Christmas 100 years ago

Here are a couple of stories from Revelstoke Mail-Herald issues from December 1909.

December 15, 1909:
"Mrs. T. Kilpatrick, President of the Revelstoke branch of the BC Anti-Tuberculosis Society, just received usual supply of 2000 Christmas and New Year stamps issued by the Society. Sales will support indigent patients at Tranquille Sanitorium, Kamloops. Price is one cent per stamp. The idea originated, under royal patronage, and was developed by the National Red Cross Society during the Boer War. “It is felt that it will give pleasure to many when sending Christmas greetings to friends, to feel that they are at the same time contributing in a small way to a national cause.” Stamps available for sale in the drug stores and post office. “If the public as a whole buy these stamps, and attach them to their Christmas parcels, the idea of this, the chief festive season of the year, of good will, of charity and brotherly love, will be made doubly strong, and by giving pleasure to a friend, a great cause will be held and valuable lives saved that must otherwise be lost to the province."

I found it interesting that Christmas Seals had originated during the Boer War!

December 29, 1909:
"Christmas at the Edison: Management of Edison Parlor Theatre reports large houses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and excellent programmes were provided on each occasion. The S.R.O. sign was conspicuous on Christmas night and the matinee that day was well attended. The picture illustrating whale fishing was particularly good and instructive, and the scenes in the Civil War of America showing “Brother against Brother” were stirring and realistic. Several high class comedies made up a good programme."

Didn't those people have Christmas dinners to go to?

However you are spending your holiday time, we at Revelstoke Museum and Archives hope that is a happy one for you. We wish all of you the very best for the coming year.

Masquerade Ball

On Wednesday, December 8, 1909, the Revelstoke No. 1 Fire Brigade held their second annual Masquerade Ball at the Opera House on Second Street West. The Revelstoke Mail-Herald newspaper of December 11, 1909, said, "Seldom has there been witnessed such a gala scene as that portrayed in the elegantly decorated hall. Several new ideas in decorative schemes were carried out, the whole being tastefully lavish and artistic. Bunting and flags were used ad libitum while ropes of colored electric lamps gleaming like gigantic pearls among the gracefull festoons of variegated streamers gave a bright and flashy appearance to the hall. An enormous electric sign suspended over the stage bearing the letters 'R.F.B. No 1' caught the eye on entering the ballroom, while trophies of firemen's apparatus added to the business side of the fireman's calling."

The newspaper reported that over 90 couples in fancy dress were present, and began dancing after a Grand March headed by Fire Chief Charles Abrahamson. The reporter continues, "The conglomeration of color was seen to advantage in the many intricacies of the fascinating circle, the general effect being superb. It is safe to say that such an exhibition of art, taste and decorative skill and variety in the many new and original costumes worn, that mingled together blending in an ever changing kaleidoscopic galaxy, has rarely been witnessed in Revelstoke."

The music was supplied by Revelstoke's Independent Band, led by Richard Sawyer, and the Revelstoke Symphony Orchestra , dressed as pierrots, also provided several dance numbers.

Costumes were judged by all of the participants, and the winners were as follows:
Best Lady - Mrs. C. Holten, dressed as "Egypt". Prize: a garnet and gold sunburst brooch.
Best Gentleman - Mr. E.S. Butler, dressed as "Viking Chief". Prize: Briar pipe.
Best Comic - Guy Barber, dressed as "Babe". Prize: Silver Mounted Clock. (This is a little bit funny, as he was the local jeweller, and sold clocks in his store!)
Special - Mrs. T. Lawrence, dressed as "No. 1 Fire Brigade". (I'd love to have seen that costume!) Prize: Pair of Tiffany Glass Vases.

From the CPR Accident Files

In the archives, we have about 40 file boxes full of Canadian Pacific Railway Accident Reports from the Revelstoke Division from 1909 to 1935. Every single accident had to be reported, even if someone got a boo-boo on their finger, so there are hundreds of reports about minor accidents as well as a smaller percentage of major accidents, including fatalities. The March 4th, 1910 Rogers Pass Snowslide was the largest loss of life in any accident on the Revelstoke Division, with 58 men killed. The file for that event alone comprises about 600 pages of letters, memos, invoices and telegrams.

At tomorrow's Brown Bag History talk, I will be sharing some of the stories from the files. Obviously, there were some terrible tragedies. In 1919, two brakemen were knocked off the top of a train by a derrick on a spur line to the sawmill. One of the men, Thomas Ernest Root, died of a fractured skull, and the other, William Clay, survived, but died nine years later in an engine boiler explosion at Glacier. The story was very tragic, but there was one item in the file that made me smile. When Thomas MacNabb, Superintendent at Revelstoke sent a memo to Mr. Cotterell, the Assistant General Manager of CPR at Vancouver, the agent who sent it left out a crucial period. This incorrect punctuation caused Mr. Cotterell to call the local office for clarification, and he was so annoyed that he asked the local superintendent to discipline the agent who sent the memo. The unfortunate man was given two demerit marks for "using incorrect punctuation and altering the meaning of a memo."

Riding on the Cowcatcher

Last Friday, we had a party at the museum to mark the end of our year-long celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Revelstoke Museum & Archives Association. Close to 80 people came out to enjoy refreshments, see our new panel on the history of the museum and take part in a challenging scavenger hunt. We were pleased to present 13 of our long-standing volunteers with certificates and Williamson's Lake posters to thank them for their many years of outstanding service.

During the evening, I told a story regarding Sir John A. Macdonald and Lady Macdonald's trip across the newly-built Canadian Pacific Railway in 1886. They arrived in Donald, B.C. (just this side of Golden) in July 22, 1886. Their visit was described by Elsie Spragge, a journalist and wife of Arthur Godfrey Molson Spragge, a lawyer who was establishing his practice in Donald and Golden. This account was written by Elsie Spragge in her book, “From Ontario to the Pacific by CPR” published in 1887.

“They arrived by special train at two o’clock, Lady Macdonald creating an immense sensation, as the engine drew near the crowded platform, by her occupancy of a well-cushioned seat immediately above the cow-catcher; she had made the whole trip from the summit down the Kicking House Pass on this commanding post of observation, and subsequently continued her journey to Port Moody without any change of base (they not travelling by night), a feat which will doubtless become historical. Sir John and Lady Macdonald spent only half an hour at the station, just long enough to receive a handsomely engrossed address presented by Judge Vowell, Stipendiary Magistrate and Gold Commissioner of the Kootenay District, on behalf of the residents of Donald." The cowcatcher was the metal grille or frame projecting from the front of a locomotive which served to clear the track of obstructions.

Elsie and Arthur Spragge later settled in Revelstoke, where Arthur continued to practice law. His law office was at the back of the Molson's Bank building, at the corner of Mackenzie Avenue and First Street. In June of 1898, Arthur Spragge went missing, and when it was discovered that he had retreived his gun from the provincial constable and had been last seen near the river bank, it was assumed that he had committed suicide. His body was not found until September of that year. In the meantime, Elsie Spragge moved to Toronto, and later to Banff, where she continued to make a name for herself as a journalist.

