Rogers Pass Station Snowslide, 1899

Many people know about the disastrous avalanche at Rogers Pass that killed 58 railway labourers who were clearing a previous slide. Less well-known is an avalanche that occurred on January 31, 1899, taking out the CPR Station at Rogers Pass and killing seven people. The station was located east of the Rogers Pass National Historic Site Interpretive Centre, and just before the first snowshed, at the base of the Hermit Range. On the afternoon of January 31, 1899, the station agent, William Cator, age 37, was speaking with Frank Vago, the coalman. Cator’s wife, Annie, age 35, and the Chinese cook Ah Hou were busy working in the kitchen. The Cator’s children, three-year-old Charles and two-year-old Ethel were also in the station house. Upstairs, the 18-year-old night operator Frank Corson was asleep in his bunk. The station waitress and housekeeper Annie Berger was upstairs. James Ridley, age 31, a CPR wiper, was asleep in a nearby shack. Without warning, a dry slide consisting of loose powdery snow roared down the mountain and tore through the station and yards. The Kootenay Mail of February 4, 1899 described the events. “The express from the east was expected at Rogers Pass, and those there Tuesday afternoon were busy at their various duties, anticipating its arrival, when down the gorge in the northwest came the awful avalanche which was to be the snowy sepulcher for so many. They heard the sound, which filled everything, and that was all; it took them – as did the lava the Pompeiians – where they stood. The awful slide first encountered two “shacks,” belonging to Maxwell and Newitt, both of whom were absent. These it hardly noticed, but drove with increasing fury on some Chinese boarding cars... It took the cars with it like feathers,…threw them over the round house, which it badly wrecked, and with its gathered debris rushed at the station house and completed its dreadful mission in less time than it takes to tell it.” The entire Cator family was wiped out in the slide, as was Ah Hou and Frank Corson. Frank Vago dived under the table and survived with broken ribs. The waitress Annie Berger survived but suffered a broken leg and other injuries. James Ridley died in the shack near the station. The three Chinese men who were in their boarding car at the time survived without injuries. Newspaper accounts stated that Mrs. Cato was found with a rolling pin and pastry in her hand. Two dogs and a caged bird managed to survive the slide. Years later, in a recorded interview, CPR Engineer George Williamson said that his mother and sister were also living at Rogers Pass and that his sister had been visiting Mrs. Cato that afternoon and had just left the station before the slide came down. The following quotes are from his interview with Imbert Orchard recorded in the 1960s. “And this particular day that the slide came down, my sister, she was 14 years old at the time. She had just been visiting the Cator family. And she hadn’t only got about three minutes away from the station when she heard this roar and her skirts begin to flop around her – she got the wind of that slide that smashed the station up against the hillside. Well, when that slide came down the first thing it struck was an old pay car on logs alongside of the shop, no trucks or anything, for the wipers to sleep in. And then there was a two-stall roundhouse and the 409 was in there at the time. They were wiped out – 409 just tipped into the pit sideways and the shop was cleaned right clean like the cleanest could be clean. And then it took the station and smashed it just level as this floor. The first fella to go was this James Ridley, a wiper – he was asleep in this car, and then it went over the station and there was an old Frenchman in there, our coal-up man, old Frank Vago. He told me weeks later that just before the slide struck, he said to William Cator that he thought the station would go. That station was built on piling, about six or eight feet high, because it was all swamp underneath it…” The photograph of the station shown here was taken in the summer of 1898, just six months before the slide wiped it out. The Cator family can be seen in the photograph, along with the waitress Annie Berger, in the white blouse and dark skirt. The other photograph shows the area after the slide had hit. The station and yards were rebuilt where the Rogers Pass National Historic Site Interpretive Centre is now located. Once the Connaught Tunnel was completed in 1916, the summit of Rogers Pass was bypassed by the Canadian Pacific Railway main line and was no longer in use.

