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.

Ski History Project

Revelstoke Museum and Archives is embarked on an exciting new project. During the year, we will be compiling photographs and information for a major new book on ski history in Revelstoke. The book will chronicle the early recreational ski clubs in the 1890s, the rise of competitive skiing in 1915, and advances in technique and equipment right up until the present day. Ski jumping on Mount Revelstoke will be highlighted, as well as distance and downhill skiing, and what we believe to be one of the earliest heli-skiing photographs around. The book will be 144 pages, with fine-art quality black and white photographs with accompanying text.

During the year, we will be conducting interviews and compiling information as well as additional photographs and artifacts. As a result, we will be mounting a major exhibit on skiing in addition to the book project. We are especially seeking information on the downhill and slalom runs on Mount Revelstoke and the early development on Mount Mackenzie. Please contact us if you can contribute to this project.

In the course of the project, we are already uncovering amazing stories and photographs. One of my favourite stories is Bob Lymburne’s ski ascent of Mount Begbie in 1932, as chronicled in the Canadian Alpine Journal. At the time of this feat, Bob Lymburne was the new Amateur World Record holder in ski jumping, having achieved a jump of 269 feet earlier in the year. On the 15th of May, 1932, Bob Lymburne left town at 4 am and drove as close as he could get to the base of Mount Begbie. He was not too far up the mountain before he put on his skis and set a fast pace, not knowing how long it would take him.

Lymburne described his ascent in the journal: “On reaching the foot of the glacier I was surprised to find that it was just 8 a.m. I enjoyed the wonderful ski-ing that is to be had on the long, smooth slopes of the glacier. After two hours ski-ing on the glacier, I halted and enjoyed my lunch. This consisted of raw eggs, oranges and raising which, in my opinion, forms the most satisfactory lunch for strenuous exercise.”

He continued upward to the highest peak. “In places there were crevasses four feet in width, thousands of feet in length and so deep that I could not see the bottom. The safe passage of these was much facilitated by the fact that I was wearing skis. Climbing to the last pinnacle, I was forced to remove my skis as it was necessary to hack out holes in the ice with my ski poles, in order to get a foot hold. The ice-walls were exceedingly steep and I had to go very carefully as a misstep would have led to a two thousand-foot fall. Before attempting the last bit, I sized up the situation very carefully, and convincing myself that I could complete the climb, reached the summit at 1 p.m.” He started to descend about 2 p.m. “After many wild, swift rides down the mountain side, the valley was reached and I arrived at Revelstoke the same evening at 6 p.m.”

The accompanying photograph shows Bob Lymburne in his glory days around 1932.

What a Guy!

In my last Brown Bag History session, I talked about John Guy Barber, known locally as Guy. I referred to him as our honourary ghost. One of the most frequently asked questions in the museum is whether we have a ghost. After working here for over 25 years, I would have to say that either we do not a ghost, or I lack the required sensitivity to notice such a presence. However, after answering the question over and over I decided that perhaps we should have a ghost, and if we did, I would like our ghost to be Guy Barber.

Guy Barber came to Revelstoke in 1890 as the young community’s first resident jeweller. He was born in either the United States or Manitoba, depending on which census you believe, and received his apprenticeship as a jeweller and watchmaker in Winnipeg before coming first to Kamloops and then to Revelstoke. His father was born in the United States, and his mother was probably born in Manitoba., unless we believe the 1891 Revelstoke census, where he claimed that his mother was Cuban and was born in Cuba. Was this the truth, or was this a young man in his early twenties having a bit of fun with the census-taker? Our reseach shows that his mother was indeed from Manitoba, so for now we will go with the young man’s hijinks theory.

Guy Barber appears in many photographs in the museum’s collection. Many of them are sports pictures, such as the 1891 ski club and the 1909 curling club and the snowshoe club; others show Guy in front of his jewellery store on Front Street, and his later store on Mackenzie Avenue. He also appears in several photographs of local entertainments, such as the 1911 Fireman’s Masquerade Ball.

The early newspapers are full of writeups telling of Guy Barber’s talent as an entertainer. There is hardly a local event that didn’t have Guy listed as a soloist or part of a quartette. His voice was said to be particularly good, and he was also a talented banjo player. He also played alto horn in the city’s first brass band in 1897.

In the mid 1890s, Guy Barber’s name was often linked with that of Lyda Edwards. They were partners in tennis, and at other local events. In November of 1897, though, Lyda married Charles Holten, a Revelstoke pioneer who had made a small fortune with a mining claim in the Lardeau. The museum now has many of the personal papers of the Holten family and they contain some material on Guy Barber, including photographs of Guy’s father and sister, and photographs showing Guy and Lyda on outings together, even while Charles Holten was still alive. What was the connection between Guy and Lyda? Were they friends, or more than that? Guy never married, but does that mean that he didn’t have any children? We’ll never know for sure, but there were rumours.

