John Ware wore Levi’s: Buttons found during dig at Black cowboy’s homestead

"John Ware, rancher" by Steele and Company. (Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary) (Left), and buttons found during a dig at Ware's homestead by University of Calgary archaeologist. (right)

We’re learning more about legendary Canadian rancher John Ware – including what type of jeans he wore – thanks to another visit to his Alberta homestead by University of Calgary archaeologists this past July.

The group spent time at the site near Millarville, where Ware and his family lived circa 1888-1902.

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“One of the key ones for me this year that I found – the most fun or most interesting – is actually Levi Strauss buttons,” said Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer, University of Calgary associate professor in the department of anthropology and archaeology.

“So, John Ware wore Levi Strauss jeans, which is pretty darn cool.”

Ware was born into slavery in the southern United States.

In the 1850s and post-emancipation, he found work as a ranch hand in the U.S., then Alberta, before establishing his own ranch in the province in 1887.

Amundsen-Meyer says the UCalgary team discovered several personal items at Ware’s homestead.

Another item found was part of a bone toothbrush.

“It’s made of probably cow bone and it would have actually had hog hairbrush bristles at that point,” Amundsen-Meyer said.

“That’s how they made toothbrushes, so that was something I never would have dreamed of finding.”

Amundsen-Meyer says one of her students is writing their thesis on how these newly discovered artifacts at the ranch site can give insight into the Ware family’s daily routine and even the social dynamics of isolated life on the prairies and foothills.

One of the key tasks during the July dig was for the team to learn more about the ranch house and how it was built.

Amundsen-Meyer says there is only one historic photo of the home from the front.

“1891 survey plans show us buildings on site in relation to the creek and fence lines and things like this, so we have a general idea from that.

“We know that there was a sitting room and two bedrooms in the main part of the house and a kitchen and a bedroom where the hired man slept in the back,” she said.

“That’s about all we know, so this is a piece where those structural remains can really add to the story that we know from historic records.”

The team focused on revealing the cellar, which they discovered during a previous dig at the site in the summer of 2024.

“We did, in fact, expose the entire floor of the cellar – a cross-section of it,” she said.

“We’re able to look at how it was constructed.”

Partnering on the project is Cheryl Foggo, Canadian author, documentary film director, screenwriter and playwright who’s been studying John Ware for years.

Foggo says she wasn’t surprised a toothbrush would have been a valued personal item for someone in the family.

“It does make sense to me that Mildred (John’s wife) was a fancy lady from Toronto, and she would definitely have wanted to have a toothbrush,” she said.

Foggo says she never dreamed of seeing parts of the ranch buildings unearthed.

“I never thought I would see intact structure at the Millarville site,” she said.

“Which is the site of the Ware’s greatest impact and their greatest happiness, so that was amazing.”

The crew says there is more work to be done at the site, but they’ll have to secure funding to continue the work.

“This is the first time an archeological dig looking for stories of black people on these lands has ever been done,” Foggo said.

“It’s unprecedented and I think this is just the beginning.”

Amundsen says ideally the artifacts they discovered could be part of an exhibit at the Glenbow Museum or Calgary Stampede, but for now, they’re headed to Edmonton.

“In Alberta, all work occurs under permit from Alberta Culture,” she said.

“As part of that permit, in our legislative process here in Alberta, the artifacts will go back to the Royal Alberta Museum.

“They’ll be here with us for a little bit yet as we finish cataloging them and writing our reports, but then they will go up to the Royal Alberta Museum.”