Fort Steele was named after Sam Steele of the North West Mounted Police in 1888. Before it was called Fort Steele the area was known as Galbraith's Ferry which was founded in 1864. Even before Galbraith's Ferry, the Ktunaxa First Nation had been in the area for well over two thousand years. With the gold rush during the 1860's, and silver find in the 1890's, more people moved to this area to find wealth and prosperity. With the sudden increase of people conflicts started to arise especially between the Ktunaxa, European, and Chinese communities. Sam Steele was able to help solve many of the legal conflicts and land disputes between these different cultures.

In an effort to maintain an important aspect of British Columbia's history the Provincial Government purchased the Fort Steele site in 1961. The site is used today to inform and educate the public about the history and way of life in the Kootenay region. (Derryll White. Fort Steele: Here History Lives. (Surrey: Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd., 1988) 14.)
	British Columbia Archives #a_05972