The early photographs of Guy Barber showed him as a tall, dark, slim man. As time passed, he became quite heavy. He played for the “Fats” team in the “Fats” versus “Leans” Red Cross benefit baseball game in 1915, and continued to grow in girth over the years.. In the 1930s, Guy moved back to Winnipeg, where he passed away in 1937 at the age of about 70.

The photograph shows Guy Barber, far left, with the Revelstoke Ski Club, circa 1891. F.B. Wells is at the right. He brought skis in from Minnesota and sold them in his men's clothing store.

Ode to Eva Lake

A recent acquisition to the archives was the poems and personal papers of Thomas Pagdin. Mr. Pagdin was born in Yorkshire, England in 1868 and came to Revelstoke in about 1909. In the 1930s and 1940s he began publishing poems in the Revelstoke Review newspaper under the pen name “Ivanhoe.” He eventually published a book of poems, including the one here, inspired by a hike to Eva Lake on Mount Revelstoke National Park.

Ode to Eva Lake: August 11 – 17, 1936:
A pilgrim – tired, yet not disconsolate;
The winding trail was long and steep:
The load was heavy and (for such is fate),
It grew in weight enough to keep
The panting pilgrim longing for trail’s end,
And wishing to unburden and unbend.

‘Twould seem the stiffest climb is at the crest;
The hardest fight toward the goal:
The prize being greatest when unyielding zest
Brings conquest to the anguished soul.
The weary traveller with head bowed down
Attains the heights, – the cross preceeds the crown.

A generous comrade plied the rod and line,
And played the game as sportsman ought.
So very deferential he and fine –
When but a single fish he caught.
Imperative and firm was his insistence
It MUST be mine; – futile my resistance.

Petite maiden, enthroned in the hills,
Didst hear the “Songs of Araby”,
And many another song, that throbs and thrills
I sang thee; or some soft lullaby?
You must have heard – you or your alter ego:
To me there came a sweet accompanying echo.
We saw thee, dear, distressed – under the lash –
They fair face fretted by the storm:
For lightning’s lurid flash, and thunder’s crash
That shook our shelter, charmed thy form.
A golden dawn eclipsed the storm scene:
You smiled again – sublimely and serene!

Farewell thou sweet oasis, and adieu!
Till kindly providence our trysts renew.
May God and courtesy of men keep thee
From fashion’s rude parade for ever free;
Secure in thy supreme beatitude,
That they who prize thy sacred solitude
May prove their love, woo thee, and win thy smiles
By pilgrimage through intervening miles.
Ivanhoe

Wishing everyone the best of the holiday season and all the best in the coming year. My New Year’s resolution will be to update this blog on a more regular basis!

Photo: A group of hikers at Eva Lake in 1918. From the Earle Dickey collection.

Politics in Revelstoke 100 years ago

There seemed to be a lot of talk this year about the need for change in the city government, but our mayor won by acclamation, and the four incumbent councillors who were running all won their seats. There is definitely a precedent for this. One hundred years ago, municipal elections were held annually in January. In 1911, there was a lot of criticism of the city council, to the point that the mayor, Dr. J.H. Hamilton, felt compelled to write a letter to the editor of the Mail-Herald newspaper:

“Mayor’s Message: Think It Over – Statement by Mayor Hamilton: Revelstoke is on the eve of prosperity. The city is in a most enviable position. Let us forget petty differences and all boost for the city. Don’t knock those who are doing the best they can for the city, but help them along. This city has been so mixed up with petty strife that any man offering himself for public office might as well get out of the city. We all have our homes here and should pull together to make the city second to none in the Dominion.”

Whether the Mayor’s letter had the desired effect, or whether the rest of the citizens were afraid to put their names forward, the entire council that year was elected by acclamation, for the first time since Revelstoke was incorporated in 1899. One of the aldermen, Ed Trimble, resigned, because he had not formally accepted the nomination, and it was well into February before his seat was filled.

Alderman Hector McKinnon was determined that the city would find ways to cut expenditures and even suggested that the city could save $96 each year by cutting private phones to the City Cleark’s home and the Fire Chief’s home. Alderman McKinnon’s methods were popular with the public, because he was voted in as alderman each year until 1914, when he successfully ran for Mayor. McKinnon ran for Mayor 11 times; he was acclaimed five times; won five times and was defeated only once. Hector McKinnon was a popular and eloquent Mayor who presided over many important events, including the visits of the Prince of Wales in 1919 and 1927. Hector McKinnon ran a pool hall and cigar store in the building that now houses the Nickelodeon Museum and also ran Standard Dairy on land below where Downie Sawmills now stands. McKinnon tragically lost his life in a barn fire in 1929.

There was concern this year that less than 35% of the voters bothered to come out to the polls. Our forebears were definitely better in this regard, as most elections saw over 90% voter turnout. In one election in the 1920s only six eligible voters failed to cast their vote.