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.