heavy loads, but they terrified the horses and mules that were being used.
After packing on the Cariboo Road, Wheeler drove stage for Barnard, a stage line company. The stage travelled the Cariboo Road. This was a rugged road and has been called the eighth wonder of the world. In places the road was supported on pilings or great masonry constructions, and in many places it was cut through solid rock. The level of the road varied from the edge of the Fraser River to dizzying heights, and the curves were so sharp that the lead horses were often out of the driver’s sight.
Wheeler married Lucinda Julia Thomson of Colchester, British Columbia, in October 1870. He took up land in the Nicola Valley of British Columbia. There, their four children, Lennox, Charles, Eddy and Tina were born. In 1881 he came back to what is now Alberta, where he freighted between Fort Walsh and Calgary for the North West Mounted Police. He settled in Calgary and built one of the first dwelling houses there. About the time that the town began to grow, he built a stable and entered into the feed and dray business. When the Mission property facing Seventeenth Avenue was put on the market, he purchased a site and built there.
At the outbreak of the Riel Rebellion (sic) in the spring of 1885, Wheeler Mickle, who was known to be an excellent teamster, was hired by General Strange. The Force of General Strange was made up of the 65th Battalion of the Mount Royal Rifles of Montreal, the Winnipeg Light Infantry, a detachment of Mounted Police under Major Steele, cowboy scouts and teamsters.
At Frenchman’s Butte they fought Big Bear’s forces and scattered them so that the prisoners were able to escape. On July 2nd, a small detachment of Mounted Police captured Chief Big Bear, thus ending the war.
In the fall of 1885 Wheeler went to Manitoba, and the following spring he shipped a carload of cows West. He took up land on the Cochrane lease where, later, the Springbank Post Office was established.
Wheeler and his wife operated the Post Office and a store for a number of years. The Mickles sold out their business at Springbank and took up homestead land in what is known as Mission Valley, north of the Elbow River. His homestead was NW¼ 4-24-4-5.
Wheeler Mickle gave Springbank its name. He was a very strong person and his day used to start about four a.m. It has been told that he used to go up to the bush for firewood when he lived in Springbank, and the ranchers living along the trail would hear the noise of the wagon or sleighs going by at four a.m. In the winter he would cut his load of wood and load it up and be back home before dark.
He retired to Cochrane in 1913 and it was not unusual to see Wheeler walking home from the river at six a.m. with a catch of fish. Wheeler passed away in 1918.
Tina married Watt Potts. Lennox was killed in a shooting accident at Springbank. Eddy was crippled and lived with his parents at Springbank. In later years he moved up north. Charlie Mickle spent most of his life in the Cochrane area.
