History Helps Volume Two, Number 3, February 2002
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• Happy Valentine's Day
• Delta Newspaper for 100 years
• British Columbia Newspapers
• Old Newspapers On-line
• Delta Farmers' Ball
• Something Frivolous -- Earrings
• Contributions from Subscribers
• Subscription, Privacy Policy

Happy Valentine's Day!

For a look at Valentine cards sent in days gone by, you can explore in several places. Archives, such as the one in Delta, have examples in their holdings. The Morley collection in the Delta Archives has, among others, a beautiful pop-up model. Now is a good time to find Valentines on e-Bay, if you're interested in collecting.

Celebrating Heritage

February is also Heritage Month in Canada, and this year the theme is Industry. Each year, the Delta Heritage Advisory Commission awards its Heritage Preservation Award to a property owner, who then makes the winner open to the public. There are two recipients of the award for 2002: the Gunn house in Tsawwassen and the Primrose Hill Guest House in Ladner. Open House takes place on Sunday, February 24th.

A Newspaper Centennial

February 2002 marks the 100th anniversary of the first community newspaper in Ladner and Delta, British Columbia.

Called "The Delta News", the first issue appeared on Saturday, February 22, 1902. Ric. A. Fraser was the editor, a man with a significant background in the business, having been associated with the 'British Columbia Mining Journal' at Ashcroft, B.C. and the Lillooet 'Prospector' prior to arriving in Ladner.

The first issue of the newspaper to some extent conveys a snapshot of the community of Ladner and the larger area of Delta at this moment in time. That snapshot included not only news and advertising, but also attitudes.

There was no headline as we know it on the front page, but matters of interest to the community understandably predominated.

Among the articles on page one were: "LADNER - WESTMINSTER WAGON ROAD Pike & Coulthard Are at Work on Their Contract Near Harry Burr's Farm" and "THE DELTA CREAMERY ASSOCIATION [reporting the particulars of the Annual Meeting]." The larger world was also represented, in this case in a report entitled "THE PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE OPENS ..."

Short items about individuals appeared not only on the front page, but throughout the paper, reporting on a variety of events, including the death "at Port Guichon, [of] John McKay a mate on the schooner Lulu," houses being built, and people ill with typhoid fever.

On page two the Editor proclaimed the newspaper's statement of intent as follows: "The News will at all times advocate and uphold every measure that will redound to the public good; it will avoid sectional quarrels but, once in it, will endeavor to make itself felt. As far as the political situation is concerned, The News will remain independent and will express its opinion without partiality or fear of party."

That the editor had a clear view of his role in the community is evident in this paragraph:
"Homes are scarce in Ladner. It is almost impossible to secure a house of any kind to rent for love or money. Of course this speaks well for the town from a business point of view, but it is exceedingly uncomfortable for new comers. Some philanthropic person wishing a good investment would find in Ladner an exceedingly fair return for his money should he feel inclined to build a dozen or so houses for rent."

The advertising reveals the cross-section of businesses and proprietors in the community. However, it is not limited to local businesses (Delta Sawmill, Grant & Kerr Proprietors; Shoff - Barker, tobacconist; G. W. Rudd, house painting; Andrew Clausen, Watchmaker & Jeweler; Hick's Hotel, P. Shirley, Proprietor). There were also a significant number of advertisements by New Westminster businesses (J. E. Phillips, Men's Clothing & Furnishing; Alex Bell, Insurance Agent; W. E. Fales, Furniture Dealer & Undertaker; Mackay and Southon, Booksellers) and by Vancouver companies (Mainland Cigar Factory; Dr. Jordan, The Optician). Even Victoria firms advertised (E. G. Prior & Co., Farm Machinery).

The timetable for the Canadian Pacific Navigation Company was published regularly, giving departure and arrival times for all the vessels in the company's fleet, not just those that called at Ladner and Port Guichon -- that's marketing!

An item on page one would make us cringe now, but this is how it read, in language typical of the day:

"Accidentally Shot
A Chinaman was accidentally shot at Duncan Brown's farm at Mud Bay, on Monday. Young Brown was looking over a shot gun with the intention of cleaning it up and finding it was loaded shoved the barrel out of the window to fire it off, also looking out to see if anyone was around, and seeing no one, let her go [sic]. A chink unfortunately came around the corner of one of the buildings simultaneously with the discharge of the gun and was punctured from his head to feet with the shot, some of the shot taking serious effect, but scaring the man considerable.

Dr. Wilson was sent for and picked the shot out of the unlucky man, who is now getting around all right not very much the worse for his experience."

But for researchers like myself, the paper is full of bits of social history, invaluable because they are so few. For example, "Local teamsters are engaged in hauling piles for the Baptist church, soon to be erected at Ladner. We have a goodly number of tabernacles at the Landing, but we can not have too many. Rev. I. W. Williamson the energetic pastor is at present holding weekly meetings in the town hall."