Remembering Revelstoke's Fallen Soldiers

On May 23, 1917, the Women’s Canadian Club planted several maple trees on the courthouse grounds as a living memorial to all of the men who were serving overseas and those who had already paid the supreme sacrifice. After the war ended on November 11, 1918, the Women’s Canadian Club decided that they would create an honor roll for the approximately 100 war casualties from Revelstoke and the surrounding area. The Club started a fundraising campaign, and on September 20, 1919, Edward, Prince of Wales officially unveiled the plaque on the Revelstoke Court House.

According to the Revelstoke Review of September 25, 1919, “The Prince was surprised at the large number of names recorded, and while he regretted so many noble lives had been thus sacrificed, he said he was proud of this patriotism and loyalty.”

By 1922, Revelstoke had a branch of the Great War Veterans’ Association, the organization that later became the Royal Canadian Legion. The War Memorial Committee of the GWVA felt that there should be a permanent cenotaph in the city, and they set about raising funds for the project. The original plan was to place the courthouse plaque on the cenotaph, but it was decided that a new plaque would be made, as the courthouse one contained some errors.

There was some controversy regarding the building of the cenotaph. Some people felt that the memorial at the court house was sufficient, and that the Great War Veterans Association should instead fundraise for a public facility such as a library or a children’s playground. The project did have a lot of local support, however, and many organizations and individuals contributed to the cost. The War Committee also raised funds through a benefit play and by running a refreshment stand at the Ski Festival. The total cost for the Cenotaph project was $3,370, including $2,600 for the cenotaph itself and $475 for the bronze tablet. The Monument was made of white hammered granite by the B.C. Monumental Works of New Westminster, and the bronze tablet was made by O.B. Allan, Jeweler of Vancouver. The tablet listed the names of 92 men from Revelstoke and Arrowhead who had died during the war.

The new cenotaph was unveiled on September 2, 1923 by Brigadier General Victor W. Odlum. After World War II, another memorial tablet was added with the names of 32 men who died during that conflict. Another plaque was added after the Korean War, although there were no Revelstoke casualties from that conflict.

Arrowhead

The Brown Bag History talk this week was on Arrowhead, and 25 people showed up to hear the talk! Some of the people who came had grown up or gone to school in Arrowhead, so they were able to contribute their own stories.

Arrowhead was a small community south of Revelstoke, where the Columbia River widens into the Upper Arrow Lake. It was established in 1895, when the Canadian Pacific Railway built a branch line to that point from Revelstoke. From Arrowhead, there was steamboat traffic south to West Robson, near present-day Castlegar. The town developed quickly, with several hotels and stores popping up along Front Street. Two large mills were established there, and by 1911 the population was close to 500. The community had a school, two churches and a hospital, as well as a community hall.

On July 1, Dominion Day, in 1906, Arrowhead had a big celebration, and a photograph of Front Street shows it decorated for the event. Twelve days later, a fire broke out in one of the stores on Front Street, and within a few short hours, much of the business street was gone. The community had a water system, but no hydrants, and the hoses of the SS Minto and the two mills could not reach as far as the fire. The townspeople were forced to use a bucket brigade against the fire, and to try to salvage as much stock and furniture as they could from the buildings.

By the 1960s, there were less than 100 people living in Revelstoke, and with the opening of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam at Revelstoke, the remaining residents were bought out and forced to leave. The last remaining building was the old school house, located above the high water line, which was used as a church camp until it too was removed several years ago. The Arrowhead cemetery also remains, and in the museum we have a list of the burials there.

People who lived in Arrowhead have many fond memories of their days there. They describe it as a friendly community, where everyone knew each other and helped each other out. To hear more about people's memories of their lives in Arrowhead, we are starting a series called "Memories." Our first session, on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 7:00 pm, will focus on Memories of Arrowhead, and will give people who lived, worked or went to school there a chance to share their stories. Other "Memories" sessions will feature Sidmouth, Mount Cartier, and other outlying communities, as well as a session during Heritage Week in February 2010 to share stories about participating in sports in Revelstoke and the surrounding area. Watch for more details on these coming events.

Porcupines and Policemen

At Revelstoke Museum and Archives we have Revelstoke newspapers on microfilm from 1890 to 1965. It is always a lot of fun reading the early newspapers. The writing styles were quite florid, and there didn't seem to be any publication bans. There are plenty of amusing stories to be found, such as this one from the August 7, 1912 issue of the Revelstoke Mail-Herald. One can't help wondering why the man thought it was a good idea to kick the animal when he thought it was a bear!

The article is entitled: “A Peculiar Adventure"
"A police officer and a well-known government employee of Revelstoke, met with a peculiar adventure on Tuesday evening last, within the city limits.
"Walking home about 11 pm, one of the friends wheeling a bicycle, and both engaged in an animated conversation, the attention of the alert-eyed officer was attracted to the movement of some wild, brown creature rustling its way through the grass along the roadside. The silent night resounded with the quick call: “A bear, a bear” and whilst the constable pulled his gun, the other fellow stepped over and gave bruin a playful little kick. It was a bear, but of the electric variety, and there was a scene of great excitement as the venturesome kicker danced round the road with no less than eighty-four porcupine quills sticking into his foot and leg. The startled constable got in a pot shot at the fleeting animal, but the bullet went right through the steel quilled one without apparently damaging it, and found a safe billet in the tyre of the bicycle which exploded with a noise like thunder, the double report bringing the night patrol hastily to the scene.
"The quills were removed at the Revelstoke hospital, and the two nimrods continued the movement homewards, arriving safely without any further adventures.
"The wounded hero of this incident was very reticent when our reporter tried to interview him the following morning, but the quills were there to speak for themselves, and all we succeeded in learning was that next time he ran across a porcupine there would be no kick coming so far as he personally was concerned.”

The Holten Family

We recently added a fan page for Revelstoke Museum and Archives, and we are already up to 70 fans! I now feel obliged to update the blog more often, to give our fans something to read. I can't promise daily or even weekly blogs, but I'll do what I can.

I'll tell you a bit about one of my favourite Revelstoke families: The Holten Family. Charles Holten came to Revelstoke around 1885, and was one of the first to investigate mining prospects in the Lardeau region south of Revelstoke (around Trout Lake, Ferguson, and that area.) He and his partner Thomas Downs located the Silver Cup mine, one of the most successful in the region. They sold it for a nice bundle and both settled in Revelstoke. Charles Holten was an original director in the Revelstoke Water, Power and Light Company which was organized in 1896, and in that capacity he supervised the construction of the first water mains for the city. He was an original partner with Thomas Downs and William Cowan in the establishment of the Enterprise Brewery in 1897. Enterprise Brewery continued in operation until 1955. In 1897, Charles Holten had a beautiful home built on First Street, at the crest of the hill. The house was built for his bride, Lyda Edwards, who had come to Revelstoke in 1894 with her family. The Holtens became the elite of Revelstoke society and their home was the setting for many social events. Charles Holten died on October 13, 1918 and Lyda lived until 1942. Their two sons, Charles and Drennan, passed away without leaving any family.

