MUSEUM NEWSSeptember/October

Museum Summer Hours

7 Days a week 10am-6pm

or by appointment250-295-7588

Princeton & District Museum & ArchivesOUR BOARD

Honorary President – Evelyn McCallumPresident – Rika Ruebsaat

Vice President – Tip AndersonSecretary – Marjorie Holland

Treasurer – Martin HoughDirectors – Jon Bartlett, Kathy Clement, Ken

Heuser, Terry Malanchuk, Lori Weissbach

MEMBERS & VOLUNTEERS Have you ever thought that you’d like to get involved in something but weren’t sure what? Do you have a local history itch but aren’t sure how to scratch it? If this is true of you we’d love to hear from you. The Princeton and District Museum and Archives is a non-profit society with membership and an elected volunteer board. We love welcoming new members to join us in our passion for history. When you become a member you automatically receive this newsletter. To join us, all you have to do is drop by the Museum during opening hours and sign up. It’s only $12 per year. You can also join by contacting us either by email or phone. We would be delighted if you were interested in volunteering at the Museum. There are lots of ways to get involved: you could be a host welcoming visitors to the Museum; you could help out at special events or help to organize stuff in the basement. Don’t worry if you’re unsure of your knowledge or skills; the Museum Manager or members of the board will be happy to orient you and show you how you can help.

princetonmuseum.org

O p e n 7 d a y s a w e e k 1 0 a m - 6 p mT E L E P H O N E250-295-7588

Message from the President After a very successful summer with lots of visitors to our Museum things are quiet for the winter season. Our opening hours are, of course, considerably reduced during the off season. They will, unfortunately, be reduced even further if we don’t get more volunteers. During the tourist season our summer students ensure that we are open seven days a week. Until now Kathy Clement, our volunteer coordinator, has done a stellar job in keeping the Museum open during the winter (Thanks a million, Kathy!). Health concerns are causing her to slow down such that we now sometimes have to close when we should be open. We need more volunteers to ensure that our world-class Museum can be enjoyed by the public. If you would like to help out, please contact our Museum manager, Robin Irwin at 250-295-7588.

The Princeton Museum, 167 Vermilion Avenue Princeton BC | 250-295-7588 | princetonmuseum.org

Message from the EditorsWhile looking through past copies of the Similkameen Star

newspaper in the Princeton Archives we came across an item in the 29 April 1950 edition of the paper called “Chronological Story Of

Similkameen’s Progress: It Happened When? – You’ll Find It Here.”

It begins in 1579 with Drake sighting the BC coast on his travels and ends almost 400 years later in 1950 when the auditorium/

gymnasium opened in Princeton. The chronology deals with all the events that the editors thought relevant including the founding of the

Hudson’s Bay Company, the Cariboo Gold Rush and the founding of

British Columbia. We thought 21st century Princetonites might be interested so we edited the chronology and have included it in this

issue of the Museum News. We hope you enjoy it.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES PRINCETON’S CHRONOLOGY

From the Similkameen Star 29 April 1950CHRONOLOGICAL STORY OF SIMILKAMEEN’S PROGRESS

It Happened When? – You’ll Find It Here1812 – Fort Kamloops founded (Pacific Fur Co.,)1812 – Alexander Ross (Pacific) passes through Similkameen from Ft. Kamloops to Ft, Okanagan1818 – Joint occupation treaty with US for “BC”1821 – Hudson’s Bay Co. and North West Co. unite as Hudson’s Bay Co.1846 – Alexander Caulfield Anderson locates Hudson’s Bay Brigade trail route through Similkameen1847 – Fort Hope founded1856 – Gold found on Fraser River1858 – British Columbia (mainland) made a crown colony (James Douglas, Governor)1858 – John Fall Allison scouts Similkameen1858 – First gold rush (on Fraser River)1858 – First sale of BC lands1858 – (24 Sept.) Lt Colonel Clement Moody reaches Victoria, followed by detachment of Royal Engineers1859 – Gold Rush at Blacklico (opposite Allenby)1859 – New Westminster made capital of BC colony1859 – First chief justice (Begbie) arrives from England1859 – Sgt. McColl, Royal Engineers, builds Sappers’ Trail, Hope to Princeton1860 – Allison settles at Vermilion Forks1860 – Frank Richter establishes cattle ranch at Cawstom1860 – Capt. Grant, Royal Engineers, builds road 25 miles from Hope to Skagit Flats1860 – “Princeton” surveyed by Royal Engineers on One Mile Flat. Gov. Douglas visits1860 – First pre-emption act in BC. First pre-emptions in Similkameen1860 – Gold discovered in the Cariboo1860 – Rock Creek Gold Rush1860 – Okanagan Mission founded, first Okanagan settlement1860 – Boundary survey1861 – Cariboo Gold Rush1862 – Overlanders trek from Red River. James Schubert later resided in Similkameen1864 – (21 Jan.) First legislature at New Westminster1865 – Moberly and Dewdney complete Dewdney (/Hope) Trail1865 – Hudson’s Bay post founded at Keremeos1865 – Big Bend gold rush1866 – Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia unite1867 – (18 Sept.) John Fall Allison weds Susan Louis Moir at Hope

