Leavitt

History

The first settler of the area was Thomas Rowell Leavitt, a Latter-day Saint from Utah Territory who came to Alberta fleeing a United States government crackdown on polygamy during a wave of late nineteenth century Latter-day Saint emigration to Canada and Mexico. The settlement's first name was Buffalo Flats, but it was subsequently changed to Leavitt in honour of the early Latter-day Saint settler. Cardston was the first Latter-day Saint settlement in Canada, and Leavitt was founded by a like-minded Latter-day Saint. Thomas Rowell Leavitt was born in Hatley, Quebec, Canada in 1834. Early converts to Mormonism, his parents subsequently moved to Utah. He had 26 children: 12 with his wife Ann Eliza; 9 with wife Antoinette; and 5 with Harriet Martha. Four children died in their infancy, leaving 22 children who grew to adulthood. Twenty of the 22 eventually chose to remain in Canada as citizens, and today there are many Leavitts in the region, descendants of the original pioneer. Thomas Rowell 'Tom' Leavitt was a farmer who had previously served as constable, marshal and sheriff of Wellsville, Utah. To reach Canada, Leavitt endured a six-week, journey in early spring 1887. He and his party reached their destination at Lee Creek, Alberta, on May 25. They had come in covered wagons—the last recorded pioneer wagon train in the Old West. He had left his first wife Ann Eliza (Jenkins) behind at his Wellsville ranch, and Leavitt was accompanied on his trek by his third wife Harriet Martha (Dowdle), along with several of his children by his three wives. The first school met in the church building, completed July 10, 1896. Thomas Leavitt's son Alfred, born in Utah, followed his father to Alberta in 1897. He and his brothers helped dig the irrigation canals that Charles Ora…

Most-observed species

• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  660
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  634
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  614
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  600
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  519
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  414
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  397
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  365

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-03-13
  32 km S of Pincher Creek, Canada
• M 2.7 — 2024-04-10
  17 km NNW of Santa Rita, Montana
• M 2.8 — 2024-01-20
  8 km S of Cardston, Canada
• M 3.2 — 2021-01-03
  19 km ENE of Stryker, Montana
• M 3.1 — 2018-10-22
  26 km NNW of Santa Rita, Montana
• M 3.3 — 2017-11-22
  21 km S of Magrath, Canada