Before the Spotlight: The Hatters Who Carried History Forward

Mary “Molly” Smith  

This former Hatter arrived on the prairies the hard way working as a cook on a bull train hauling supplies north from Montana. When Fort Walsh faded and the railway shifted the region’s future, she moved to Medicine Hat and did whatever it took to survive. 

Bootlegging. 
Washing clothes. 
Caring for children as one of the town’s most trusted nannies. 

Newspapers of the time didn’t treat her kindly. History often reduced her to stereotypes. But the truth is simple and strong: Molly endured. She built a life where none was promised. She helped raise families who would shape this city and became one of the most respected nannies and washerwomen in town. 

Her legacy isn’t loud, it’s foundational. 

David Mills  

David Mills was born free in 1855 - something his father, born into slavery, had not been. 

Fluent in English and his mother’s traditional Kainai language, David became a skilled interpreter, moving between cultures and conversations that shaped the West. He worked along the railway lines during the 1885 Red River Resistance, ensuring ease of passage through Indigenous lands. David was present during the signing of Treaty 7, helping ensure understanding at a moment that would define generations. 

Imagine the responsibility of being the bridge between entire peoples. 

History often remembers the signatures. 
But it’s people like David who made those moments possible.

John Ware  

John Ware is the stuff of prairie legend. 

Likely born into slavery in the United States, he became a master horseman and cattle driver, eventually registering his own brand (9999) and building a ranching life in Alberta. Stories of his strength and skill spread across the West. 

But beyond the legend was a father of six, a husband, a neighbour. When he died in 1905, hundreds attended his funeral. 

In a frontier world that didn’t always make space for Black success, John Ware didn’t just survive; he thrived. 

Lew Bobb  

When Lew Bobb came to Medicine Hat in 1959, he wasn’t sure what he’d find. He knew some communities resisted teachers of colour. 

Instead, he found warmth. 

By day, he taught students. 
By night, he headlined at the Ember Jazz Club, filling the room with soulful music. 

In his memoirs, he wrote that it would have been easy to spend his entire life here. 

Sometimes impact isn’t dramatic, it’s showing up, teaching kids, and playing piano until a room sways together. 

Don’t miss Josephine - one night only at the Esplanade. 
Friday, February 13 @ 7:30 p.m. 

Get your tickets now at tixx.ca.