David Milton McGowan

 Historical Notes During the novel “The Making of Jake McTavish” there is a part where Jake visits what is now called by the locals the “Old Fort” and speaks with a young man I actually knew 60 years later. Here is a picture of the old Roman Catholic Church at that site roughly 20 years after the time depicted in the story. Roman Catholic Mission at "Old Fort" The "Old Fort" - Fort St. John about 1875 showing factor's residence and trade and storage Jake also talks to a young North West Mounted Police officer who was the single remainder of a large troupe who went through the Peace Country that year, details of which are covered in the “Author’s Notes” at the end of the novel. However, one of the things the troupe did before continuing on was to build the NWMP post and jail on the south side of the river which still existed there (although it had been turned over the the BC Provincial Police about 1909) when I worked on the ranch which surrounded it. It was ho...

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted - The Royal Mounted Patrol - Rose Marie - Sergeant Preston of the Yukon - Steele of the Royal Mounted - Saskatchewan  What do these early films have to do with the North West Mounted Police or history? Absolutely nothing! Members of the NWMP (and the RCMP) are people, not the supermen projected by Hollywood. Other representations of NWMP officers would make you think they never did anything immoral and stepped out of the pages of the Bible. For “people” take a look at “Gunfighters, Thieves and Lawmen” at https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B004V9WZVI Within the story, actually the second chapter, two of the characters, a Mountie and a cattleman discus the attempts to find and arrest a man listed as Jean Baptiste on reservation rolls but known by his own people as Almighty Voice. This is actually an historical event and demonstrates the attitudes, both white and indigenous of the day and the racism that existed on both sides. Almighty Voice  No, I’m not...

  An excerpt from “Homesteader: Finding Sharon”  At the end of "The Great Liquor War" (excerpt below) the woman that Hank thought would be his partner disappears. In "Homesteader" he and a part Sioux freind travel east across the Rockies to see if they can find her. They do, but then Hank wonders if that was the right thing to do. While he decides how his life will develop, they choose to take advantage of the Homestead Act and develop their own cattle business. Of course, that doesn't sit well with an established big rancher who is also a bully and something of a sociopath.  This is a view of Calgary at about the time depicted in "Homesteader" looking north from the river about 1885 This is a view of Calgary looking west toward the Rockies in 2013 Following a breakfast at the Stockman's Kitchen, Harry rode south and west looking for some of his distant relatives. I had explained what I thought were the requirements for a successful ranch, and ...

 The Great Liquor War Here is an excerpt from “The Great Liquor War”. My story here is wound around an historical incident during which the North West Mounted Police (here represented by my fictional, Sergeant Rawn) and the BC Provincial Police (Represented by Constable Kirkup). Though Constable Jack Kirkup is an historical character my representation probably has little to do with the real person other than his being (apparently) a very big man.   The first part of this piece is the first private meeting of the main protagonist, Hank James and Sharon Dalton who becomes the focus of Hank’s search at the beginning of “Homesteader: Finding Sharon”  a sequel to “The Great Liquor War.” The last part contains a formal report by Constable Kirkup for his superiors. (Totally my manufacture) which is meant as a lead into what is happening with the local “outlaw” element. “The Great Liquor War” was originally published in 1998 and all copies quickly disappeared. I eventually...