In 1868 a group of Montana prospectors camped along a creek north of the border. They left behind a pair of pincers, tools essential for shoeing horses, in the creek when they rode out for the Kootenay gold fields.

In 1874 the Northwest Mounted Police marched west from Manitoba to bring peace to Western Canada. On their patrols they discovered the rusting pincers in the creek,and hence forth it became known as Pincher Creek.

Four years later, the Mounties established a large horse ranch at Pincher Creek to raise mounts for their patrols.The good grass attracted other ranchers and the police detachment grew into a settlement named Pincher Creek. In 1906 the settlement was incorporated as a Town.

Farley Wuth, Curator
Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village