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The Revelstoke Museum and Archives Association turned 50 years old on November 23, 2008. For an entire year, we will be celebrating this occasion with a series of special events and programs. Our kick-off for our Golden Anniversary celebrations will begin on Friday, November 28th at 7:00 pm during Moonlight Madness. Join us for cake and tea and special displays and presentations. And while you're there, check out our new Gift Shop.
When the Association was formed in the B.C. Centennial year of 1958, there was an awareness that, although the community was relatively young, the history was already starting to be forgotten. Thanks to the foresight of local citizens such as Ruby Nobbs, Dr. Hugh McKay, Estelle Dickey, George Laforme and others, much of our history has been preserved for future generations. The first museum was opened in 1963, in the basement of the former Health Unit building, and in 1974, the collection was moved into our current location, the 1926 Post Office building. Since then, our collection has grown to over 5,000 artifacts, over 5,000 photographs, and dozens of boxes of archival material. We invite you to come in and experience our rich and colourful history.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
All the News that's Fit to Print
This was the title of the last Brown Bag History presentation. We looked at the history of newspapers in Revelstoke. The first newspaper published in Revelstoke was The Kootenay Star, and it made its appearance on June 22, 1889. The museum has an original copy of the first edition and it is in remarkably good condition. We also have microfilm copies of most of the Revelstoke newspapers published between 1890 and 1964, as well as some hard copies of more recent newspapers, particularly the Revelstoke Herald of the 1970s and 1980s and the Revelstoke Unique from the 1990s.
My favourite local newspaper was the Observer, published between December of 1908 and August of 1909. The editor was E.A. Haggen, who also worked as a Mining Engineer, a Stock Broker, a Real Estate Agent, and an Insurance Agent. His ads for his other businesses were prominent throughout his paper, and some of the articles were also thinly-disguised advertising for himself. Haggen also used the paper to carry out some of his personal battles with other citizens, especially local lawyer George McCarter, and the local police commissioner and MLA. The paper thinly skirted the edges of libel, and sometimes crossed over the line, but it makes for entertaining reading.
The Observer published this rather lofty motto as its reason for being:
For the cause that lacks assistance;
For the wrong that needs resistance;
For the future in the distance;
And the good that we can do.
The first issue of the Observer featured a bit of local humour:
A Careful Man: “Have you noticed,” asked a neighbour, “that Mackenzie avenue sidewalks are laid so that there is a slant toward the curbstone? If you have not thought of it, there is a man in Revelstoke who has, and to save shoeleather he walks on different sides of the street on alternate days to make sure that his shoes will be worn off evenly.”
The newspapers are available for anyone looking for information from the past, or if you're just looking for an entertaining way to pass the time.
My favourite local newspaper was the Observer, published between December of 1908 and August of 1909. The editor was E.A. Haggen, who also worked as a Mining Engineer, a Stock Broker, a Real Estate Agent, and an Insurance Agent. His ads for his other businesses were prominent throughout his paper, and some of the articles were also thinly-disguised advertising for himself. Haggen also used the paper to carry out some of his personal battles with other citizens, especially local lawyer George McCarter, and the local police commissioner and MLA. The paper thinly skirted the edges of libel, and sometimes crossed over the line, but it makes for entertaining reading.
The Observer published this rather lofty motto as its reason for being:
For the cause that lacks assistance;
For the wrong that needs resistance;
For the future in the distance;
And the good that we can do.
The first issue of the Observer featured a bit of local humour:
A Careful Man: “Have you noticed,” asked a neighbour, “that Mackenzie avenue sidewalks are laid so that there is a slant toward the curbstone? If you have not thought of it, there is a man in Revelstoke who has, and to save shoeleather he walks on different sides of the street on alternate days to make sure that his shoes will be worn off evenly.”
The newspapers are available for anyone looking for information from the past, or if you're just looking for an entertaining way to pass the time.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
FYI ~ The Revelstoke Museum & Archives is currently hosting the Free Spirit Conservation Tour - a travelling exhibit by the Royal BC Museum & BC Hydro. It will run until Saturday, October 24th at 2pm. Along with the exhibit, we are privilaged to have a guest curator share his knowledge with two free public lectures:
1.Dr. Ken Marr (botany curator) will be giving a free public lecture at the Community Centre Thursday, October 23rd entitled "Did Parts of Northern BC Miss the Last Ice Age?"