Now for the interesting part. Charles and Lyda both reinvented themselves in one way or another. Charles was born Karl Hultengren in Sweden on October 20, 1865. In the census records available, he does not give his ancestry as Swedish, and does not say that he was born in Sweden. His age is always different in each of the records as well. We really don't know why he didn't want to be Swedish, but we haven't come across any particular scandal that would indicate why he changed his name and nationality.

Lyda, on the other hand, has a scandal attached to her family. When she came here in 1894 as a young woman, she was with her parents Charles and Mary Edwards, her brothers Jim and Eddie Edwards, and her young niece Mary Edwards (Jim's illegitimate daughter.) Records show that the legal surname of Jim, Eddie, Lyda and young Mary was Silcott. Craven Silcott, the father of the three siblings, was from a distinguished Ohio family. Craven was working as cashier in the bank of the House of Representatives in the United States, when he disappeared along with a substantial amount of money. Some stories said that he had fled to Quebec with his French Canadian mistress, while other stories indicated that he had reunited with his family and they had gone to Mexico, after which no trace of them was found. What we don't know is whether Charles Edwards and Craven Silcott were the same person, or whether Mrs. Silcott had remarried. The Charles Edwards who came to Revelstoke in 1894 claimed that he had once been an Australian sea captain. It's an interesting story, especially the way in which a family who had fled a scandal ended up at the top of Revelstoke society.

Heritage Interpretive Panels

I'm part of a committee in charge of creating heritage interpretive panels to be placed along the biking/walking trail from the Community Centre to the Illecillewaet River. A couple of years ago, a panel about Farming in Revelstoke was placed along the walking trail a short distance along from the Worker's Memorial. Currently, we are working on panels about Sternwheelers, the Forest Industry, the Railway, and First Nations. It's a good opportunity to share the rich history of this region with locals and visitors alike. Today we were talking about the Railway panel and brainstorming ideas about what elements should be in the panel. We talked about the impact of the railway on Revelstoke, and how it has defined this community. Revelstoke was once one of the major centres in the interior of the province, and that was because of the importance of Revelstoke as a railway divisional point. Revelstoke connected the east-west traffic of the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline with the traffic from the south along the Columbia River. Because of this connection, Revelstoke was made a customs port, even though we are close to 200 miles north of the American border.

In early tourism brochures, Revelstoke was cited as one of the easiest points to reach. Nowadays, it is considered difficult to reach, because of our distance from an international airport. We also talked about the number of Royal Visitors that came to Revelstoke in the days when they made their trips across the country by train. The Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII, visited Revelstoke in 1919 and 1927. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) visited in 1939 as part of their cross-country trip, and Queen Elizabeth II visited as Princess in 1951 and as Queen in 1959. Revelstoke is no longer as likely to see a Royal Visit as current trips are planned around the international airports.

The development of road travel and air travel in other parts of the province had an impact on Revelstoke's development. While the rest of the province was being opened to road travel in the 1920s and 1930s, Revelstoke lagged behind, because the Big Bend highway from Revelstoke to Golden was not completed until 1940. Even then, it was a treacherous highway, and could not be kept open in the winters. It was not until 1962 that the Rogers Pass highway was completed.

The photograph at the top of this post shows the Revelstoke CPR yards around 1912.

On another note, we invite everyone to join our fan page on Facebook. Fans will be eligible for special discounts and offers, and will be the first to know about upcoming museum events.

Williamson's Lake and Rotary

This coming Saturday, October 10, is the 80th Anniversary of the Revelstoke Rotary Club. The Brown Bag History topic this week will be on the connection between Rotary and Williamson's Lake. I will also be a guest speaker at their Anniversary Banquet this coming Saturday. They are having the banquet on the exact anniversary date, and they are recreating the original banquet menu! It should be a great evening!

Soon after the Rotary club formed in the fall of 1929, they looked for a community project that they could put their money and volunteer effort into. They decided to take on the upgrading of Williamson's Lake, the small lake just south of town that had been the local swimming hole since the 1890s. The lake was named after Mr. A. Williamson, who established his farm along the lake. It was well used, but had never been developed until the Rotary Club took it on. They held a big fundraising dance in March of 1930, then in May of that year began going out to the lake to begin their upgrading work. That first year, they installed two piers, one with a platform and spring board, built several rafts, brought in 200 loads of sand, cleared 250 feet of beach, built a combined boat house and girls' dressing room and made countless other improvements. They took over the running of the Annual Swimming and Diving Meet, and hired a lifeguard and swimming instructor. The Rotary Club continued this commitment to Williamson's Lake until after the Centennial Pool was built in 1971. Although the City of Revelstoke now maintains the lake, the Rotary continues to be involved, and this year they provided a new dock.

For close to 40 years, the Rotary held a Carnival to raise funds for the Williamson's Lake project. Their first carnival, held on Labour Day in 1930, raised the astounding amount of $1,396.26. $823.54 of that amount was earned from ticket sales for the raffle of an Oldsmobile Sport Sedan.

A newspaper article in June of 1937 poked good-natured fun at the Rotary members who headed out to Williamson's Lake to rake in truckloads of gravel and sand which were hauled out by truck. The Rotary Club members were all local businessmen, and the newspaper made sure to point this out: "Visitors at Williamson's Lake on Wednesday were amazed to see a bank manager, a druggist, a dentist, a lawyer, the theatre proprietor, the jeweller, CPR officials and local merchants and professional men in shirt sleeves and overalls trying manfully to swing shovels and rakes in the approved manner...It would have gladdened the heart of anyone accustomed to this kind of work to see the businessmen trying to keep their brows mopped between shovelfuls...Citizens who hear their banker groan as he sits down or find the theatre manager too stiff to walk up to the balcony, or the dentist unable to bend over, will understand that these things are suffered for the sake of improving Williamson's Lake."

Congratulations to the Revelstoke Rotary Club on their 80th Anniversary, and thanks to all of the members who have provided such outstanding service to this community!

Women Climbers

My Brown Bag History topic for today is Women Climbers. I'll be talking about several women who came here to climb in the Selkirks and Rockies, including Mary Jobe Akeley, Mary Schaffer, Mary Vaux and several others. A.O. Wheeler cites several early climbs by women in his work, "The Selkirk Range." When he and Elizabeth Parker and others formed the Alpine Club of Canada in 1906, several of the initial members were women and by 1917, half of the members were women. One of those original members was Eva Hobbs, a Revelstoke schoolteacher. Eva had come to Donald with her family in the early 1890s, and at the age of 17, she became a schoolteacher and was sent to remote places such as Retallack to teach. She later taught at Hope, and sent a letter home to her mother saying, "They call this place Hope, but I call it Despair." She was obviously feeling lonely and homesick at the time. Shortly after Revelstoke's new Central School was built in 1903, she secured a teaching position in Revelstoke and moved here, where her family had relocated when the divisional point at Donald was closed down.