First Tracks

Revelstoke Museum & Archives is proud to announce the publication of our new book, “First Tracks – the history of skiing in Revelstoke.” The book explores this fascinating history going back to the early 1890s, when the newspapers reported people coming in to town on “Norwegian Snowshoes,” as skis were then called. Snowshoes were the more usual mode of travel in the snow, and the skis created a bit of a sensation in town. The newspaper Kootenay Mail described the skis in their November 28, 1891issue: “The snowshoes are simply thin slats of wood about three inches in width and ten feet in length, and turned up in front like the bows of a canoe. The feet are fastened to these slats by leather straps in the centre, leaving about five feet clear fore and aft, which is not lifted clear of the snow, but glides along the surface. A pole about six feet in length is carried, either for steering purposes or as a help in propulsion.” The book explores how skiing became a recreational pastime in the 1890s and early 1900s, then discusses the formation of the competitive Revelstoke Ski Club in 1914. This club, with many members from the local Scandinavian population, put Revelstoke on the map in terms of the sport of skiing, with both ski racing and ski jumping being the most popular forms of the sport. Revelstoke became known world wide as a ski jumping destination right up until 1975. Every aspect of skiing in Revelstoke is explored in the book, right up to the present day. Revelstoke Mountain Resort, cat powder skiing, heliskiing, backcountry skiing and Nordic skiing are all discussed in the book. Fabulous photographs illustrate the book throughout. The book was a wonderful way for the museum to share this exciting aspect of our history. We were able to add to our knowledge on this subject through many interviews and donations of photographs and artifacts. We created a new ski hsitory exhibit at the museum to further explore the passion that people here have for skiing. The picture on the front cover of the book shows six Revelstoke men and women skiing at the summit of Mount Revelstoke in February of 1941 during a film shoot. It is just one of dozens of great photographs that tell this history. For more information on the book, contact us at info@revelstokemuseum.ca

Revelstoke in 1912

Much of Revelstoke’s historic downtown was constructed by 1913. Revelstoke shared in the general economic boom that took place in Canada in the early 1900s, and this can be seen in some of the commercial and government buildings that were constructed during that time. In 1912, Revelstoke saw the completion or at least the start of construction of several of our prominent heritage buildings. McKinnon’s pool room and cigar store and Bourne Brothers General Store were both opened in February of 1912. They are now operating as Nickelodeon Museum and Style Trend Clothiers respectively. They are both beautiful buildings and both have restored parts of their original pressed tin ceilings. C.R. Macdonald opened his drugstore on Mackenzie Avenue in March and that building now houses Isabella’s Restaurant. Our beautiful brick Courthouse was being constructed by contractors Foote and Pradolini. The cornerstone was laid on May 2, 1912 and the building was completed in October of 1913. Horace Manning arranged for the construction of his new candy factory in the fall of 1912 and it was completed the following year. The building retains the original name of Manning’s although it is now a Chinese Restaurant rather than a candy factory. There are residents who still remember the delicious Manning’s Broadway Chocolates made there. Another beautiful building that began construction in 1912 was the Queen Victoria Hospital. Revelstoke’s first public hospital had been constructed in 1902 on the site where Cooper’s is now located, and a brick annex was added to it in 1910. In 1912, the original cottage hospital was moved to the next lot where it eventually became the first Legion building. A new brick hospital was built up against the brick annex to create the new Queen Victoria Hospital that remained in use until the end of 1970. Sadly, the brick hospital was torn down in the early 1970s. The bricks in the posts at the back end of our Heritage Garden came from this building. In 1912, Revelstoke was one of the largest centers in the interior of the province, third in size after Kamloops and Nelson. Kelowna, Vernon and Salmon Arm were still fairly small farming communities at that time. The CB Hume Department Store in Revelstoke was the largest of its kind in the interior. Revelstoke boasted a large YMCA building equipped with a full gymnasium, bowling alley and indoor pool. There was also an Opera House where local and travelling performers could stage shows. A local group known as the Progress Club was negotiating with the federal government to have Mount Revelstoke declared a National Park and construction of the auto road to the summit began in the summer of 1912. The CPR was the major employer and operated a branch line to Arrowhead, south of Revelstoke, with steamer traffic from Arrowhead to West Robson. This growth continued up until the outbreak of war in August of 1914, which changed Revelstoke irrevocably.

Revelstoke Remembers

Revelstoke residents have been gathering each November 11 at the cenotaph since it was first erected in 1923. The marker was created by the Great War Veterans Association, the forerunner to the Royal Canadian Legion. The plaque on the cenotaph listed the names of 91 men from this district who gave their lives during World War I. A second plaque was added after World War II with the names of another 32 men. Revelstoke Museum & Archives created memorial books with a profile on each of the World War I soldiers and we are currently doing the same for the men who gave their lives in World War II. It is important for future generations that the memories of these men are not lost. Ken English researched and wrote the profiles of the World War I soldiers, and he created a summary profile. Here are some of the facts that he discovered. About half of the men who died were born in England and Scotland. Another quarter were born in Eastern Canada and thirteen were born in British Columbia, seven of those in Revelstoke. The average height of the men was 5’8” with the shortest recruits John Henry and Stanley Janes at 5’3” and the tallest Daniel Montgomery at 6’2”. The average age of the men at the time of death was 28. The oldest was Andrew Lee at 44, and there were six other men over the age of 40. The youngest was Charles Hanbury who was a 16 year old sailor on the HMCS Galiano when it sank off the Queen Charlotte Islands on October 29, 1918. There were four other soldiers who were under the age of 20 when they died. There were several sets of brothers who served overseas, but the only family that lost two sons was the Robinson family. John Robinson was the brother of pioneer sawmill owners Fred and Dan Robinson. John’s three sons Arthur, Walter and Victor all served overseas and only Victor returned home. Walter died on April 22, 1915 during the battle of Ypres at the age of 21. Arthur died on August 11, 1918 at the age of 20. The stories of the men who died are endless and we have only fragments of them. We welcome any additional information and photographs on the soldiers from the two world wars. Any family members of Revelstoke’s fallen soldiers are encouraged to contact us – we would be happy to share whatever information we have as well. The photograph shows a group of Bridge Guards in Rogers Pass. The man at the left is John Collia, who was born in Italy in 1893 and came to Canada around 1907. John died at the age of 24 on April 19, 1917 at the battle for Vimy Ridge. John has many family members still living in Revelstoke.

