Few personalities stand out in the ranching history of Canada like that of John Ware. An African-American born into slavery in the Carolinas, John rose to fame in the young Canadian west due to his exceptional equestrian talents and won the hearts of many with his amiable nature.

John arrived in western Canada on a cattle drive from Idaho in 1882. He eventually married and by 1900, he and his wife, Mildred, had five children. At that time, he moved from the Calgary area to a spot along the Red Deer River, just north of the village of Duchess, but his home met an unfortunate end with the spring flood of 1902. John re-constructed the cabin on higher ground overlooking a stream, now called Ware Creek. Sadly, the family did not occupy the new home for long. In spring of 1905 Mildred, died of pneumonia and that same year, in September, John was killed when his horse tripped and fell on him.

John's death came just 12 days after Alberta became a province. It was testimony to John's stature in the community that his funeral, held in Calgary, was the largest in that young city's history. Afterwards, the children were sent to live with their grandparents and the property was sold in an estate sale.

A true pioneer, John Ware established his reputation in frontier society with deeds rather than words. His skills in the saddle and straightforward honesty earned him the respect of fellow cattlemen and entrepreneurs. Because of his courage and enormous strength, the First Nations' people called him "Matoxy Sex Apee Quin" (bad black white man) and wondered if he had a connection to the spirit world.

Since his death, a wealth of legends has been woven, making him something of a Paul Bunyan of the Canadian west.

None of John and Mildred's children had children of their own, and in March of 1989, their last surviving daughter, Nettie, passed away on her ninety-sixth birthday. She had been living in the Vulcan area since 1921 and had received numerous honours, including "Alberta's Pioneer Daughter of the Year" in 1971. Their closest known living relatives, today, are descended through Mildred's younger brother, Daniel Lewis.

Widely known for his roping and riding and for his strength, John Ware has the stuff that legends are made of - and there are many! Some say:

• John discovered Turner Valley oil fields with a flick of a match
• John was the last rancher to use a Calgary bridge as a cattle crossing
• John Ware was never thrown from a horse
• He invented steer wrestling 20 years before the Calgary Stampede
• Camp cooks profess to feeding him on oversized platters, and to watching him eat sandwiches the size of the family bible

... just to list a few. At Dinosaur Provincial Park, the legend lives on!