Fort Steele was the most sophisticated town in British Columbia in the 1890's; the ladies wore fashions from Paris, and the residents could watch the New York Opera perform. The town's short history is comprised of brief, brilliant flashes of excitement and prosperity. Legendary Mountie Sam Steele established a Post here, and mineral discoveries brought two waves of settlers. But with one crucial decision Fort Steele's fate was sealed, and it was destined to become a footnote in a history book. When the main railway line connected to nearby Cranbrook instead, Fort Steele was a ghost town within a year. Today, the province of British Columbia maintains the town site for visitors. Thirty-six original buildings remain, and others are being gradually restored and re-built. The air is alive with the sights and sounds of a boom town.