William Stafford

William Stafford (November 15, 1842 - May 12, 1907) was a coal mining engineer and mine superintendent for the North Western Coal and Navigation Company who was responsible for determining the location of the City of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Personal life

William Stafford was born in Patna, East Ayrshire, Scotland, on November 15, 1842. He was the only son of William Stafford and William's second wife, Margaret Finlay. On December 31, 1863, William married Jane Gibb of Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. In that year, he was hired by Sir Alexander Galt as the manager and mine superintendent for the North Western Coal and Navigation Company to assess coal mining opportunities in the West. After investigating a number of possibilities, Stafford and his companion, Captain Nicholas Bryant, focused on Coal Banks on the Belly River due to the high quality of coal in that region. It was William Stafford who made the final decision as to the location of Drift Mine No. 1, which ultimately determined the location of the city of Lethbridge. In 1894, Stafford became Inspector of Mines for the company but then later resigned to pursue ranching and real estate interests. In order to provide accommodations for the increasing number of miners who were coming to the area, William Stafford purchased an area of land that became known as Staffordville, which he developed into lots for miners' houses.