A full century later and Chronicles readers will relate to the lead story in The Leader of this date: CONDEMN “SALARY GRAB:” Big Meeting Carries Pledge Not To Vote For Member Unless Measure Repealed
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One of my favourite pioneer storytellers, D.W. Higgins, whom we’ve met before in the Chronicles, wrote two books during his retirement. Both were based upon a series of articles he’d written for the Daily Colonist about his 40-year career as a journalist and newspaper editor during the province’s eventful founding. In the latter book, published in1905, he tells a fascinating tale of a brutal robbery and murder in B.C.’s Cariboo gold fields.
Read MoreCan’t remember if I already told you about this one but...there are some great new B.C. historical websites out there; in fact, they seem to springing up like mushrooms. The latest, on my radar at least, is Daryl Ashby’s Vancouver Island – Early History Group on Facebook. In the past week he has touched on two subjects of particular interest to me, Nanaimo’s Pioneer Cemetery and the No. 1 Mine disaster, Canada’s second worst colliery catastrophe. I’ve been researching the latter for 20 years
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As I explained last week, every blue moon the Mountain comes to Mohammed. By which I mean that a story, fully researched, comes to me. Such is this week’s tale by Robin Garratt of England. In 2010, by which time he and his wife were in their 70s, they visited the Cowichan Valley for two weeks. Robin wanted to learn more about his maternal grandparents’ brief employment at Hill Farm in Cobble Hill just prior to the First World War.
Read MoreYou know it was a different world a century ago when the big news story of the day is the King’s Daughters’ 15th Annual Flower Show. I’m sure you’ll forgive me if I skip over this one other than to report that entries were down because of a poor spring growing season. Despite that, exhibitors were able to fill seven tables in competition for the Cowichan Leader Challenge Cup.
Read MoreBusiness for North Cowichan Council was described as “light” in this week’s Leader. Road superintendent H.R. Punnett reported that the Municipality’s two new trucks were working out well, hauling 1 1/2 tons per load at a cost of 25-38 cents per yard of gravel. They were making nine miles to the gallon on each roundtrip.
Read MoreTwo heritage-related stories in the news this week—one with a happy future, the other on life support...
I’ve been telling you of the ongoing campaign to save the historic 1916 CNR station house in Hope which, despite having heritage designation and despite the protests of many Hope and B.C. residents, has been consigned to demolition by the District of Hope.
There's some confusion as to whether J.H.S. 'Sam' Matson actually built this large Cobble Hill farm house in 1908 or whether a French Canadian named Gravelle already had a house on the site. It's more credible that Matson, a wealthy Victoria newspaper publisher and businessman, engaged a Chinese crew to build a residence here in 1914. Did he have it designed by the renowned Victoria architect Sam Maclure? That's another mystery for heritage buffs.
Read MoreJust finished Maria Tippett’s excellent biography of Emily Carr. I still have a problem with Emily’s later, more impressionistic work but I certainly have come to know her a little better as a gifted artist and as a woman.
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Before getting down to things that go bump in the night I must introduce you to Hudson’s Bay. Co. fur trader John Tod. Not only was he one of a kind but so is this unique description of him by the gilt-penned historian Hubert Bancroft.
Read MoreJournalism has certainly changed in a century. Today this story would top the front page with a full-width, blaring headline; in 1921 it’s one of the smallest items (just five paragraphs) on the page and almost buried in the middle of columns of type.
Read MoreI had begun to despair that Ladysmith would ever get off the pot but, at last, I’m happy to see that restoration of the old Crown Zellerbach No.11 locomotive is well in hand, perhaps even finished. All done by volunteers, I gather. When will governments of all levels ever learn that our history is a public trust, and accept that they have the responsibility of caring for it? Instead, they’re forever crying poverty and foisting the work and most of the expense off on taxpaying volunteers who, fortunately for future generations, do value their heritage enough to want to do something to save it. That’s my gripe for today.
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As I admitted in last week’s promo, I ‘borrowed’ this great title from authors and historians Ian Baird and Peter Smith. Several years ago they coined it for their ‘hiking and biking’ guide book to abandoned railways on southern Vancouver Island. These included the two major former railway grades in the Cowichan Valley which are now the Cowichan Valley and the Trans Canada Trails, formerly the E&N Railway extension from Duncan to Lake Cowichan, and the Canadian National Railways mainline from Sooke to Lake Cowichan.
Read MoreAlmost the entire front page of the April, 1921 edition of The Leader is dedicated to WAR MEMORIAL GIFT WEEK, the fundraising drive to erect a Cenotaph in Duncan and a memorial on Mount Prevost. Two and a-half years after Armistice, the Cowichan Electoral District War Memorial Committee was determined to honour the Valley’s war dead.
Read MoreLots happening, some of it good, some of it not so good, on the museum front these days. COVID has obviously put a damper on public attendance at most museums. To cite but one, the B.C. Forest Discovery Centre has had to cancel its popular Easter Hunt and train rides, both of which drew mass attendance and income from admission fees.
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In my promo for this week’s post on what is today’s Pioneer Square in Victoria, I lamented that cemeteries are supposed to be hallowed ground and treated with due respect—meaning that the graves and headstones are kept up, in effect, for all time. But, as I sorrowfully pointed out, such isn’t always the case and what originally was the Quadra Street burying ground, or cemetery, home to some of Victoria’s earliest and most historically significant pioneers, is now treated and used as a park.
Read MorePhotographs were still new to The Leader in 1921 so the March 31st issue is unusual in that it has two pictures on its front page, both of St. Andrew’s Church, Cowichan Station. At the top of the page is a close-up of the just unveiled memorial window honouring the church’s 13 war dead. Thanks in part to glorious spring weather, Cowichan churches celebrating Easter services had been well attended and the “ladies” were commended for their efforts in decorating the various churches with seasonal flowers and greenery.
Read MoreLast week I told you that Hope Council has decided to have that Fraser River community’s second oldest building, the ca 1916 Canadian National Railways station house, demolished. Even though it’s said to be structurally sound and was given heritage designation 40 years ago.
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I’m taking this long to tell the story of George Cruickshank being charged with stealing $5000 in American gold pieces from the safe of the bank where he was employed as accountant because of the story’s curious twists.
Read MoreThis is going to be an abbreviated front page of The Leader for this week. Fully one-third of the page is dedicated to THE POULTRY SITUATION, a matter of great concern to many Valley residents when most of them lived on small acreages and even those who lived in town kept chickens.
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