The principal of Central School was A.E. Miller, who was very keen on encouraging his teachers to stay physically fit and to be active in the outdoors. He was one of the early residents who discovered the joys of Mount Revelstoke and he encouraged his teachers to climb there as well. Eva Hobbs began hiking and climbing, and when the Alpine Club of Canada was formed in 1906, she was eager to join and participated in their first annual camp at Yoho. When the Revelstoke Mountaineering Club was formed in 1909, Eva Hobbs was the Vice-President. The club was responsible for building the first chalet at Balsam Lake, on Mount Revelstoke, that summer, and on a break from building, some of the members decided to go on a hike to Miller Lake, named after A.E. Miller. Once there, they decided to push on a little further, and Eva, being an experienced climber, went on ahead, being impatient with some of the other women, who needed a helping hand from the men. She was the first to see the lake that now bears her name. Eva later married local engineer Phil Parker and they raised their family in Revelstoke. Their twins, Charlie and Helen, were both very active in local sports. In the 1960s, Eva and Phil Parker were interviewed, and the original tape and the transcript are now in Revelstoke Museum and Archives.

Monkeys and Tarantulas

Ok, I left the last blog with a bit of a cliff-hanger, so I will explain. What do tarantulas and monkeys have to do with hotels in Revelstoke?

In 1905, Mrs. MacDonnell, wife of the manager of the Revelstoke CPR Hotel, was unpacking a carton of bananas from Mexico when out crawled a tarantula. Someone managed to capture it and it was kept in a jar on the front counter for the amusement of the guests.

And the monkey? Well, it was an unexpected guest in the dining room of the City Hotel, which opened in 1899 on First Street West, where Mount Begbie Brewing Company is now located. The members of a travelling circus were staying at the hotel and the troupe's monkey managed to get out of his crate and make his way to the dining room. He made a good meal out of leftovers from people's plates, and at the time that he was caught he was trying to take the stopper out of a bottle of ketchup.

The talk on Revelstoke hotels included several fires, many of which were deliberately set. In at least two of these cases, people died when they were caught in the fires. None of the arsonists were ever caught. I also talked about the Climax Hotel (yes, it was as bad as it sounds!) where a man died in the early 1900s after being hit by the hotel manager. There were several contradictory stories about what actually happened, and due to a lack of evidence, the manager was not charged with the man's death. There was also a story about the Salvation Army singing outside of the Climax Hotel. The hotel manager came out with a hose and soaked the poor missionaries. The Climax Hotel burned down in 1916.

For more information on this subject contact us at the Revelstoke Museum @ revelstokemuseum@telus.net

Hotels

Tomorrow will be the first Brown Bag History talk for the Fall season. I will be talking about some of Revelstoke's hotels, starting with the Columbia House, the first hotel in Revelstoke. Columbia House was at the north end of Front Street, on the right hand corner closest to the river bank when you are coming across from Big Eddy on the old bridge. By the end of 1885, there were several hotels on Front Street, some of them little more than tents. The Stockholm House, that later became the Oriental, started out as a frame building with a large bar downstairs and a "ram pasture" upstairs. A ram pasture was nothing more than a large room with a bare floor and bedrolls. The men would find a spot on the floor and roll out their blankets. You wouldn't find any women or refined gentlemen staying there!

After a few years, four main hotels dominated Front Street: The Columbia House, Victoria, Central and Oriental. They were large hotels and after a while they developed their kitchens as well and served fine meals. Some guests were regular residents, especially the miners, who would spend most of the winter months living in one of the hotels. One of the main reasons to run a hotel was to acquire a liquor licence, and that was also a major aspect of hotel operations.

By the early 1890s, with the shift of the downtown to the area close to the CPR station, hotels were being built in that part of town. The first was the Union Hotel, where Home Hardware is now. One of the most well-remembered old hotels was the King Edward, which stood on Second Street behind City Hall until it burned down in 1995. The original hotel was built at that site in 1897, and it was renovated several times until 1910, when it was faced with brick and cement block, and a turret was added to it. The switchboard from the King Edward Hotel is now on display in the museum.

Join us for the talk tomorrow to hear more about Revelstoke's hotels and some of the interesting stories associated with them, including arson, murder, tarantulas and monkeys!

Family Ties

In the last couple of weeks, I have had several encounters with descendants of pioneer families. This is my favourite part of the job. I get to hear people's stories of their families, and sometimes I can fill in gaps for them, as well. A couple of weeks ago, there was a Westerberg family reunion in town, and I had the chance to meet several of the grandchildren and great grandchildren of Andrew"Ole the Bear" Westerberg. Ole the Bear was the mail carrier to the Big Bend region north of Revelstoke for about 35 years, and he made his winter runs on skis and snowshoes. He had many encounters with bears and other animals, and maintained a fairly lucrative trapline along his route. His nickname came about due to some of his more dramatic encounters with a bear, including a story in which he reputedly killed a bear with an axe. He was also famous for fashioning a pair of snowshoes for a horse, so that he could save it from being snowed in about 50 miles north of town. The Westerberg family settled on a homestead south of town, on what is now Westerberg road.

I also had a visit from the granddaughter of Frank Bourne. Frank's daughter, Eleanor, had lived in California for most of her adult life, and she and her husband made several trips to Revelstoke over the years to see her old home. I got to know Eleanor quite well and we carried on a correspondence in between her trips. Her daughter Linda came to Revelstoke to let people know that Eleanor passed away last fall at the age of 94. It was very moving to be able to meet Linda and hear more stories about her mother and family. Linda appreciated the chance to see people and places that had meant so much to her mother.

Yesterday, I had a visit from two of my favourite people. Tom and Margaret Taylor have been visiting Revelstoke for over 20 years. Tom's grandparents were Thompson Edgar Leon Taylor and Adriana Taylor, early residents of Revelstoke. T.E.L. was an entrepreneur, officer in charge of the local regiment of Rocky Mountain Rangers, postmaster, and was very involved in community life, so even prior to Tom and Margaret's first visit, I was well aware of T.E.L. Taylor and had seen several photographs of him. When Tom and Margaret first visited the museum in 1988, I recognized Tom based on his resemblance to his grandfather, and they were so impressed, that they have been coming to visit every year since! Tom has provided the museum with a lot of valuable material on his grandparents, and I have been able to find information for him as well.

These are just three of many stories about families that have come to the museum. To me, this is what my job is all about: helping people connect with their own history.

Cemetery Tour for Railway Days

I was on holiday last week and we went to Victoria to see the exhibit "Treasures - The World's Cultures from the British Museum" at the Royal BC Museum. I highly recommend a visit to see it. It will be showing until the end of September. We also saw the "Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art" exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery and I also recommend a visit to that exhibit, as well as the Emily Carr and Jack Shadbolt exhibit at the same gallery.

I'll get right back into the swing of things this week with Railway Days. Our schedule is posted in the blog just prior to this one. Please note that the Cemetery Walk on Tuesday is at 7:00 pm, not at 2:00 pm as printed in the Times Review.

