.jpg)
I was on holiday last week and we went to Victoria to see the exhibit "Treasures - The World's Cultures from the British Museum" at the Royal BC Museum. I highly recommend a visit to see it. It will be showing until the end of September. We also saw the "Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art" exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery and I also recommend a visit to that exhibit, as well as the Emily Carr and Jack Shadbolt exhibit at the same gallery.
I'll get right back into the swing of things this week with Railway Days. Our schedule is posted in the blog just prior to this one. Please note that the Cemetery Walk on Tuesday is at 7:00 pm, not at 2:00 pm as printed in the Times Review.
This cemetery walk will deal more with railway employees and railway related accidents. One incident involved the explosion of the boiler of engine 5759 in July of 1918. CPR Fireman William Phillips died while he was servicing the engine, which exploded due to a lack of water in the boiler. The coroner's jury into Mr. Phillips death determined that the gauge on the boiler was not operating correctly and did not show that the boiler was short of water. The explosion lifted the whole upper structure of the locomotive into the air, and it turned in a complete somersault and became reversed, landing about 100 feet away in the opposite direction. The impact of the landing caused the engine to bury itself partially into the roadbed. The drive wheels of the locomotive and the tender remained on the rails. The cab of the locomotive was blown over 200 feet away and embedded itself into the side of a storage building. The body of Mr. Phillips was found about 75 feet away, wedged under the drive wheels of a locomotive on an adjacent track.
There are certainly many sad stories associated with the railway, but the early railway workers knew that the job came with many hazards. During the cemetery walk, I will tell the sad stories, but also talk about the bravery and dedication of the railway workers on the Mountain Division.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Railway Days
The Annual Railway Days Community Festival is coming up soon, and Revelstoke Museum and Archives will be participating with a few events:
Monday, August 17th at 2:00 pm, there will be a downtown walking tour, beginning at the museum. Find out about the history of the downtown and some of the beautiful heritage buildings. The tour will take about an hour and a half and costs $5 per person.
Tuesday, August 18 at 7:00 pm, there will be a Cemetery Tour at 7:00 pm. Meet at the Cemetery Gates or call the museum at 250-837-3067 for a ride. The cost is $5 per person. This special cemetery tour will focus on railway employees and railway related accidents, and takes about one and a half hours.
Thursday, August 20, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm, our weekly Heritage Explorers Children's Program will have a look at railway history with crafts, games and activities. This program is suitable for ages 5 to 12. Pre-registration is required.
Our annual Beer and Wings event will be held on Friday, August 21st from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Chef Ron Kwong will serve up his famous wings, paired with beer from Mt. Begbie Brewing Company. This event is $25 per person.
We'll see you during Railway Days!
Monday, August 17th at 2:00 pm, there will be a downtown walking tour, beginning at the museum. Find out about the history of the downtown and some of the beautiful heritage buildings. The tour will take about an hour and a half and costs $5 per person.
Tuesday, August 18 at 7:00 pm, there will be a Cemetery Tour at 7:00 pm. Meet at the Cemetery Gates or call the museum at 250-837-3067 for a ride. The cost is $5 per person. This special cemetery tour will focus on railway employees and railway related accidents, and takes about one and a half hours.
Thursday, August 20, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm, our weekly Heritage Explorers Children's Program will have a look at railway history with crafts, games and activities. This program is suitable for ages 5 to 12. Pre-registration is required.
Our annual Beer and Wings event will be held on Friday, August 21st from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Chef Ron Kwong will serve up his famous wings, paired with beer from Mt. Begbie Brewing Company. This event is $25 per person.
We'll see you during Railway Days!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Interesting Tidbits
While reading 1923 newspapers yesterday, I came across a couple of interesting items. The first was a small personal item in the June 19, 1923 issue of the Revelstoke Review:
"NOTICE: Should my wife, Beatrice, be in Revelstoke, I again ask her to return. I have rented a nice, furnished apartment at the Waldorf. Private bath; Simmonds mattress - just what was wanted. - Jack"
I wasn't sure whether it was really a personal ad, or just a clever advertisement from the owner of the Waldorf apartment block which was located on Second Street East, where Beruschi Park is now.
