Isaac Cowie
| Isaac Cowie | |
|---|---|
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| Alderman on the Edmonton Town Council | |
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In office January 13, 1896 – July 7, 1896 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 18, 1848 Lerwick, Shetland |
| Died | May 18, 1917 (aged 68) Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Profession | Pioneer, fur trader |
| Signature |  |
Isaac Cowie (November 18, 1848 – May 18, 1917) was a Canadian pioneer, fur trader, and politician. He served on the town council of Edmonton.
Cowie was born in Lerwick, Shetland on November 18, 1848. He spent two years volunteering with the 1st Edinburgh and Shetland Rifles. He attended Edinburgh University for one session, studying medicine, but did not complete his education before taking a position with the Hudson's Bay Company and moving to Rupert's Land in Canada.
His first posting was in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, where he stayed until 1874, acting as manager of the post from 1872. In 1873, he dissuaded disgruntled First Nations from raiding the fort by meeting an armed band of them at the fort with two other men, revolvers in hand. For this he was made a justice of the peace.
He was later stationed at Oak Point on Lake Winnipeg, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Manitoba House, and Isle à la Crosse. In 1891, he moved to Edmonton to become the first secretary of its Board of Trade. While there, working under Dr. Franz Boas, he sent a collection of Cree artifacts to the World's Columbian Exposition; this collection later went to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
In 1896, Cowie ran for Edmonton's town council as an alderman. He was elected, finishing fourth of eight candidates (the top six were elected). However, he resigned on July 7 of the same year.
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