This cemetery walk will deal more with railway employees and railway related accidents. One incident involved the explosion of the boiler of engine 5759 in July of 1918. CPR Fireman William Phillips died while he was servicing the engine, which exploded due to a lack of water in the boiler. The coroner's jury into Mr. Phillips death determined that the gauge on the boiler was not operating correctly and did not show that the boiler was short of water. The explosion lifted the whole upper structure of the locomotive into the air, and it turned in a complete somersault and became reversed, landing about 100 feet away in the opposite direction. The impact of the landing caused the engine to bury itself partially into the roadbed. The drive wheels of the locomotive and the tender remained on the rails. The cab of the locomotive was blown over 200 feet away and embedded itself into the side of a storage building. The body of Mr. Phillips was found about 75 feet away, wedged under the drive wheels of a locomotive on an adjacent track.

There are certainly many sad stories associated with the railway, but the early railway workers knew that the job came with many hazards. During the cemetery walk, I will tell the sad stories, but also talk about the bravery and dedication of the railway workers on the Mountain Division.

Railway Days

The Annual Railway Days Community Festival is coming up soon, and Revelstoke Museum and Archives will be participating with a few events:

Monday, August 17th at 2:00 pm, there will be a downtown walking tour, beginning at the museum. Find out about the history of the downtown and some of the beautiful heritage buildings. The tour will take about an hour and a half and costs $5 per person.

Tuesday, August 18 at 7:00 pm, there will be a Cemetery Tour at 7:00 pm. Meet at the Cemetery Gates or call the museum at 250-837-3067 for a ride. The cost is $5 per person. This special cemetery tour will focus on railway employees and railway related accidents, and takes about one and a half hours.

Thursday, August 20, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm, our weekly Heritage Explorers Children's Program will have a look at railway history with crafts, games and activities. This program is suitable for ages 5 to 12. Pre-registration is required.

Our annual Beer and Wings event will be held on Friday, August 21st from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Chef Ron Kwong will serve up his famous wings, paired with beer from Mt. Begbie Brewing Company. This event is $25 per person.

We'll see you during Railway Days!

Interesting Tidbits

While reading 1923 newspapers yesterday, I came across a couple of interesting items. The first was a small personal item in the June 19, 1923 issue of the Revelstoke Review:

"NOTICE: Should my wife, Beatrice, be in Revelstoke, I again ask her to return. I have rented a nice, furnished apartment at the Waldorf. Private bath; Simmonds mattress - just what was wanted. - Jack"

I wasn't sure whether it was really a personal ad, or just a clever advertisement from the owner of the Waldorf apartment block which was located on Second Street East, where Beruschi Park is now.

The other interesting item I found was about the trial of Elsie Simmons (alias Alice Langford), Dong Wing and Harry Greenwood (alias "Sticks") for attempted murder. The previous year, the home of local "madam" Connie Smith had been dynamited. It appeared that Miss Dolly West, a prostitute at Elsie Simmon's "House of Illl-Repute" had moved to Connie's house, and in retaliation, Elsie had arranged for Dong Wing and Harry Greenwood to dynamite Connie's. There was still an active Red Light District in Revelstoke at that time, and this was just one incident relating to their activities. Around the same time as the dynamite incident, the local mayor had resigned his post and moved to New Westminster. He had started a campaign to close down the brothels, but conceded defeat when his children were threatened and an explosion was set off in the basement of his home.

After the trial in 1923, Alice Simmons, Harry Greenwood and Dong Wing were all sentenced to five years in the penitentiary.

Cemetery Tours

Apparently, people really enjoy cemetery tours. So far this weekend, we have led 3 heritage cemetery tours, with a total of 145 people attending. I'll be leading another one tonight. The most popular tour was Friday night at 11:00 pm, with just over 100 people in attendance. That one was led by Jen Busch, and she couldn't believe the groups of people who kept arriving.

I have been leading heritage cemetery tours for about 20 years, and they have always been more popular than the city walking tours we offer. I think the reason for this is that when we are in the cemetery, we are focusing on people, not on buildings and dates. The cemetery is where we tell the stories of people's lives and who doesn't love a good story?

The story that I personally find most moving is that of Jennie. Her marker says, in English, "Jennie - Japanese" and also has some Japanese script, which thanks to my friends Tomo and Yuko has been mostly translated. It gives her age, 24, and the date of her death: April 19, 1905. Her last name could have been Kiohara, but we are not certain. We know that she was in Revelstoke by 1903, established in a brothel on Front Street, and that she was brutally murdered in 1905. Her murder was never solved. The newspaper of the day describes her wounds in detail, and also describes the weapon and much of the other evidence. There was obviously no such thing as a publication ban back then. Jennie had been most likely forced into prostitution at a young age, and then was reviled for her lifestyle. The newspaper account ends by saying that the Japanese community refused to assist the police because they said she was not worth hanging a man for. A very sad ending to what must have been a very sad life.

Homecoming at Last!

We are right in the thick of Homecoming Weekend. Things started off with a blast last night at the Dinner with Lord Revelstoke. It was a delightful evening, and everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Ann & Edna-Mae and the events committee outdid themselves, and made the Golf Clubhouse look fabulous. Lord Revelstoke was delightful and seems to be enjoying his visit to Revelstoke.

Today at the museum we had a lot of people come in to see our exhibits and check out the new cookbooks. Samples of some of the recipes were made by our volunteers and everyone seemed to be quite happy to do some taste testing.

Upstairs, we had a table full of memorabilia, including photo albums from Golden Spike Days, newspapers from the 1974 homecoming, high school annuals and many other items. These were enjoyed by many people and there was plenty of reminiscing going on.

We had good groups for our downtown walking tour and the Cemetery Tour. For tomorrow, we are going to cancel the afternoon walking tour and add another evening Cemetery Tour. They seem to be more popular. Tonight at 11:00 pm, Jen Busch will lead a Lantern Cemetery Tour. I'm hoping to be asleep long before then! I need to rest my feet, and my brain!

1 Week Left!

Wow, everybody, it's one week until Homecoming! Have a look at the schedule: http://www.cityofrevelstoke.com/pdf/HomecomingBrochure.pdf There's something for everyone. The Dinner with Lord Revelstoke is just a few tickets shy of a sell-out, and it promises to be a marvelous event.

Don't miss our exhibit openings and Cookbook Launch at the Museum on Saturday, July 24 at 10:00 am. We will be opening three new exhibits: "From Farwell to Revelstoke", "The Photographs of Earle and Estelle Dickey" and "Manning's - A Revelstoke Tradition." The Manning's exhibit will look at the history of Manning's Candy Store, from the time it first opened in 1902 until the Kwong family took over the shop. We had hoped to have Manning's Chocolates available for sale, but unfortunately, it wasn't possible. Ron Kwong was not able to find a supplier who could produce the chocolates to the taste that everyone remembered and loved. However, we can still fondly remember Manning's through the new exhibit. Our museum Past President, Helen Grace, worked at Manning's during the Second World War and has wonderful memories of that time. She said that Mr. Manning would let his new employees eat all the chocolate they wanted, and after two or three days, no-one wanted another bite!

As well as these three major exhibits, there will be lots of changes to other exhibit area throughout the museum, so even if you've been in this year, there will be lots of new items to see.

The third cookbook arrived this week, so we will have two new books available for sale: "A Legacy of Country Dining" and "A Taste of Elegance - Second Helpings." Come in to pick up your book and try some tasty treats made from some of the recipes.