The other interesting item I found was about the trial of Elsie Simmons (alias Alice Langford), Dong Wing and Harry Greenwood (alias "Sticks") for attempted murder. The previous year, the home of local "madam" Connie Smith had been dynamited. It appeared that Miss Dolly West, a prostitute at Elsie Simmon's "House of Illl-Repute" had moved to Connie's house, and in retaliation, Elsie had arranged for Dong Wing and Harry Greenwood to dynamite Connie's. There was still an active Red Light District in Revelstoke at that time, and this was just one incident relating to their activities. Around the same time as the dynamite incident, the local mayor had resigned his post and moved to New Westminster. He had started a campaign to close down the brothels, but conceded defeat when his children were threatened and an explosion was set off in the basement of his home.
After the trial in 1923, Alice Simmons, Harry Greenwood and Dong Wing were all sentenced to five years in the penitentiary.
"NOTICE: Should my wife, Beatrice, be in Revelstoke, I again ask her to return. I have rented a nice, furnished apartment at the Waldorf. Private bath; Simmonds mattress - just what was wanted. - Jack"
I wasn't sure whether it was really a personal ad, or just a clever advertisement from the owner of the Waldorf apartment block which was located on Second Street East, where Beruschi Park is now.
The other interesting item I found was about the trial of Elsie Simmons (alias Alice Langford), Dong Wing and Harry Greenwood (alias "Sticks") for attempted murder. The previous year, the home of local "madam" Connie Smith had been dynamited. It appeared that Miss Dolly West, a prostitute at Elsie Simmon's "House of Illl-Repute" had moved to Connie's house, and in retaliation, Elsie had arranged for Dong Wing and Harry Greenwood to dynamite Connie's. There was still an active Red Light District in Revelstoke at that time, and this was just one incident relating to their activities. Around the same time as the dynamite incident, the local mayor had resigned his post and moved to New Westminster. He had started a campaign to close down the brothels, but conceded defeat when his children were threatened and an explosion was set off in the basement of his home.
After the trial in 1923, Alice Simmons, Harry Greenwood and Dong Wing were all sentenced to five years in the penitentiary.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Cemetery Tours
Apparently, people really enjoy cemetery tours. So far this weekend, we have led 3 heritage cemetery tours, with a total of 145 people attending. I'll be leading another one tonight. The most popular tour was Friday night at 11:00 pm, with just over 100 people in attendance. That one was led by Jen Busch, and she couldn't believe the groups of people who kept arriving.
I have been leading heritage cemetery tours for about 20 years, and they have always been more popular than the city walking tours we offer. I think the reason for this is that when we are in the cemetery, we are focusing on people, not on buildings and dates. The cemetery is where we tell the stories of people's lives and who doesn't love a good story?
The story that I personally find most moving is that of Jennie. Her marker says, in English, "Jennie - Japanese" and also has some Japanese script, which thanks to my friends Tomo and Yuko has been mostly translated. It gives her age, 24, and the date of her death: April 19, 1905. Her last name could have been Kiohara, but we are not certain. We know that she was in Revelstoke by 1903, established in a brothel on Front Street, and that she was brutally murdered in 1905. Her murder was never solved. The newspaper of the day describes her wounds in detail, and also describes the weapon and much of the other evidence. There was obviously no such thing as a publication ban back then. Jennie had been most likely forced into prostitution at a young age, and then was reviled for her lifestyle. The newspaper account ends by saying that the Japanese community refused to assist the police because they said she was not worth hanging a man for. A very sad ending to what must have been a very sad life.
I have been leading heritage cemetery tours for about 20 years, and they have always been more popular than the city walking tours we offer. I think the reason for this is that when we are in the cemetery, we are focusing on people, not on buildings and dates. The cemetery is where we tell the stories of people's lives and who doesn't love a good story?
The story that I personally find most moving is that of Jennie. Her marker says, in English, "Jennie - Japanese" and also has some Japanese script, which thanks to my friends Tomo and Yuko has been mostly translated. It gives her age, 24, and the date of her death: April 19, 1905. Her last name could have been Kiohara, but we are not certain. We know that she was in Revelstoke by 1903, established in a brothel on Front Street, and that she was brutally murdered in 1905. Her murder was never solved. The newspaper of the day describes her wounds in detail, and also describes the weapon and much of the other evidence. There was obviously no such thing as a publication ban back then. Jennie had been most likely forced into prostitution at a young age, and then was reviled for her lifestyle. The newspaper account ends by saying that the Japanese community refused to assist the police because they said she was not worth hanging a man for. A very sad ending to what must have been a very sad life.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Homecoming at Last!