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1867 – First mail carrier, Jim Wardle from Hope to Similkameen1868 – First white child, Edgar Moir Allison, born in Similkameen1871 – BC joins confederation1874 – Barrington Price and Nicholson start flour mill in Keremeos1875 – La grippe epidemic among Similkameen Indians1877 – Dr. G.M. Dawson survey1880 – Moses rebellion in Similkameen led by an American Indian, Moses. Abortive1881 – Flood in Similkameen. Allison home carried away1883 – Chinese Wong war in Similkameen by rival gold panners Quong Yuens and Lee Muns. Arbitrated by Allison1884 – Fall – gold discovered at Granite Creek by Briggs, Sullivan and Bomley1884 – Big snow in Similkameen, about 6 feet1885 – Granite Creek gold rush1885 – Princeton-Granite Creek road built by Bobby Stevenson1885 – First permanent bridge in Similkameen over Tulameen River1885 – First train over CPR1886 – Ah Tuck starts store near Princeton Tulameen bridge1888 – First lode mining in Similkameen by Gill and Cornish on Allison copper claims opposite Copper Mt., Friday Creek1888 – Jamesons discover Copper at Copper Mt.1894 – Big Similkameen flood1894 – First claims staked at Camp Hedley for Edgar Dewdney1895 – Capt. Scott’s Anglo-American hydraulic (placer) operation at mouth of Whipsaw1897 – 28 November - John Fall Allison, Similkameen’s first settler, dies1898 – M.K. Roger bonds for Marcus Daly claims on Nickel Plate Mt.1898 – Arthur Hickling persuaded by W.J. Waterman, buys for English syndicate Princeton townsite from S.D. Sands, son-in-law of Allison. Survey by P.H. Lee and sale of lots at north end of Bridge St.1899 – John Henry Jackson opens first Princeton Hotel1899 – First mining at Copper mountain by Sunset Brown1899 – First Princeton sawmill established by Tom Hunter of Nicola1900 – Indian reserves established in Similkameen1900 – 31 March – First issue of Similkameen Star1900 – Allison, rival settlement to Princeton, launched. Abortive.1900 – Hedley stamp mill opened (The mill actually opened in 1904)1900 – Similkameen-Penticton (Green Mountain) road built1900 – Otter Flat townsite (Tulameen) surveyed by R.H. Lee1900 – 17 Feb. – First session Yale county court at Princeton under Judge Spinks1900 – Princeton first school starts (private). Government-assisted school 19011900 – Hedley first hotel built by David Hackney1900 – Hedley Brewery opens1902 – First railway surveys in Similkameen by James Kennedy GNR and James Hislop CPR1902 – First court house built in Princeton1903 – 19 Nov. – First meeting Princeton Board of Trade1904 – Princeton-Keremeos road built

1905 – Activity at Voigt’s Camp Copper Mountain1905 – Telephone built in Nicola (government)1905 – Princeton Water Works established1905 – First church, St. Cuthbert’s, built at Princeton1905 – Princeton’s first school built on present (1950) site1905 – Ashnola townsite surveyed. Abortive.1905 – Princeton’s first bank (Commerce) 1906 – Princeton’s first fire brigade; revived 19301906 – Town of Keremeos Centre begun near Tweddle Ranch1907 – 11 Sept. – First train reaches Keremeos (GN)1907 – Bill Miner train robberies1907 – Princeton Brewery opens1909 – 23 Dec. – First train (GN) at Princeton and Hedley1909 – Coal discovered by Borthrong in Collins Gulch, Coalmont. Production from Blakeburn the next year1910 – First Princeton Colliery opened on Allenby Flats1910 – Cement plant bubble1911 – Princeton’s first hospital built1912 – Princeton’s first band1915 – 15 June – First Kettle Valley train reaches Princeton1918 – Influenza epidemic1920 – Copper Mountain Railway built – West Kootenay power line built into Similkameen1920 – One Mile road to Merritt built1920 – First Princeton referendum on incorporation1928 – 18 March – Copper Mountain. 11 killed in bunkhouse fire1930 – 13 Aug. – Blakeburn explosion, 46 die1932 – The big strike and jobless marches in Princeton1934 – Jan. – Record cold at Prince, 48 below 1934 – Princeton Airport opened1935 – 21 Jan. – Record snowfall Princeton, 64 inches1936 - Jan. – Similkameen without West Kootenay power for a month as many miles of line down in snowstorm1937 – Similkameen’s first major sports honour. Princeton wins BC Senior C basketball title1937 – Princeton’s first coal electric plant starts1937 – 1 Feb. – Mrs. S.L. Allison “Mother of the Similkameen” dies1938 – Copper Mountain disaster 1939 – 3 Feb. – Hedley Rock Slide, 2 died, 7 houses lost1942 – Aug. – record high temperature at Princeton 110 F1948 – New Princeton-Keremeos road opened1948 – 28 May – High water - Similkameen bridge carried off1949 – 3 Nov. – Hope-Princeton road opened1950 – May – Princeton auditorium gymnasium opened1950 – Cawston benches opened

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