During the Homecoming weekend, we will also have photograph albums, high school annuals, newspapers and many other items to look at. We have prepared albums with photographs taken between the 1970s and the 1990s. You won't want to miss the chance to see your friends and neighbours wearing funny clothes and hairstyles!

We look forward to seeing you at Homecoming!

We ventured out on the highway last weekend to travel to Vernon, and I was disgusted by the rudeness of some travelers. We were travelling at the speed limit, and twice we were fingered by passengers in cars passing us on double solid lines. The heavy traffic and the ever-present feeling that we were putting our lives at risk made me think about the first highway that was built between Revelstoke and Sicamous. After almost two years of work, the highway was officially opened at Malakwa on August 17, 1922.

The Revelstoke Review had a great deal of news about the special opening ceremony. The paper noted that Harry Bews of Revelstoke had lined up 40 auto drivers for the trip on the new road, “which is without exception the best, prettiest and most scenic drive in the interior of BC. And it is in the pink of condition, with the stones raked off, and level as a floor. The paper continued: “Major Kay Alexander deserves much credit for the way in which he has pushed the work ahead in readiness for the opening. Last Sunday he, together with four others motored out as far as Taft, planting signs ‘Slow’ around some of the corners and erecting painted signs at the various lakes en route, namely, ‘Griffin,’ ‘Victor,’ ‘Summit,’ ‘Three Valley’ and at ‘Alexander Falls’ (now known as Kay Falls,) the latter named after the genial major, who has taken a great personal interest in the falls, and is spending private means to enhance their beauty.” It was estimated that over 800 people attended the ceremony, which included ice cream and other refreshments as well as endless speeches.

Less than one month after the new highway opened, the first fatal accident occurred. Donald Adams of Revelstoke went off the road at Summit Lake and his car plunged into the lake. Two of his passengers were killed in the accident. One of them was Isabelle Steed, his fiancee’s mother, and the other was Miss Lister, Matron of Queen Victoria Hospital. Mr. Adams was cited for driving too fast around the twisty lake road.

Homecoming

Edward Charles Baring, First Baron Revelstoke.

Revelstoke, BC was named in his honour in 1886.

Well, we're just three weeks away from Homecoming! Everyone is getting excited about the many events that are being planned. To see the full schedule, go to http://www.cityofrevelstoke.com/pdf/HomecomingBrochure.pdf

One correction that I will point out: Our Lantern Cemetery Tour is on Friday, July 24 at 11:00 pm, not on Saturday.

If you haven't reserved your tickets for the Dinner with Lord Revelstoke, now is the time to do so. They are going fast, and you don't want to miss this event. James Baring, 6th Baron Revelstoke, is the great grandson of the man that our city is named after, and we are delighted that he is coming from England to take part in our special 110th Anniversary Homecoming celebrations. The dinner will take place at the Revelstoke Golf Club on Thursday, July 23 at 6:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at Revelstoke Museum & Archives or call 250-837-3067 or email revelstokemuseum@telus.net to reserve your tickets.

The museum will also be hosting many other events, including Heritage Walking Tours, Cemetery Tours, and a Heritage Home Tour that will take you inside five beautiful heritage homes. We will also be showing photographs taken by Earle & Estelle Dickey from the 1930s to the 1970s at Traverse Lounge at the Regent Inn. On top of all of these events, we will also be opening new exhibits on the Saturday morning at 10:00 am. "From Farwell to Revelstoke" will look at the development of our city from the early days of the Farwell Settlement and the reasons behind the name change to "Revelstoke." Another exhibit will feature the photographic work of Earle and Estelle Dickey, and there will also be a new exhibit on Manning's Confectionery and its evolution into Manning's Restaurant. An exciting part of this exhibit will be the sale of Manning's Chocolates made by Ron Kwong, whose father purchased Manning's in the 1950s. Don't miss out on the opportunity to get your Manning's chocolates in the famous blue box!

During the Exhibit Opening, we will also be officially launching our two new cookbooks in our Heritage Cookbook Series. "A Legacy of Country Dining" features recipes from residents who lived outside of the city limits, as far south as Arrowhead, and "A Tradition of Elegance - Second Helpings" contains more recipes from past and present Revelstoke residents.

All throughout Homecoming Weekend, the museum will be open for people who want to take a trip down memory lane, and perhaps even look for family information. We will be featuring several photograph albums, high school annuals and many other pieces of nostalgia. Come in and take a look.

On another note, a Cemetery Walk is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, July 8th at 7:00 pm at Revelstoke's Mountain View Cemetery, on Highway 23 North, across from the Frontier. Meet at the gates or call the museum for a ride. This is an interesting way to find out about some of Revelstoke's pioneer residents.

We have also begun our summer program for children: "Heritage Explorers." Each Thursday from 2:00 to 3:30 pm, children ages 5 to 12 have the opportunity to come out and learn about the history of our community while having lots of fun. Call the museum to register.

Mayor McCarty

Wow, two blog entries in one day! I just got back from a Cemetery Walk and wanted to say how happy I am that Revelstoke's first mayor now has a headstone on his grave. For many years, the grave has been unmarked, but a few years ago, one of the participants on a Cemetery Walk asked the city to do something about it, and now, at last, Mayor McCarty has an appropriate marker.

When Revelstoke was incorporated in March of 1899, the first mayor elected was Mr. Florence McCarty, although he preferred to be called Frank (and who can blame him!) Frank McCarty had a butcher store on Track Street, near the CPR Station, and later had a livery business and a steam laundry. The McCarty's first home was on CPR hill, and he and his wife ran it as a boarding house for CPR employees. It was known as a temperance house, which meant that drinking was not allowed on the premises. Board and lodging cost $5 a week, or individual meals were available for 25 cents. The McCartys were Roman Catholic, and before the first Catholic Church was built in Revelstoke in 1893, services sometimes took place in their home.

In 1899, as the newly-elected Mayor, he had a fine new home built on Mackenzie Avenue at Third Street. John Kernaghan built the house at a cost of $5,000, and stonemason E.C. Fromey built the 2-foot thick cellar walls. The house originally had a turret and upper and lower verandahs. The house is currently the location of Heather Hut boutique, and while it has been changed a lot over the years, it still has many of its original features.

Florence (Frank) McCarty passed away in 1920, and a photograph in the museum shows his grave covered with flowers. It is possible that there was once a marker on the grave, but if there was, it has been missing for many years. In this year when we are celebrating Revelstoke's 110th anniversary of incorporation, it is fitting that at last his grave is marked, identifying him as Revelstoke's first mayor.

Revelstoke's First Doctor

We had the privilege this week of a visit from John McAlpine, great grandson of Dugald Leitch McAlpine, Revelstoke's first doctor. Dr. McAlpine came to Revelstoke in 1884 or 1885, in the very early days of the community's development. The doctor came here with his 17 year old son, Johnny, and set up an office on Front Street, the hub of activity in the new settlement. When the doctor and his son came, the town was still known as Second Crossing, as this was the second point that the railway crossed the Columbia River. First Crossing was at Donald. By 1885, the community was referred to as Farwell, after the surveyor who purchased the land and laid out the townsite.

