William Lethbridge

Because of the big black railway bridge, many people believe that Lethbridge gained its name because it was “Left of the Bridge.” Sure, and people in Lethbridge in the old days just didn’t speak no good.

Lethbridge was actually named for William Lethbridge, the first president and largest investor in the North Western Coal and Navigation Company. Not surprisingly, money talked – even in the good old days. Lethbridge never actually visited the community named in his honour. In fact, he never event came to Canada.

William Lethbridge was a lawyer and partner in the firm W.H. Smith booksellers and lived and died a bachelor.

Other shareholders in the coal company had streets in Lethbridge named after them when the community was mapped out in 1885. These street names were changed to numbers in 1912.