2.Dr. Ken Marr will be holding a flower pressing/identification demonstration Friday, October 24th at 10am at the Revelstoke Museum & Archives.
~ The Museum will be open to the public extended hours -
1.Dr. Ken Marr (botany curator) will be giving a free public lecture at the Community Centre Thursday, October 23rd entitled "Did Parts of Northern BC Miss the Last Ice Age?"
2.Dr. Ken Marr will be holding a flower pressing/identification demonstration Friday, October 24th at 10am at the Revelstoke Museum & Archives.
~ The Museum will be open to the public extended hours -
- Wed, Oct 22nd 2:30pm-5:00pm
- Thurs, Oct 23rd 2:30pm-8:30pm
- Fri, Oct 24th, 9:00am-8:30pm
- Sat, Oct 25th, 9am-2pm
Questions??? Give us a call - 250-837-3067
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Celebrate BC's past and help sustain its future.
The Free Spirit Conservation Tour is coming to Revelstoke Museum & Archives October 22 - 25, 2008
Open to the public:
Wed., Oct. 22: 2:30 pm to 5 pm
Thurs., Oct. 23: 2:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Fri., Oct. 24: 9:00 am to 8:30 pm
Sat., Oct. 25: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Admission: Adults: $4.00 Seniors $3.00 Children and youth (under 18) free
This one-of-a-kind travelling exhibition combines elements from Free Spirit: Stories of You, Me and BC, regional content, interpretive theatre, and a conservation theme into an interactive and educational experience that will appeal to adults and youth of all ages.
A Royal BC Museum and BC Hydro Project
Other Free Spirit Conservation Tour Events:
Did Parts of Northern BC Miss the Last Ice Age?
Learn about collecting plants in the alpine of northern British Columbia and what analyzing their DNA tells us about the last ice age.
Please join Botany Curator Dr. Ken Marr from the Royal BC Museum on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 7:00 pm at Revelstoke Community Centre. Free Admission.
Pressing Flowers & Plants, and Basic Plant Identification
http://www.freespiritbc.ca/conservationtour/Learn techniques for pressing plant materials, and identification of common B.C. plant families at a special workshop led by Botany Curator Dr. Ken Marr from the Royal B.C. Museum on Friday, October 24, 2008 at Revelstoke Museum & Archives, upstairs, at 10:00 am. Free Admission.
The Free Spirit Conservation Tour is coming to Revelstoke Museum & Archives October 22 - 25, 2008
Open to the public:
Wed., Oct. 22: 2:30 pm to 5 pm
Thurs., Oct. 23: 2:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Fri., Oct. 24: 9:00 am to 8:30 pm
Sat., Oct. 25: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Admission: Adults: $4.00 Seniors $3.00 Children and youth (under 18) free
This one-of-a-kind travelling exhibition combines elements from Free Spirit: Stories of You, Me and BC, regional content, interpretive theatre, and a conservation theme into an interactive and educational experience that will appeal to adults and youth of all ages.
A Royal BC Museum and BC Hydro Project
Other Free Spirit Conservation Tour Events:
Did Parts of Northern BC Miss the Last Ice Age?
Learn about collecting plants in the alpine of northern British Columbia and what analyzing their DNA tells us about the last ice age.
Please join Botany Curator Dr. Ken Marr from the Royal BC Museum on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 7:00 pm at Revelstoke Community Centre. Free Admission.
Pressing Flowers & Plants, and Basic Plant Identification
http://www.freespiritbc.ca/conservationtour/Learn techniques for pressing plant materials, and identification of common B.C. plant families at a special workshop led by Botany Curator Dr. Ken Marr from the Royal B.C. Museum on Friday, October 24, 2008 at Revelstoke Museum & Archives, upstairs, at 10:00 am. Free Admission.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
"A Taste of Elegance" Cookbook
Our Heritage Cookbook, "A Taste of Elegance" is here at last! This was a special 50th Anniversary Project of Revelstoke Museum & Archives Association, and features over 500 recipes from past and present residents of Revelstoke. The cookbook also includes several heritage photographs and historic facts about Revelstoke. It will make a wonderful present! Copies are available at the Museum for $19.95. We have a limited number, so purchase yours soon! Call the Museum at 250-837-3067 to reserve your copy.
To celebrate our 50th Anniversary, we also embarked upon an endowment fund project. Our goal is to raise $10,000 before the end of December of this year. If we reach our goal, we will be eligible for matching funding through the Vancouver Foundation. If you wish to make a donation, please contact us, or simply send it to: Revelstoke Museum & Archives, P.O. Box 1908, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0.