Mr. McAlpine was interested in finding out how his grandfather and great-grandfather would have reached Second Crossing before the railway line had been built. At that time, there were two ways of getting here from the east. One was to take a treacherous boat trip around the Big Bend, and the other was to walk or ride by horseback along the surveyed route through Rogers Pass. We weren't able to find out for sure, but we suspect that they would have come through Rogers Pass.

In 1886, Dr. McAlpine's wife and other children arrived from Ontario. The doctor built a home for his family on an island in the Columbia River, near the west bank of the river opposite Front Street. According to John McAlpine, the doctor was concerned about having his family live in the wild west settlement of Farwell. At that time, there were several brothels, saloons and gambling dens lining Front Street, and Dr. McAlpine felt it was no place for young children. We have not been able to definitely identify the location of the island. The McAlpine family moved to Vancouver in 1887, but the island was still referred to as McAlpine's island into the early 1900s.

Remember that the Queen Victoria Hospital exhibit is opening this Saturday, June 20 at 2:00 pm.

Queen Victoria Hospital

We're working on a new exhibit on Queen Victoria Hospital, and the opening will be on Saturday, June 20 at 2 pm. We have a little surprise we found lurking in the basement of the museum, and it will be a special feature of the exhibit. Anybody born in Revelstoke between 1913 and 1970 was most likely born in the old brick Queen Victoria Hospital, so it still brings back a lot of memories for past residents.

The exhibit will dwell a little bit on the other hospitals as well, including the private hospital opened by Dr. McKechnie and Dr. Jeffs in 1897. It was located in a house at the top of Douglas Street hill, and it could only accommodate 7 patients. One of the first patients was a man who was working in one of the sawmills in the area. He was in the hospital with a broken leg when his fiancee arrived on the train from the east. expecting to meet up with her man and get married. When she discovered that he was in hospital, she arranged for a minister to come there with her to perform a bedside wedding.

In 1902, the Queen Victoria Cottage Hospital was built where Cooper's and Alpine Village Mall are now located. The hospital fronted onto First Street, and was built in cooperation with the Victorian Order of Nursing, who provided the first nurses and some much needed funding for construction. The first Matron was Miss Elsie Mackinnon of Prince Edward Island, who only worked at the hospital for a year before marrying T.D. Kilpatrick, local CPR Superintendent and President of the Revelstoke Hospital Board. Mr. Kilpatrick had to endure a great deal of good natured ribbing for depriving the hospital of the Matron. At that time, married women did not work in professions, because of course, once you were married, you had the noblest profession of all: housewife and mother! ;)

The brick Queen Victoria Hospital opened in 1913 and was in use until February of 1971. We welcome memories, photos and stories about the hospital. Come in and see the new exhibit, and add your stories to our memory board.

Cemetery Walk

I will be leading the first cemetery walk of the season on Thursday, June 18 at 7:00 pm. Meet at the Cemetery gates (Highway 23 North across from the Frontier) or call the Museum at 250-837-3067 to arrange for a ride. The tour takes about an hour-and-a-half, and we look at about 20 sites, and talk about the history of the cemetery. The oldest gravestone that we have been able to find is that of Louise Beavo, who died in 1892. If you look at her marker, it will say 1893, but it was over a year after she died before her marker was placed, and they got the year wrong!

We also visit the graves of two murder victims. Jennie Kiobara was a Japanese prostitute who was murdered in 1905. The newspapers of the day described the crime in grisly detail, but had little sympathy for the victim, because of her occupation. Her grave marker was paid for by Wah Chung, the owner of the house in which she lived. Wah Chung was under suspicion for a while, but was never charged. Her murder was never solved, although a story is told that a man confessed to the crime on his deathbed. The other murder victim was Frank Julian, or Francesco Juliano, who came to Revelstoke from Italy via Chicago and San Francisco. He was one of Revelstoke's early Italian citizens, and had a farm near the Illecillewaet River as well as a home on Second Street East. In 1910, he was found murdered on his farm property, killed by a blow from an ax. On his forehead was a black cross, etched into his skin with acid. The murder was believed by everyone, including the police, to be a mafia slaying. His murderer was never found.

Bike to Work Week

Tomorrow, Wednesday May 13, the topic of the Brown Bag History talk will be "Biking & Hiking" to mark "Bike to Work Week." I couldn't find quite enough information just on biking, so added in the extra topic of hiking. I will talk a little bit about early mountaineering in the Selkirks, but I won't delve into that too deeply, because it warrants a talk of its own on another occasion.

I did find a few interesting bits of information on early biking in Revelstoke. As early as 1896, local entrepreneur William Cowan had built a bicycle track, for racing, in the lower section of town, and by 1897, Eddie Edwards was making a name for himself as a champion bicycle racer. A photograph of him on his bike is currently on display in the front window of the Museum, along with a wooden bicycle wheel rim. This photograph shows two young lads cycling on Front Street, around 1900.

In 1928, a champion bicycle rider, Fred St. Onge, stopped in Revelstoke as part of his North American bicycle tour. He taught bicycle safety to local children, and set up a 150 foot long, 5 inch wide plank for the children to test their bicycle agility. Ten year old Helen Parker managed a world-record total of 2,420 feet on the plank without falling, and she was awarded a gold medal from the CCM Bicycle Company. The medal is now in the collection of Revelstoke Museum & Archives. Helen was the daughter of Phil & Eva (Hobbs) Parker, and it is possible that Helen got her sense of balance from Eva, an experienced mountaineer after whom Eva Lake on Mount Revelstoke is named.

For more information on this topic, or any other aspect of local history, call or drop in to see us.

Heritage Walking Tour

On Sunday, May 3, at 1 pm, I will be leading a heritage walking tour for "Hike for Hospice." All of the proceeds go to the local Hospice Society, a very worthwhile organization that provides compassionate care to people facing the end of life.

I'll be following the "Courthouse Tour" which will leave from the Museum and head west along First Street. We'll look at the site of the old Queen Victoria Hospital, and the original site of the cenotaph. I'll talk about Government Road, which angled from Third Street to Victoria Road. The last vestige of the road is the angled street alongside The Bargain Store and Chalet Bakery. Goverment Road provided slightly more direct access from the original business section on Front Street to the C.P.R. Station. We'll talk about the origin of some of the street names that we encounter, and look at the various styles of residences along the route. I'll throw in a few stories about some of the early residents, especially my favourite family, the Holtens. There is an element of mystery, and possibly even scandal, associated with them, which makes them very interesting!

We'll look at the exterior of the Courthouse, and the various monuments and plaques that have been placed on and around it over the years. How many of you know where to find the cornerstone? We'll look at the plaque in honour of the World War I casualties from Revelstoke - over 100 names. The plaque was placed there in 1919 by the Women's Canadian Club of Revelstoke and was unveiled by the Prince of Wales.

We're hoping for fine weather, and a good turnout. If you can't make it for the walk, drop in to the museum for a copy of our Heritage Walking Tour brochure and take a self-guided tour.

