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.