Halloween in Revelstoke

Halloween is widely celebrated in Revelstoke now, by both adults and children, but that wasn’t always the case. In researching Revelstoke’s celebration of Halloween, it was hard to find much about it at all in the early newspapers. This note appeared in the November 4, 1905 edition of the Revelstoke Herald: “Halloween passed off quietly, the principal mischief being the disappearance of gates on Mackenzie Avenue. The owners would be glad to have them returned.” Trick-or-treating did not seem to be popular until the 1930s. Before that time, there was what the newspapers referred to as pranks, or mischief, which included the occasional destruction of property as well as noisemaking and the shooting of firecrackers. During the First World War, the newspapers exhorted the boys of the city to refrain from any destruction of property, claiming that it was an assistance to the enemy. In 1934, there were rumors that the underemployed men in the government work camps would cause mass destruction in the city. The Revelstoke Review of November 2, 1934 had this to say: “Halloween passed very quietly in Revelstoke, believe it or not. There had been rumors that the town would be blown off the map. Dynamite had been made into hand grenades and other destructive material had been obtained, it was said. But nothing happened. A few windows were soaped and none of the so-called radical element in the camps was found in the city.” Community suppers and parties were often held in celebration of Halloween. The Pythian Sisters lodge held a Halloween Social in 1936. The Revelstoke Review reported: “Ghosts, witches and Jack-o-lanterns were the masters of ceremonies at the Pythian Sisters’ social held on Tuesday evening. Treasure hunting was a popular game, while Halloween contests and the Witch’s Murder, in the form of a bowling match, were a close second. Prizes and fortunes were distributed among the guests. Dainty refreshments consisting of ‘Druid’s Delight,’ ‘Witches’ Brew’ and ‘Toes Not Found on Man Nor Beast’ were served to put the finishing touches on to a real Halloween evening. During World War II, the Kinsmen Club tried to provide some Halloween fun for the local children while raising money for their war efforts. “Milk for Britain” campaign. Due to rationing, most homes could not purchase treats to hand out, so the Kinsmen Club came up with a great alternative. They sold sheets of tickets to householders at one cent per ticket. When children came to the door for treats, they were given a ticket at each home. They could then redeem the tickets for hot dogs and treats at a community-wide Halloween party at the YMCA building on First Street East. All of the proceeds went towards the Kinsmen Club’s “Milk for Britain” campaign. However you celebrate Halloween, we hope that it is fun and safe. The attached photograph by Emma Roberts shows a group of school children having some Halloween fun at the CPR station in 1920.

