Dr. Henry George & Barbara George - Innisfail, Alberta
Posted by: 
wildwoodke
N 52° 01.199 W 113° 57.171
12U E 297397 N 5767377
The George's, Henry and Barbara, are the subjects of this sign describing the community members and local history. The sign is located across from the hospital in Innisfail, Alberta.
Waymark Code: WMEF12
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 05/19/2012
Views: 2
The sign describes the George's:
"Dr. Henry George & Barbara George
Dr. Henry George studied medicine in England and joined the Royal Army Medical Corp, but in 1889 left the British Army and emigrated to Canada, settling in Calgary, Northwest Territories.
In 1893 the Georges moved to Innisfail where they began to establish a reputation amongst the people in the area of being collectors of natural history specimens.
Henry and his wife Barbara assembled a private museum displaying rocks, insects, birds and mammals. At the time of its creation, the George Museum was the only museum of its kind in Alberta and remained so until 1923 when a museum opened in Banff.
Dr. George also served as a surgeon for the Northwest Mounted Police, caring for the natives on reserves and providing medical service to the Canadian Pacific Railway. A highlight of Dr. Geroge’s medical career was being the attending physician (along with Dr. Lauder) at the death of Chief Crowfoot.
Henry George’s wife, Barbara, learned the basics of drawing during childhood and became an accomplished painter. Her paintings included native plants and landscapes.
Barbara George is credited with the design of the official Alberta crest: the inspiration being the view from a second floor window in her home."
Canada's Historic Places website further describes Henry and Barbara George:
"Dr. George was a pioneering figure in central Alberta, helping to establish and develop the early institutions of science, medicine, and museology in the province. George was born in England and received his medical training there before immigrating to Calgary in 1889 and finding work as a physician. During his time in the fledgling settlement, he established a medical practice with Dr. Neville Lindsay and served as both the Canadian Pacific Railway's (C.P.R.'s) doctor, ministering to three native tribes in the area, and the assistant surgeon for the North-West Mounted Police (N.W.M.P.). At one time, he tended to Chief Crowfoot. In 1893, two years after the completion of the Calgary and Edmonton (C and E) Railway had thrown open central Alberta to settlement, George and his family moved to Innisfail and constructed their home - which they christened "Lindum Lodge" - which initially served as both a residence and an office for Dr. George's practice. An avid collector and amateur ornithologist, George was passionately committed to the expansion of scientific understanding. He was instrumental in the creation of several early scientific organizations in the province, including the North-West Entomological Society formed in 1899 (and replaced in 1902 by the Territorial Natural History Society) and the Alberta Natural History Society founded in 1906. In 1904, George renovated his home in order to display his considerable collection of natural and cultural artefacts; a year later, he opened Dr. George's Natural History Museum to the public, the first museum in the province outside of the National Parks. George continued to practice medicine in Innisfail until 1907, when he relocated his practice (and his museum) to Red Deer.
Dr. George's wife, Barbara Mary Bernard George, was also a significant contributor to the development of the natural sciences in the province and a well-regarded artist. Sharing the same passion for the natural world as her husband, Mrs. George became an authority on the identification of Alberta's wild flowers and served from 1907 until 1921 as a member of the Executive Committee of the Alberta Natural History Society."
See the Historic Places website for this information and more - (Visit Link)