This project covers all land settled between townships 70 and 85, from Range 18 west of the 5^th Meridian to Range 25 west of the 6^th Meridian – or – all the land which flowed into the Peace River and was settled up to 1915 by farmers. This includes the region from as far south as the Goose Lake to as far north as Fort St. John and Peace River (Town) and from as far east as Lake Winagami to as far west as Hudson’s Hope (see map on inside front cover). This is, in effect, the upper Peace River Country, which is bordered by the Wapiti River to the south, the Rocky Mountains to the west, the Clear and Whitemud Hills to the north, and the Athabasca drainage system to the east. The project, however, also includes the pre-survey squatters and the few homestead entries that were made at this time for land in the vicinity of Fort Vermilion.

This project discloses information on individuals who filed for land between June 1899, when occupancy declarations were first accepted, and 31 December 1914, which was just after the Edmonton, Dunvegan & British Columbia Railway had reached the site of High Prairie. Because travel to the region, with all the equipment and supplies needed to start a farm, was becoming much easier than before, the end of 1914 can be seen as something of a watershed. It was also during this time that the earlier unforeseen scope of World War I was becoming apparent. Also, during this time, the earlier unforeseen scope of World War I was becoming apparent. This began to draw many people of military age throughout Canada, Great Britain and the British Empire into military service and possibly away from thoughts of a new life on a northern Canadian prairie homestead.

More important, however, is the fact that, with the homestead entries of 1914, the basic pattern of agricultural settlement in the Peace River region was established. (See Appendix---). From this point on, further settlement would build out from the frontiers already in place or fill in gaps within the existing framework. A slight degree of urbanization had now begun as both Peace River and Grande Prairie were incorporated as villages in 1914 with both having active boards of trade. Hamlets with 20 or more families also existed at Lake Saskatoon, Spirit River and Waterhole, while the surrounding countryside was dotted with a number of stores, post offices, schools and churches. Rural government had also just been implemented in the form of the Rural Municipalities of Grande Prairie, Bear Lake, Spirit River, Fairview and Peace (river), while several local agricultural societies had been incorporated.

By the end of 1914, North-west Mounted Police barracks were in place at Grande Prairie, Sturgeon Lake, Lake Saskatoon, Spirit River, Peace River and Fort St. John, while several Justices-of-the-Peace had been appointed, and Supreme Court Justices Noel and Dubuc had begun to make regular excursions to the region. Communications had improved to such a degree that the telegraph stretched as far west as Lake Saskatoon, and both Grande Prairie and Peace River were publishing newspapers. In short, by the end of 1914, the Peace River Country was much like the rest of the Canadian prairies and a vastly different place than it had been the previous year.

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