Randle William Gascoyne-Cecil

It’s always fascinating to discover where a bit of research can take you. I did a Google search today on Nobel Peace Prize winners and saw a surname that I recognized. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937 for his work with the League of Nations. Several years ago, my husband Ken English researched all of the 100+ men from Revelstoke who died during World War I. The name Randle William Gascoyne-Cecil came up during his research. Although Randle William Gascoyne-Cecil’s name does not appear on the local cenotaph, he was mentioned in the Revelstoke newspapers as one of the first men who applied for military service after war was declared on August 3, 1914. His occupation at the time was listed as car repair assistant with the Canadian Pacific Railway. His name was given as Randle Cecil in the local newspapers. He was one of 25 men from Revelstoke accepted for service with the Second Contingent of Canadian Volunteers and he signed his attestation papers in Victoria on November 11, 1914. At the time of enlistment, he stated that he was married, and was 25 years of age. He had served with the local branch of the Rocky Mountain Rangers militia for two and a half months. He had also served with the Oxford University Officers Training Corp, with the Cavalry Squadron. He stated that he was born in London, England on November 28, 1889. He died on December 1, 1917 while serving as a Lieutenant with the Royal Horse Artillery, Territorial Force. The Canadian Virtual War Memorial maintained by Veterans’ Affairs indicates that he was the son of Right Rev. Lord William Gascoyne-Cecil and the husband of Elizabeth Claire Gascoyne-Cecil. Until today, that was all that we knew about him. The coincidence of finding the name Gascoyne-Cecil among the list of Nobel Peace Prize recipients spurred us on to do some further digging. We discovered that Randle William’s father William and uncle Robert (the Peace Prize winner) were both the sons of Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, and three-time Prime Minister of England. William, Randle’s father, was the Bishop of Exeter. So why was Randle William, obviously very wealthy and well-connected, living in Revelstoke and working as a railway car repair assistant? We then found an article in the New York Times from July of 1915, telling of the divorce of Randle and his first wife, Dorothy Janaway. The article indicated that Randle had been sent down from Oxford in 1908 for “a breach of discipline” after throwing rocks through the windows of Balliol College. The article went on to say that Randle had appeared as an actor in Gaiety plays and had travelled with actor George Grossmith to America. With a bit more research, we discovered that Randle married Dorothy Janaway in June of 1914 and divorced her in July of 1915. Did his wife come with him to Revelstoke? There is no indication whether she did or not. By the time of his divorce, he was back in England, and preparing for active service. In June of 1916, he married Elizabeth Claire Turner. Their daughter Anne Mary Gascoyne-Cecil was born on July 29, 1918, seven months after her father’s death. Anne gained the rank of 2nd Officer in the service of the Women's Royal Naval Service during the Second World War. She married Lieutenant Commander David Bryce Wilson in 1945 and came with him to his home in Ontario, where they had five children. Randle William Gascoyne Cecil and two of his brothers died in active service in World War I. One other brother was wounded but survived. The story so far, still just bits and pieces, seems to indicate an aristocratic English youth sowing his wild oats, and then heeding the call to serve his country when war was declared. It is a story that was surely repeated throughout the British Empire during World War I. The mystery remains though – what brought a grandson of a British Prime Minister to Revelstoke? Why was he working as a common laborer? What was the story of his first marriage? Revelstoke had its share of people with secrets. We can now add Randle William Gascoyne-Cecil to that list.

Happy 113th Birthday, Revelstoke

March 1, 2012 marks the 113th anniversary of Revelstoke’s incorporation as a city. The community was already 14 years old, having been established in 1885 during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The long delay in incorporation was largely a result of the dispute between the original townsite owner, Farwell and the CPR, and the inability of the provincial and federal governments to agree on riverbank protection. The community was renamed Revelstoke in June of 1886, as a result of a request by the Canadian Pacific Railway to the Post Office Department. It was perhaps a measure of the C.P.R.’s political influence that the request was granted with little or no discussion. The name honoured Edward Baring, First Baron Revelstoke, and head of the Baring Bank of England, which had saved the CPR from bankruptcy and had allowed for the completion of the railway. The City of Revelstoke was honoured to host Edward Baring’s great-grandson, the Sixth Baron Revelstoke, James Baring, at our city’s homecoming in 2009 and we were saddened to hear of James’ death this February. James Baring’s oldest son Alexander Baring will become the Seventh Baron Revelstoke.

An editorial in the Kootenay Star newspaper of February 16, 1892 explained “How the Station was Built a Mile and a Half away.” The articles stated that one Canadian Pacific Railway official was prepared to purchase 80 acres of land from A.S. Farwell for the station and yards. The editorial states: “Had this been carried out, Revelstoke would have been one compact town, instead of being cut in two by a mile and a half of lonely, burnt-up timber…Mr. Van Horne (the company Vice-President) would have nothing to do with Farwell or his offer…and thus Revelstoke remains in two parts – the old and the new.”

Once the station was established near the present location, the Farwell townsite had a distinct disadvantage. Businesses had to pay extra shipping charges to transport their goods from the station to their Front Street locations. Government Road was built to provide a more direct route from the Station to Front Street. It angled from Victoria and Rokeby to Third Street between Pearson and Ford. The last vestige of Government Road can be seen in the angled street between the Alpine Shopping Mall and The Bargain Store and Chalet Bakery building.

The Canadian Pacific Railway began selling lots in their new townsite in the early 1890s and by 1899, many businesses had relocated to Revelstoke Station. The townsite dispute had finally been settled, and residents could get clear title to their land. The local Board of Trade was pushing for incorporation and this finally happened on March 1, 1899.

This photograph of Mackenzie Avenue in 1898 shows the early development of this part of town. The spire of the Catholic Church can be seen at the corner of First Street. It was moved to Fifth Street in 1899. There were still several homes in the first two blocks of Mackenzie, but within two years, they had all been moved to other locations. In the background, Mount Revelstoke is completely burnt off.