We now have the opening date set for our Exhibit "Little But Not Forgotten - Revelstoke and the Boer War." It will open at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 11th. Everyone is welcome to attend this event. Jen Busch, curator for the exhibit, will present a short slide show on the amazing information she found on this topic.
To celebrate our 50th Anniversary, we also embarked upon an endowment fund project. Our goal is to raise $10,000 before the end of December of this year. If we reach our goal, we will be eligible for matching funding through the Vancouver Foundation. If you wish to make a donation, please contact us, or simply send it to: Revelstoke Museum & Archives, P.O. Box 1908, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0.
We now have the opening date set for our Exhibit "Little But Not Forgotten - Revelstoke and the Boer War." It will open at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 11th. Everyone is welcome to attend this event. Jen Busch, curator for the exhibit, will present a short slide show on the amazing information she found on this topic.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
"Canada's Little War" - Our latest project!
So, all my little heritage explorers have headed back to school for the fall. This marks the end of our summer children’s program and the beginning of a new project for me!
In the spring, the museum was given a complete Boer War uniform that belonged to a young man who enlisted here in Revelstoke. Most would be surprised to learn that nearly fifty men enlisted for the Boer War in Revelstoke between 1900 and 1902. These men served in five separate units – the Canadian Mounted Rifles (2nd, 5th and 6th Regiments), Lord Strathcona’s Horse and the South African Constabulary. Two of these men never returned to Canada – they were killed in action.
Often called “Canada’s Little War,” the Boer War, although much smaller when compared to later wars, was the first time Canadians were sent overseas to represent the young nation of Canada. Many of these men went on to serve in the First World War as well.
The particular uniform that we’ve so generously been given belonged to Walter James Dunne of the South African Constabulary. Walter was a still just a boy, a mere seventeen, when he enlisted here on February 27, 1901. He served overseas for just under two years, during which time he was taken prisoner-of-war, stripped naked and left to find his way across the South African veldt.
Walter went on to become the first settler at Blind Bay where he successfully raised a family on his homestead. He served in the Vosges Mountains in France during World War One (in the Canadian Forestry Corps) and he joined the Pacific Coast Militia during World War Two. Walter died peacefully at in 1964. His daughter, Mrs. Phyllis Parkes still spends her summers on the original family property on the lake at Blind Bay. There, on Dunne Road, the cabins that Walter built in the 1920’s still stand, almost as a testament to the life of their creator.
The Boer War exhibit is set to open at the end of September. It will highlight the efforts and the sacrifices of the young men from this area who served in this “little” war. As the Dunne family lived in Revelstoke for numerous years, this exhibit will also provide some insight into their time here.
Stay tuned for the official opening date!
Thanks,
Jen Busch
-Research assistant
In the spring, the museum was given a complete Boer War uniform that belonged to a young man who enlisted here in Revelstoke. Most would be surprised to learn that nearly fifty men enlisted for the Boer War in Revelstoke between 1900 and 1902. These men served in five separate units – the Canadian Mounted Rifles (2nd, 5th and 6th Regiments), Lord Strathcona’s Horse and the South African Constabulary. Two of these men never returned to Canada – they were killed in action.
Often called “Canada’s Little War,” the Boer War, although much smaller when compared to later wars, was the first time Canadians were sent overseas to represent the young nation of Canada. Many of these men went on to serve in the First World War as well.
The particular uniform that we’ve so generously been given belonged to Walter James Dunne of the South African Constabulary. Walter was a still just a boy, a mere seventeen, when he enlisted here on February 27, 1901. He served overseas for just under two years, during which time he was taken prisoner-of-war, stripped naked and left to find his way across the South African veldt.
Walter went on to become the first settler at Blind Bay where he successfully raised a family on his homestead. He served in the Vosges Mountains in France during World War One (in the Canadian Forestry Corps) and he joined the Pacific Coast Militia during World War Two. Walter died peacefully at in 1964. His daughter, Mrs. Phyllis Parkes still spends her summers on the original family property on the lake at Blind Bay. There, on Dunne Road, the cabins that Walter built in the 1920’s still stand, almost as a testament to the life of their creator.
The Boer War exhibit is set to open at the end of September. It will highlight the efforts and the sacrifices of the young men from this area who served in this “little” war. As the Dunne family lived in Revelstoke for numerous years, this exhibit will also provide some insight into their time here.