The Latest News

Someone asked me recently when I'm going to add a new post to the blog, and I was surprised and delighted to know that someone actually reads it! So to all my many blog readers, I encourage you to check out the additions to our website, (http://www.revelstokemuseum.ca) and watch for more to come. One great new addition is the page on Arrowhead, with links to reports prepared for the Arrowhead Conservation Society. These include a horticultural report and accompanying photographs, as well as a Heritage Assessment Report on the former townsite. If you're interested in the former community of Arrowhead, south of Revelstoke, you may want to have a look at the reports.

We are making plans for the upcoming Revelstoke Homecoming, planned for this July 23 to 26. The facebook group for Revelstoke 2009 Homecoming will provide you with more information on the community events. The Museum will be holding Cemetery and Downtown Heritage Walking Tours, and we will be unveiling new exhibits at the Museum. On Thursday, July 23, we will be hosting a special dinner in honour of James Baring, 6th Baron Revelstoke, who is the direct descendant of the First Lord Revelstoke, after whom our city is named. Keep an eye on our website and this blog for upcoming details.

We now have a Facebook group for Revelstoke Museum & Archives & Gift Shop, and we welcome you to join.

My next Brown Bag History talk on Revelstoke will be on Libraries. Revelstoke had reading rooms as early as 1890, and I found this note in the April 9, 1892 issue of the Kootenay Star: “Surely there are landowners enough in this town to make the institution a useful and successful one. But strangers come and go and never know that Revelstoke is so advanced in culture as to contain a library. Why not have some kind of notice outside informing the passer-by and the stranger within our gates that we have at least a reading-room?"

I'd love to hear your comments on our website and blog. Post a comment to the blog, or email me (Cathy English) at revelstokemuseum@telus.net

Heritage Cookbook

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Revelstoke Museum & Archives Association, we compiled a Heritage Cookbook that went on sale last September. The cookbook has been an overwhelming success. Over 600 recipes were gathered from past and present Revelstoke residents to commemorate 50 years of preserving and celebrating Revelstoke's history.

More than just a cookbook, "A Taste of Elegance" includes beautiful heritage photographs, a tribute to Revelstoke Mayors, and bits of interesting Revelstoke facts.

Revelstoke Museum and Archives is pleased to announce that we are currently compiling recipes for a second edition of the cookbook, to be released at Revelstoke Homecoming 2009 this July.

A second edition requires many more recipes. We invite all current and former residents to submit their recipes. They can be ones that have been in your family for generations, or ones that you just discovered last week. We are especially encouraging residents from our ethnic communities to submit their recipes. Revelstoke was known for the large Italian population in "Little Italy", the Ukrainian settlement at Mount Cartier, and the Scandinavian settlers in the Big Eddy. There were also many early Japanese and Chinese families here, as well as many other ethnic groups. We especially welcome recipes from these communities.

Heritage cookbooks make excellent gifts and a great kitchen companion and the purchase of the cookbook also helps the museum preserve history for the next 50 years and more.

Stop in to purchase a copy of the first edition and pick up a recipe submission form, or email us at revelstokemuseum@telus.net for a form. Recipe deadline is April 15th.

1910 Rogers Pass Slide

Our next Brown Bag talk will be on March 4, 2009, the 99th Anniversary of the 1910 Rogers Pass Snowslide that killed 58 railway workers. John Woods, retired Chief Park Naturalist of Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks, and Cathy English, curator of Revelstoke Museum & Archives, will give the talk together. John will talk about the slide itself, the weather system that caused it, and the geography of the slide site, as well as previous slide research going back to the 1880s. Cathy will talk about the workers, 32 of whom were Japanese, and about the impact the slide had on the community. Revelstoke Museum and Archives has several pictures of the slide site as well as about 600 pages of original material from the Canadian Pacific Railway divisional records. The records include letters from family members of slide victims as well as receipts, telegrams and other correspondence. A committee has now been formed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the slide next year and a series of events will be planned. Watch for more details as we get closer to the date.

Heritage Week

This is Heritage Week (February 16 - 21) and the theme this year is "Legacy of Learning," looking at the history of education. The Brown Bag History talk this week will be on that theme, and one of my favourite stories relating to this topic is a little bit of a scandal. In the 1920s, Mr. Bassett, the elementary school principal was called in front of the board to address allegations that he was interacting in an inappropriate way with one of the female teachers. He denied the accusations and claimed that she was a family friend, with his wife welcoming the teacher to their home for visits. Before long, though, Mr. Bassett emptied the projector fund of the $100 plus dollars that the students had raised, and fled to San Francisco with the young schoolteacher. They were arrested there, which led to an article in the local newspaper with my all-time favourite headline: "Bassett Nabbed in 'Frisco." The schoolteacher was handed over to her father, and Mr. Bassett was tried and sent to prison for a short time.

And then there's the story of the schoolteacher who went to talk to the School Board about her raise. She was asked to wait outside the meeting room in the top floor of the High School (now Mountain View School.) She waited for over an hour, when she realized it was awfully quiet. She opened the door to the room, only to discover that the whole School Board had left out of the fire exit.

We are also in the process of collecting recipes for our next edition of the Revelstoke Heritage Cook Book. Get your recipes in before April 1st. Call or email the museum: 250-837-3067 or revelstokemuseum@telus.net for more information.

Pot-Hole Kellie

Here's a bit of Revelstoke history trivia to start off the New Year.

Revelstoke's first Member of Provincial Parliament was James M. Kellie, first elected in 1890. He came out to B.C. from Ontario and tried his hand at mining near Golden, B.C. He had the idea that if he could divert a creek bed, he would find gold in the rock pot-holes of the bed. He spent one spring working on this plan, and twice lost his wooden flumes to wash-outs. Finally, he succeeded in diverting the creek and cleared the pot-holes, only to find the bone of a mountain goat and nothing else. However, he did end up with the nickname Pot-Hole Kellie as a result of his endeavours.

In 1890, the Provincial Government passed some legislation that made it very expensive and difficult for miners operating along the Canadian Pacific Railway right of way. The local miners wanted to discuss this with Premier John Robson, so when he was passing through Revelstoke on a campaign trip, they asked him to meet with them to discuss the legislation. The miners made sure that he missed his train, then took him to a meeting on Front Street in Revelstoke, where they spoke against the legislation. Nobody but the men who had "kidnapped" Robson knew that he was there. Robson was finally invited to speak, and claimed that he had seen the error of his ways, and would rescind the legislation. He suggested that they elect a miner to sit in the legislature and represent their interests. J.M. Kellie, the ringleader of the "kidnapping" plot, was persuaded to run and won by one vote over W.M. Brown.

Kellie held his position as M.P.P. for 10 years, and became well-known for his outspoken views and his unwavering support for the riding of West Kootenay. Revelstoke Museum and Archives holds a typed manuscript by J.M. Kellie detailing his life and political career. It is one of the many historically significant and fascinating items in Revelstoke Museum and Archives.

Brown Bag History will resume for the new year on Wednesday, January 21st at 12:15. The topic will be "Revelstoke in 1909."