Southern Alberta was, and remains, a ranching country, with a number of acres of grasslands supplying pasture for hungry cattle. Several ranches were set up in the province starting in the 1880s, and cowboys were employed to tend to the cattle, horses, and other livestock.

In the spring, the animals were branded. Then huge round-ups happen in the fall. The cowboys took shelter in bunk-houses and tents, ate chuckwagon grub, were adept horsemen (a few even joined the rodeo circuit), and spent most of their lives in the saddle.

Delight in this few cowboy photographs, from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

Calgary Cowboys, Alberta, 1883

Group at Medicine Hat, Alberta, 1885

A lad in his cowboy outfit, 1888

Branding at the OH Ranch corrals, near High River, Alberta, 1892

'Bachelor's Hall', interior view of a bunkhouse on a Southern Alberta ranch, 1894

Roping a heifer for spaying on ranch, Maple Creek area, Saskatchewan, 1897

Bruce and Jim Hunter in homestead shack, Dog Pound area, Alberta, 1897

Cowboys stretching a steer at round-up, Maple Creek area, Saskatchewan, 1897

Bar U Ranch cowboys, general round-up, southern Alberta, May 31, 1901.

Bar U Ranch cowboys, general round-up, southern Alberta, May 31, 1901

Cowboy riding a bucking bronco on Billy Cochrane's CC Ranch, Mosquito Creek, Alberta, 1901

Riders of southern Alberta round-up, 1901

Branding at Brown Ranch, Queenstown, Alberta, 1900-03

Bar U Ranch group on round-up, Pekisko, Alberta, 1900-05

Last Bow River Ranche cattle round-up, near Cochrane, Alberta, 1905-06

Cowboy Clem Gardner wearing chaps, Pirmez Creek, Alberta, 1906

Man doing laundry outside cabin, Longview, Alberta, 1907

Sarcee boys in hats, Calgary, Alberta, 1912

Tom Three Persons, blood cowboy, September 1912

Cowboy with horse and dog on top of Burgess Pass, British Columbia, 1914

Cowboys on Fred Andrews bunk, bunkhouse, Bar U ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1917

Wild horse round-up, Hussar, Alberta, 1919

Group on street at Gleichen, Alberta, 1920-21

Cowboy having meal during cattle round-up drive, 1926

H/T Glenbow Museum