DECEMBER, 2004 NEWSLETTER

Peakfinder Updates

Its' always a pleasure to hear from relatives of those who have been honoured by the naming of mountains in the Canadian Rockies. This month we heard from Audrey Cameron, whose grandfather was Harry Ready Charlton after whom Mount Charlton in the Maligne Lake Valley was named. Audrey advised that many of the sources state that her grandfather's name was Henry (as did Peakfinder before we heard from Audrey).

Thanks to Rienk Lakeman for a number of additional photos in the Waterton National Park area and Randy McAllister for his photos of Eden Peak and Mount Dainard.

Thanks as well to Ernie Lakusta for correcting a long standing error regarding a quote describing Mount Temple.

If you have a favourite mountain photo or any information about the peaks of the Canadian Rockies that you would like included in Peakfinder please contact <dave@peakfinder.com>.

Please note that all of the previous newsletters have been archived and are available on the site. If you're interested in esoteric lists, unusual mountain names, etc. browse through the earlier issues. 


December's Unusual Canadian Rockies Name

DUPLICATE MOUNTAIN
In 1919, surveyors of  the Interprovincial Boundary Survey noted that two of the peaks of this mountain were very similar.
Enter "Duplicate Mountain" to learn more about the mountain. 

Look who's honoured in the Canadian Rockies

JOSEPH TYRRELL
Mount Tyrrell and Mount McConnell lie adjacent to one another, although the summits are ten kilometres apart, to the north of the Red Deer River. Joseph Tyrrell and Richard McConnell were geologists who worked with Dr. Dawson.

George Dawson’s map of the Canadian Rockies (from the U.S. border to the Red Deer Valley and Kicking Horse Pass) was published in 1886 and was based on his field work completed during 1883 and 1884. The map included geological surface information and six complete geological cross-sections through various points in the Rockies.

He was assisted by J.B. Tyrrell in 1883 and J. White in 1884. R.G. McConnell contributed his work in the Bow Valley that was done in 1885. As a thank you to his assistants, Dawson named three peaks in the lower headwaters on the Red Deer Valley near what is known as Scotch Camp.

J.B. Tyrrell (1858-1957) attended the University of Toronto, graduating in 1880. His worked as an assistant to paleontologist J.F. Whiteaves (see Mount Whiteaves), unpacking and organizing the Geological Survey of Canada's collection of rocks an fossils. After accompanying Dawson during his 1883 explorations, Tyrrell worked in the lower Red Deer Valley in 1884 where he excavated the nearly intact head of a previously unknown species of dinosaur, now called Albertosaurus sarcophagus. He was also the first to note the existence of coal seams near Drumheller.

He travelled widely with GSC. His work included studying and mapping in the Arctic and visiting Dawson City at the height of the gold rush in 1898. He then became involved in the Klondike as a mining consultant and surveyor and later worked in this capacity in Ontario and other areas in northwestern Canada.

Throughout his life he was keenly interested in the history of the fur trade. He collected documents related to it including, in 1895, the unpublished manuscript of David Thompson's narrative which he edited for publication.

In 1985 he was posthumously honoured by the naming of the Tyrrell Museum of Paleaontology in Drumheller, Alberta, commemorating his early discovery of dinosaur remains in the Red Deer River valley in 1884.
For information about Mount Tyrrell enter the mountain's name in the appropriate search box on the main page.

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