Dead Man’s Flats, Alberta
If you have ever driven from Calgary to Banff, you have passed by the hamlet of Dead Man’s Flats.
Have you ever wondered who the “dead man” was? There are several individuals to choose from.
The origin of the town’s name might have been a dairy farmer named Jean Marret, or two First Nations beaver poachers. There is also a possibility that the deceased was an unnamed prospector.
Which of the following dead men do you think it was:
In 1904, a man named Francois Marret killed his brother Jean, because voices in his head told him to. The murder took place on a dairy farm situated near the Bow River, in the shadow of Pigeon Mountain. After killing his brother with an axe, Francois threw the dearly departed’s body in the Bow River where it floated to a shallow spot called “the Flats”. The body was soon discovered, and Francois Marret was charged with the crime. He was tried for first-degree murder, but a jury acquitted him by reason of insanity.
In another story, two First Nations people were illegally trapping beaver near the Bow River. They saw a warden approaching their camp from a distance. There was no escape route, so the clever men covered their bodies with beaver blood and pretended to be dead. When the deceived warden discovered the men, he immediately retreated to get help. The trappers then escaped with their illegal pelts. The spot on the river from which the “dead” men had disappeared became known as Dead Man’s Flats.
In 1954, the Calgary Herald reported that several years prior, a prospector had been murdered in a cabin near the river. The Herald claimed that Dead Man’s Flats was named after that deceased miner.
I like the First Nations poacher story best, but it is probably not true. There is no record of the incident in any Park Warden’s Reports. And, if there were two “dead” men, why wouldn’t the place be called by the plural, Dead Men Flats?
The 1954 Calgary Herald story seems plausible, except that the site was called Dead Man’s Flats as far back as the 1920s, much earlier than the story the Herald reported.
The most likely account is the deranged-farmer-kills-his-brother scenario. Court records of Francois Marret’s trial have been lost, but the story has a ring of truth to it.
Which tale do you think is the origin of the town’s name.
The 2021 Canadian Census lists Dead Man’s Flats as having 377 living residents. The census didn’t include …
… One Dead Man.
To join the WellWaterBlog audience, scroll down and add your e-mail address to the growing list. You will receive a notice each time a new article is posted and nothing else – No Advertising, No Solicitations, No B.S., Just Fun.
Leave a Reply