Rocky Springs Segment of the Whoop Up Trail

The Whoop-Up Trail, extending from Fort Benton, Montana, to Fort Hamilton, Alberta, was, initially, a trade route between Montana and the southern region of now Alberta, then known as Rupert's Land, and controlled by a British fur trading company, the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1869, negotiations were taking place to transfer control to Canada. Several American traders took advantage of lack of policing in the area and set up trading posts. In addition to their usual trade goods such as guns, metal implements and blankets, they began supplying adulterated alcohol known as "firewater", to the Blackfeet, for buffalo robes, horses and anything else of value. Several posts were established and one of the earliest was Fort Hamilton, in 1869, which burnt down and was replaced by another in 1870, near Lethbridge, Alberta, which became known as Fort Whoop-Up. This trade continued until the arrival of the North-West Mounted Police, in October 1874, when it was considerably curtailed by their establishment of Fort Macleod. Whoop Up trail continued to be the main supply route from Fort Benton into the north for mostly legitimate goods. The arrival of the railways in the 1880s ended its usefulness.