Why I Love My Job

My long to-do list didn't get dealt with today, but a lot of lovely things happened that made it a great day. To start with, we had a visit from a couple who donated some artifacts from the 1950s, including a child's tea set in perfect condition. It was donated by the woman who owned it as a child, and it was in its original box. The china tea set was made in Occupied Japan, which makes it even more interesting. She also donated a few other things, including Better Homes and Gardens magazines from 1944 and 1956.

Then the mail arrived, and with it, a package from Eugenia Howson Brown of California, who was born in Revelstoke in the 1920s to Len and Irene Howson. Len was one of the first children born in Revelstoke, in 1890. Len's home and his parents' home (now Minto Manor) are two of the very fine heritage homes on Mackenzie Avenue in Revelstoke. Eugenia sent her mother's and her grandmother's visiting purses - small sterling silver purses in which they put their visiting cards. When they went to visit a friend, they would present one of their cards. Also included was a Visiting Book, in which Mrs. Irene Howson recorded the days on which each of her friends received guests. These are great artifacts representing the social history of the community.

Later this afternoon, we were holding a birthday party for a seven-year-old girl and her friends. I was just beginning a tour for the children when I was asked to help a visitor. I turned the tour over to our capable summer student, Andrew, and went to assist the visitor. She was visiting from California and was looking for information on her great-uncle, who lived in Revelstoke until his death in 1948. After checking on the internet, we discovered that her great-uncle's wife died in Revelstoke in 1988, and when we found the obituary in the newspaper, I recognized the name of the daughter. The daughter and her husband still live in town, so I gave them a call, and discovered that they were having their 55th Wedding Anniversary party at that very moment! They were delighted to hear from their new relative, and immediately invited her to the party. The visitor from California was absolutely thrilled, and quickly went off to visit her new-found family!

Multicultural Heritage Picnic - Event Schedule

Multicultural Heritage Picnic in the Park

Sunday 27 June 2010, 11 am to 3 pm

Farwell Park, 1^st Street West (opposite Okanagan College)

EVENT SCHEDULE

11 am
Bike decorating contest judging
Music from Steve Smith
Craft making and kids' activities (all day)

11.30am
Mayor David Raven opens event
Winner of bike decorating contest announced

11.45am
Jannica's Drum Song Welcome &
Métis Jigging performance

12.45pm
Egg & spoon, sack and three-legged races (for kids aged 5 - 12 yrs)

1.00pm
Music from Steve Smith

2.00pm
Best dressed heritage costume winners announced

2.00pm
Storytelling for kids:

Moosham George
Stories from the early days of the railway Traditional First Nations' stories

Cathy English
Once upon a time in Farwell...

3.00 pm
Tour of Farwell with Cathy English

Summer Heritage Tours

Here is the schedule for our Heritage Tours for this summer.

Tuesday, June 29: Cemetery Tour: 7 PM Meet at the Cemetery Gates
Thursday, July 8: Farwell Tour: 7 PM Meet at Farwell Park
Thursday, July 22: Cemetery Tour: 7 PM Meet at the Cemetery Gates
Tuesday, July 27: Downtown Tour: 2 PM Meet at the Museum
Wed, August 4: Farwell Tour: 7 PM Meet at Farwell Park
Monday, August 16: Farwell Tour: 7 PM Meet at Farwell Park
Tuesday, August 17: Cemetery Tour: 7 PM Meet at the Cemetery Gates

Cost per person for each tour is $5.00. We can also do tours for groups on request. Get together a group of 6 or more people and give me a call to arrange for a tour of your choice. For more information, contact the museum at 250-837-3067 or email us at revelstokemuseum@telus.net

Farwell Townsite - 125 Years of History

Join us in Farwell Park on Sunday, June 27th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm as we celebrate Canadian Multiculturalism Day and the 125th Anniversary of the Farwell Townsite. We will have a variety of entertainment, food, and fun, including a bike decorating contest, and a contest for the best heritage costume (whatever your heritage may be!) We'll post the schedule here soon.

The establishment of the Farwell townsite in 1885 marks the beginning of our community's history.
In 1885, surveyor A.S. Farwell filed the map of his Farwell townsite, with Front Street as the main commercial area. The quickly growing frontier construction town was nestled along the riverbank next to where the first railway bridge was constructed. Farwell had applied for a provincial land grant in this area knowing that the Canadian Pacific Railway company would construct their line through Rogers Pass. He planned to sell his land to the company for their station and yards. The CPR disputed Farwell’s claim and refused to deal with him. They located their local operations to the east of Farwell’s land and began selling lots in what was known as Revelstoke Station, named after Lord Revelstoke, a British financier who had bought sufficient shares in the struggling railway company to allow them to complete the line.

Revelstoke quickly overshadowed Farwell as more and more businesses relocated close to the station. By the 1920s, the general stores and the large hotels were gone. A sawmill and shingle mill dominated the street in the 1940s and 1950s, but before long the street became wholly residential, with very few of the original buildings remaining. Join with us as we celebrate this important part of our heritage.