If I've piqued your interest in this community's news in the early 1900s, the local newspapers for Delta are available on microfilm at the Archives of the Delta Museum and Archives, 4858 Delta Street, Ladner, 604-946-9322. And, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of a community newspaper, the Archives has created a display relating to the event.

British Columbia Newspapers

Check out this web page for the availability of old newspapers at B. C. Archives and the Legislative Library.

http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/library/newspapr/newspapr.htm

Old Newspapers On-line

About 1 1/2 years ago there was great excitement about the possibility of old newspapers being microfilmed and made available on the Internet by a company called North Wind. The thrust was that newspapers of the past would be available at http://www.paperofrecord.com. When I checked this site in the last week, there was no indication that the original plan had materialized. Anyone know anything about this?

Delta Farmers' Ball is 95 Years Old This Month

From the Weekly Gazette, Saturday, 28 February 1920, page one:

"Farmers' Annual Ball A Great Success

The farmers' annual ball, the most important event of Delta's social season, was held in McNeely Hall, Ladner on Friday night last, about 500 attending. The hall was beautifully decorated with ivy and evergreen. During the evening Professor Cullen delighted the guests with piano selections. The first part of the programme was given over to old fashioned dances, keeping up the custom established thirteen years ago at the first annual ball and after supper devotees to the modern dances had their turn.

The Delta was well represented and there were many guests from Vancouver and New Westminster.

Among those present were Mrs. Alex. Paterson, wearing blue satin; Mrs. Hants Montgomery, black velvet and gold lace; Mrs. Charles Davis, black satin; Mrs. Alex. Davie, royal blue satin and gold lace; Mrs. James Grisdale, delft blue crepe de chine; Mrs. A. J. Parmiter, in black voile; Mrs. Chamberlayne, white lace and georgette; Mrs. Alex. Montgomery in white ninon [sic] and silver lace; Mrs. William Maxwell in apple green crepe de chine; Mrs. L. F. Kirkland in white taffeta and ninon; Mrs. Ace McRea, peacock blue crepe de chine; Mrs. George Campbell, black georgette, relieved with yellow; Mrs. James Jarvis, white georgette embroidered in pearls; Mrs. Walter Granger, pale blue messaline; Mrs. Arthur Fawcett, midnight crepe de chine."

I especially enjoy this item because it lists some of the women present and their outfits. Trivial, you think? But there are so few references to women as people in the newspapers of the early twentieth century that any little bit adds to the picture.

The Return of Earrings or Something Frivolous You Never Considered

"EARRINGS COMING IN

The Victorian Jubilee to Bring This Old Fad Into Vogue Again

Everything Victorian is expected to have a great vogue this year, but whether earrings will become general again is a question time will show. At present some think that they will not, for although some few people still wear them, so great was the feeling against them after that epoch, in which every woman sported them, that it will take a great effort to reinstate them in favor ... The earring that has come down to us from Marie Antoinette is a beautiful piece of work, as well as a strong but very graceful shape. The ring went through the piercing in the ear and then snapped just above the large diamond drop, forming as safe an ornament as the more modern solitaire earring. Should the fashion come in again, this double drop ring would surely form a very exquisite model to modern jewelers. When Chaldea, Phoenicia and Egypt were the height of their ancient power their women wore earrings which we would consider now very curious in shape. It is known that the Queen likes earrings, to which she has been used since her earliest days, and that the Duchess of York has never wavered in her preference for these jewels."

Source: The Vancouver Daily World, Friday, 25 June 1897, page seven.

Contributions from Subscribers

After I included the Early Canadiana Online website in the June 2001 issue of "History Helps," I was informed that Koerner Library (UBC) in Vancouver has the extensive collection of the Canadian Institute for Historical Microproductions (CIHM) on microfiche. The collection includes books and pamphlets about Canada, by Canadians and published in Canada to 1900, Canadian serials (annuals and periodicals) to 1900, books and pamphlets by Canadians or published in Canada to 1920 and, as an on-going project, Canadian and provincial government documents to 1920. To access all fiches received to date by UBC go to <http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/catalogue/cihm.html> You can search by author, title, subject heading or keyword. Thanks ever so much, Margaret.

Something to Think About

For this month, I have to thank a non-historical source, the makers of Quaker Oatmeal:

"'Tomorrow' is often the busiest day of the year."

Reminder

These newsletters are all dated. Consequently, some of the websites recorded therein may no longer be operating at the stated web address.

Subscription, Privacy Policy

To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail with either SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line and mailto:gwens@dccnet.com.

Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone.

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Gwen Szychter, M.A.

P.S. Here's a favour you can do for me: If you liked this newsletter and found it helpful or just interesting, please pass it on to a friend or colleague. Thank you.

Gwen

Newspaper Obituary Database coming to

History of Delta, British Columbia On-line

Delta History On-Line

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