We are right in the thick of Homecoming Weekend. Things started off with a blast last night at the Dinner with Lord Revelstoke. It was a delightful evening, and everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Ann & Edna-Mae and the events committee outdid themselves, and made the Golf Clubhouse look fabulous. Lord Revelstoke was delightful and seems to be enjoying his visit to Revelstoke.
Today at the museum we had a lot of people come in to see our exhibits and check out the new cookbooks. Samples of some of the recipes were made by our volunteers and everyone seemed to be quite happy to do some taste testing.
Upstairs, we had a table full of memorabilia, including photo albums from Golden Spike Days, newspapers from the 1974 homecoming, high school annuals and many other items. These were enjoyed by many people and there was plenty of reminiscing going on.
We had good groups for our downtown walking tour and the Cemetery Tour. For tomorrow, we are going to cancel the afternoon walking tour and add another evening Cemetery Tour. They seem to be more popular. Tonight at 11:00 pm, Jen Busch will lead a Lantern Cemetery Tour. I'm hoping to be asleep long before then! I need to rest my feet, and my brain!
Today at the museum we had a lot of people come in to see our exhibits and check out the new cookbooks. Samples of some of the recipes were made by our volunteers and everyone seemed to be quite happy to do some taste testing.
Upstairs, we had a table full of memorabilia, including photo albums from Golden Spike Days, newspapers from the 1974 homecoming, high school annuals and many other items. These were enjoyed by many people and there was plenty of reminiscing going on.
We had good groups for our downtown walking tour and the Cemetery Tour. For tomorrow, we are going to cancel the afternoon walking tour and add another evening Cemetery Tour. They seem to be more popular. Tonight at 11:00 pm, Jen Busch will lead a Lantern Cemetery Tour. I'm hoping to be asleep long before then! I need to rest my feet, and my brain!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
1 Week Left!
Wow, everybody, it's one week until Homecoming! Have a look at the schedule: http://www.cityofrevelstoke.com/pdf/HomecomingBrochure.pdf There's something for everyone. The Dinner with Lord Revelstoke is just a few tickets shy of a sell-out, and it promises to be a marvelous event.
Don't miss our exhibit openings and Cookbook Launch at the Museum on Saturday, July 24 at 10:00 am. We will be opening three new exhibits: "From Farwell to Revelstoke", "The Photographs of Earle and Estelle Dickey" and "Manning's - A Revelstoke Tradition." The Manning's exhibit will look at the history of Manning's Candy Store, from the time it first opened in 1902 until the Kwong family took over the shop. We had hoped to have Manning's Chocolates available for sale, but unfortunately, it wasn't possible. Ron Kwong was not able to find a supplier who could produce the chocolates to the taste that everyone remembered and loved. However, we can still fondly remember Manning's through the new exhibit. Our museum Past President, Helen Grace, worked at Manning's during the Second World War and has wonderful memories of that time. She said that Mr. Manning would let his new employees eat all the chocolate they wanted, and after two or three days, no-one wanted another bite!
As well as these three major exhibits, there will be lots of changes to other exhibit area throughout the museum, so even if you've been in this year, there will be lots of new items to see.
The third cookbook arrived this week, so we will have two new books available for sale: "A Legacy of Country Dining" and "A Taste of Elegance - Second Helpings." Come in to pick up your book and try some tasty treats made from some of the recipes.
During the Homecoming weekend, we will also have photograph albums, high school annuals, newspapers and many other items to look at. We have prepared albums with photographs taken between the 1970s and the 1990s. You won't want to miss the chance to see your friends and neighbours wearing funny clothes and hairstyles!
We look forward to seeing you at Homecoming!
