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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.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
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
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
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