John Ware Cairn

John Ware was one of Alberta's popular and famous cowboys. An American who had come to Alberta from Fort Worth, Texas, he was an outstanding bronc rider and cattleman who had a reputation for “fairness and built-in fearlessness”. It is believed that Ware was born into slavery, probably in South Carolina. He came north on a cattle drive to Montana's Judith Basin about 1879. In 1882 he helped Tome Lynch drive cattle for Fred Stimson to the Bar U Ranch south of Longview.

Ware worked on the Bar U under Stimson, and in 1883 served with the Stimson's Rangers. Later that year he went to work for the Quorn Ranch. Interested in starting a ranch of his own, Ware registered his brand “9999” and began to acquire cattle. In 1891 he bought his own place on the north fork of the Sheep Creek near Kew. A year later, he married Mildred Lewis who later bore him six children: Nettie, Robert, Arthur, Daniel, and the twins William and Mildred. Mildred and Nettie settled in Vulcan, Alberta.

With the assistance of John Quirk, who had helped him build his first home, Ware irrigated his hay land in 1892 by diverting water from the north fork of Sheep Creek. In 1895 he chose to add to his land holdings by filing a homestead entry. After seven more years of hard work, he was able to sell his Kew Holdings. He took up a new ranch on the Red Deer River at Bantry in the Brooks area where he died on September 10, 1905 as a result of a riding accident.

The John Ware Cairn was erected on John Ware's homestead at the confluence of the Sheep and John Ware Creeks near Kew on May 30, 1970.