Don't miss our exhibit openings and Cookbook Launch at the Museum on Saturday, July 24 at 10:00 am. We will be opening three new exhibits: "From Farwell to Revelstoke", "The Photographs of Earle and Estelle Dickey" and "Manning's - A Revelstoke Tradition." The Manning's exhibit will look at the history of Manning's Candy Store, from the time it first opened in 1902 until the Kwong family took over the shop. We had hoped to have Manning's Chocolates available for sale, but unfortunately, it wasn't possible. Ron Kwong was not able to find a supplier who could produce the chocolates to the taste that everyone remembered and loved. However, we can still fondly remember Manning's through the new exhibit. Our museum Past President, Helen Grace, worked at Manning's during the Second World War and has wonderful memories of that time. She said that Mr. Manning would let his new employees eat all the chocolate they wanted, and after two or three days, no-one wanted another bite!
As well as these three major exhibits, there will be lots of changes to other exhibit area throughout the museum, so even if you've been in this year, there will be lots of new items to see.
The third cookbook arrived this week, so we will have two new books available for sale: "A Legacy of Country Dining" and "A Taste of Elegance - Second Helpings." Come in to pick up your book and try some tasty treats made from some of the recipes.
During the Homecoming weekend, we will also have photograph albums, high school annuals, newspapers and many other items to look at. We have prepared albums with photographs taken between the 1970s and the 1990s. You won't want to miss the chance to see your friends and neighbours wearing funny clothes and hairstyles!
We look forward to seeing you at Homecoming!
Monday, July 13, 2009
We ventured out on the highway last weekend to travel to Vernon, and I was disgusted by the rudeness of some travelers. We were travelling at the speed limit, and twice we were fingered by passengers in cars passing us on double solid lines. The heavy traffic and the ever-present feeling that we were putting our lives at risk made me think about the first highway that was built between Revelstoke and Sicamous. After almost two years of work, the highway was officially opened at Malakwa on August 17, 1922.
The Revelstoke Review had a great deal of news about the special opening ceremony. The paper noted that Harry Bews of Revelstoke had lined up 40 auto drivers for the trip on the new road, “which is without exception the best, prettiest and most scenic drive in the interior of BC. And it is in the pink of condition, with the stones raked off, and level as a floor. The paper continued: “Major Kay Alexander deserves much credit for the way in which he has pushed the work ahead in readiness for the opening. Last Sunday he, together with four others motored out as far as Taft, planting signs ‘Slow’ around some of the corners and erecting painted signs at the various lakes en route, namely, ‘Griffin,’ ‘Victor,’ ‘Summit,’ ‘Three Valley’ and at ‘Alexander Falls’ (now known as Kay Falls,) the latter named after the genial major, who has taken a great personal interest in the falls, and is spending private means to enhance their beauty.” It was estimated that over 800 people attended the ceremony, which included ice cream and other refreshments as well as endless speeches.
Less than one month after the new highway opened, the first fatal accident occurred. Donald Adams of Revelstoke went off the road at Summit Lake and his car plunged into the lake. Two of his passengers were killed in the accident. One of them was Isabelle Steed, his fiancee’s mother, and the other was Miss Lister, Matron of Queen Victoria Hospital. Mr. Adams was cited for driving too fast around the twisty lake road.
The Revelstoke Review had a great deal of news about the special opening ceremony. The paper noted that Harry Bews of Revelstoke had lined up 40 auto drivers for the trip on the new road, “which is without exception the best, prettiest and most scenic drive in the interior of BC. And it is in the pink of condition, with the stones raked off, and level as a floor. The paper continued: “Major Kay Alexander deserves much credit for the way in which he has pushed the work ahead in readiness for the opening. Last Sunday he, together with four others motored out as far as Taft, planting signs ‘Slow’ around some of the corners and erecting painted signs at the various lakes en route, namely, ‘Griffin,’ ‘Victor,’ ‘Summit,’ ‘Three Valley’ and at ‘Alexander Falls’ (now known as Kay Falls,) the latter named after the genial major, who has taken a great personal interest in the falls, and is spending private means to enhance their beauty.” It was estimated that over 800 people attended the ceremony, which included ice cream and other refreshments as well as endless speeches.
Less than one month after the new highway opened, the first fatal accident occurred. Donald Adams of Revelstoke went off the road at Summit Lake and his car plunged into the lake. Two of his passengers were killed in the accident. One of them was Isabelle Steed, his fiancee’s mother, and the other was Miss Lister, Matron of Queen Victoria Hospital. Mr. Adams was cited for driving too fast around the twisty lake road.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
