Cranbrook Recalled

EARLY EVENTS RECALLED IN PAPER READ. – Relates Of When Cranbrook Wore Swaddling Clothes. – Those Were Happy Days. – Mrs. L.B. Van Decar Remembers Time When There Were Only Five Women In This Locality.

            At a meeting of the Cranbrook Literary Society held just thirty years ago this week, Mrs. L.B. Van Decar read a paper on the early history of the city.  Excerpts from her paper were published in the Herald at the time and some historical information was given that is still of interest after all these years.

            Mrs. Van Decar tells of her arrival at Fort Steele in September, 1897.  The streets were thronged with people to meet the boat that had just arrived up the Kootenay river from Jennings, Montana.  Coming to the Cranbrook townsite there was only one building, the hotel, and from its door nothing could be seen with the exception of Colonel Baker’s house.  Mr. Baker informed her he realized $6,000 from his hay and oat crop that year.

            The price of provisions was very high in those days in Fort Steele.  Flour $16 a barrel; eggs 75 cents a dozen; butter 60 cents a pound; kerosene oil 75 cents per gallon.  However, there was plenty of work and good wages.

            The first issue of the Cranbrook Herald was dated March 22^nd, 1898, in which the first article was headed “Beautiful Cranbrook.”  It told that G.H. Miner was about to start a hardware business and that R.E. Beattie was about to open a drugstore.  It tells of Mrs. Donahue in her East Kootenay hotel and dwells upon her splendid cooking.

            It tells of the Cranbrook Lumber company and its well equipped plant.  It tells of the first religious services held in the dining room of the East Kootenay hotel.  J.B. Duncan preached to a large congregation, population considered.  Some writers have stated that Rev. Mr. Ball preached the first sermon in Cranbrook, but such is not the case.  Another minister by the name of Oliver preached here several times that summer before Mr. Ball came.

            There were five advertisements in the first issue of the Cranbrook Herald, the two hotels and hardware store already mentioned, J.H. Sibbald, contractor, and G.L. Hillard, blacksmith.

            There were five ladies here at the time, Mrs. Angus Morrison, Mrs. Donahue, Mrs. R.L. Pratt, Miss Lizzie McPhee and Mrs. Eyre.  The paper says Mr. Sibbald intends starting a dairy, but hesitates on account of cows.  He says, however, that with the fine quantities of good spring water here two or three cows could easily give a barrel of milk.

            The paymaster was passing through town accompanied by the Mounted Police.  People who carried money in those days had to be careful or they would lose both money and life, as there were about 2,000 men working upon the railroad along the line.

            April 26^th the first show was held in Leitch Brothers’ opera house, when a wandering minstrel and his wife gave a musicale.

            The issue of June 11^th told of the building of the Commercial or Manitoba hotel, the finest in the Kootenays and with two mammoth bay windows on each side of the second storey.  T.A. Creighton started in the retail grocery business, and L.B. Van Decar erected the building occupied by the Canadian Bank of Commerce.  The selling of this building was the first house and lot sold in Cranbrook.

            The issue of July 19^th told of the excavating for the cellar of the Cosmopolitan hotel.  Lots in the Elko townsite are on the market from $50 to $100 a lot.  Leitch Brothers have sold their gents’ furnishing business to Reid & Co. of Wardner and Moyie.

            On August 18^th Rev. Cattanach, representing the Methodist Church, held services in the Manitoba hotel, and he secured the promise of a lot for building a church.

            On Saturday afternoon, August 23^rd, 1898, at three o’clock the first train of cars passed over the Kootenay river bridge at Wardner.  Conductor Lockhart had charge of the train, Hugh Brock was at the throttle, Fireman Campbell was stoking the furnace, and in the cab were Hugh Connell and F.E. Simpson.  The steel was laid into Cranbrook on August 23^rd.

            On August 24^th, in a car stationed in the north part of town, a girl baby was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Turnbull.  This was Cranbrook’s first baby, and L.A. Hamilton and Colonel Baker presented the mother a deed to a lot as a gift to the child who first saw the light of day in Cranbrook.  This lot is in block 20.

            The issue of the Herald of September 1^st says that the Rev. C.W. Gordon of St. Stephen’s Church, Winnipeg, is on a missionary trip through East and West Kootenay, will preach next Sunday in the Bank of Commerce building.  This is the celebrated Ralph Connor, who is gathering data for a story he is about to publish.

            September 29^th Rev. Ball arrived to take charge of the Presbyterian services which were being held in the [Prolue?] block.  The first Thanksgiving service was held in that block, Rev. Ball preaching.  The first Presbyterian church here was dedicated December 11^th, Rev. Robert Frew of Nelson preaching the sermon.

            The Church of England was opened January 12^th, 1899, and the Rev. Henry Irwin (Father Pat) of Rossland, delivered the sermon.

            The first death was that of Mrs. Anna Brown, who died in a tent.

            Our first bride was Mrs. John Hutchison, and our first school teacher was Miss Maude Keay.

            On the 15^th of December W.B. MacFarlane established the first baths.  No account is given as to whether anyone had taken a bath up to this time or not.

            Bert Van Decar owned the first milk wagon, which consisted of a cart and milk can drawn by a dog.

            Mrs. Van Decar’s paper concludes with this statement:

            “It did not take much to make us happy in those days.  Calls were not formal.  We did not need cards.  Our parlors were not elegant, nor our china rare, but good will and kindly feeling prevailed.  Strangers were welcomed and altogether we were a happy people.  The building of a new town with its ever changing population reminds one of Longfellow’s beautiful lines:

ALL IN VAIN

            “Ships that pass in the night and speak each other in passing,

            Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness,

            So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another,

            Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and silence.”