Stay tuned for the official opening date!
Thanks,
Jen Busch
-Research assistant
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
River of Light
Next Monday evening, September 8, the Museum will be hosting a talk entitled "River of Light: The Canadian Columbia before the Treaty" by William D. Layman
William Layman’s work for the past twenty-five years has focused on helping people remember the magnificence of the Columbia River prior to the enormous changes brought about by hydro-development. His award winning exhibit and book River of Memory: The Everlasting Columbia show a river bounding toward the sea with a character that places it as being one of the world’s great waterways.
In this presentation, Mr. Layman looks to the more recent past of the river’s ever flowing story. While touching upon earlier eras of the river’s history, greater attention will be paid to the Columbia as a partially developed river just prior to the signing and ratification of the Columbia River Treaty. Mr. Layman highlights this era by showing a recently discovered set of color slides taken in 1961 and 1962 that were photographed by Wenatchee fire chief T.A. Weaver whose aerial survey documented most all of the river. Over one hundred of these views show the Canadian Columbia as it was prior to Hugh Keenleyside, Revelstoke and Mica dams.
Mr. Layman has been working over the summer to rephotograph many of Weaver’s aerial views and to compare maps showing the old river channels with more recent maps that show the river’s present day boundaries. By placing current views alongside the old, it becomes possible to immediately see the dramatic impact of the great changes along the river, particularly in the places behind Revelstoke and Mica dams.
Mr. Layman holds a strong interest not only in the history of the river, but also in the current place the Columbia has in people’s lives and hearts. In his previous presentations up and down the Columbia, Layman has found that people along each section of river have special moments and places along the Columbia that carry very specific and important meanings to themselves, their friends and families. He reflects, “In speaking with people who traveled the old Big Bend Highway or who visited old Kinbasket Lake, I have been amazed at how people remember their trips so vividly. In another two generations, those who hold living memory of the river before the dams will have passed on.”
Time will be given to inviting members of the audience to share personal stories, memories and experiences of the river. Mr. Layman’s hope is that by gathering and listening to these stories, they will become folded into the greater narrative that documents changes along the river brought about by the river’s hydro developments as well as the Columbia River Treaty.
The talk will take place at Revelstoke Museum & Archives, 315 First Street West on Monday, September 8th at 7:30 pm. For more information, call the museum at 250-837-3067.
William Layman’s work for the past twenty-five years has focused on helping people remember the magnificence of the Columbia River prior to the enormous changes brought about by hydro-development. His award winning exhibit and book River of Memory: The Everlasting Columbia show a river bounding toward the sea with a character that places it as being one of the world’s great waterways.
In this presentation, Mr. Layman looks to the more recent past of the river’s ever flowing story. While touching upon earlier eras of the river’s history, greater attention will be paid to the Columbia as a partially developed river just prior to the signing and ratification of the Columbia River Treaty. Mr. Layman highlights this era by showing a recently discovered set of color slides taken in 1961 and 1962 that were photographed by Wenatchee fire chief T.A. Weaver whose aerial survey documented most all of the river. Over one hundred of these views show the Canadian Columbia as it was prior to Hugh Keenleyside, Revelstoke and Mica dams.
Mr. Layman has been working over the summer to rephotograph many of Weaver’s aerial views and to compare maps showing the old river channels with more recent maps that show the river’s present day boundaries. By placing current views alongside the old, it becomes possible to immediately see the dramatic impact of the great changes along the river, particularly in the places behind Revelstoke and Mica dams.
Mr. Layman holds a strong interest not only in the history of the river, but also in the current place the Columbia has in people’s lives and hearts. In his previous presentations up and down the Columbia, Layman has found that people along each section of river have special moments and places along the Columbia that carry very specific and important meanings to themselves, their friends and families. He reflects, “In speaking with people who traveled the old Big Bend Highway or who visited old Kinbasket Lake, I have been amazed at how people remember their trips so vividly. In another two generations, those who hold living memory of the river before the dams will have passed on.”
Time will be given to inviting members of the audience to share personal stories, memories and experiences of the river. Mr. Layman’s hope is that by gathering and listening to these stories, they will become folded into the greater narrative that documents changes along the river brought about by the river’s hydro developments as well as the Columbia River Treaty.
The talk will take place at Revelstoke Museum & Archives, 315 First Street West on Monday, September 8th at 7:30 pm. For more information, call the museum at 250-837-3067.
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