History Helps Volume Two, Number 10, September 2002
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• September, Fair Time
• The Sailors’ Home
• Website of Maps
• Sumas Dyking Scheme
• Dictionaries On-line
• Assessment Records
• Library of Congress On-line
• Indian Burial Ground at Garry Point
• Something to Think About
• Subscription, Privacy Policy

AUTUMN GREETINGS!

In the late 1800s September was often the month in which the local farmers’ fair was held. A very short excerpt from a newspaper report of one fair follows, very short because the entire report included a list of all the prize winners in all categories of exhibits.

“THE DELTA FAIR

LADNER’S LANDING, Sept. 22 - The weather yesterday looked anything but favorable for the 4th annual exhibition of the Delta Agricultural Association, but this morning broke clear and fine with a strong wind, which went far towards drying up the roads and making walking somewhat more comfortable. Exhibits had been placed in position pretty well last evening, so that the judges were able to make an early start. To Mr. Hutcherson, the worthy president of the Association, Mr. Gilchrist, the secretary, Mr. J. A. Paterson and Mr. Wm. Arthur, is due a great deal of credit for the manner in which they worked to get the exhibits in order, this work not being completed till about midnight last night.

The Delta has a reputation for getting up successful exhibitions, and this year is no exception to the rule, the entries numbering 500. In fruit, field produce, and vegetables, the entries are very extensive. One novel feature in the grain display is a model of a barn, about six feet long and five feet high. This model is made entirely of grain in the straw, the sides, roof and doors being composed of the straw, the heads of the grain forming the eaves of the roof and the ridge....”

Source: The Daily Columbian, Tuesday, 22 September 1891, page four.

Those Who Make Their Lives at Sea

“THE SAILORS’ HOME

To Be Opened on Tuesday Evening -- Generous Contributions
Travellers by sea know how much their safety depends on the sailors. They know, too, that recreation on board ship does not fill in the greater part of the time. The men who travel by the great passenger steamers often have more at stake than their lives. They know that somewhere on the broad ocean the sailing ships, with cargoes of silk or cotton, tea or sugar, are freighted with their own interests, and that on them more than on the steamers the sailor risks life and limb to save his ship....

It is not surprising, therefore, that the subscriptions taken up on the inbound Empresses for the Vancouver Sailors’ Home have been generous.

On the Empress of India, now in port, on her last trip in, a concert was given in aid of this worthy object, and the proceeds therefrom and the other subscriptions amounted to $200 in gold.

The sailors’ home, or rest, is to be opened to-morrow evening by Capt. Marshall, and the ceremonies promise to be interesting in the extreme. The place selected is at No. 344 [sic], Water street. Those who were instrumental in starting this movement deserve great credit, and the hardy mariners will not fail to appreciate the efforts made to secure their comfort while ashore in this port.”

Source: Vancouver Daily World, 01 August 1892, page eight.

Followed by an article several days later, reporting on the opening of the Sailors’ Rest in the Vancouver Daily World, 05 August 1892, page three:

“A REST FOR THE WEARY

Vancouver Now Possesses a Home for the Wandering Sailor
The Sailors’ Rest, an institution the need of which has been felt for a long time, was opened on Thursday evening at 334 [sic] Water street by Capt. O. P. Marshall, R. N. R., and henceforth sailors coming to this port will have a place peculiarly their own in which to congregate. The aim of the promotors [sic] will always be to secure a building and grounds, the property of the institution, but for the present the premises secured are admirable. They consist of a large reading room, which will be kept well furnished with the latest newspapers and periodicals which sailors like to read, a smoking room with an excellent pool table, care taker’s room and a bar at which light refreshments and temperance drinks may be obtained. A membership of 25 cents per month will be charged, any sailor being free to join. The institution has been organized entirely for the benefit of sailors coming to this port, and there is no reason to doubt that it will be well patronized by them and prove a grand success...”

Another Website of Maps

This one has a fabulous collection of maps, but it requires the use of the browsers available on the site. It also requires patience, as it is very, very slow to load, but the rewards come to those who are patient, or so I’m told. The web address is http://www.davidrumsey.com/

Getting the Land Out From Under the Water

“SUMAS DYKING SCHEME

A Work That Will Reclaim 25,000 Acres of the Finest Agricultural land
Practically, everything is in shape now for work to proceed on what is known as the Sumas reclamation scheme, whereby some 25,000 acres of first-class open prairie land will be rendered secure for cultivation. The scheme is one of considerable magnitude, involving at present estimates the outlay of about $350,000, and calling into use considerable engineering ability and skill in its construction. Just now the final data are being compiled, plans are being completed from preliminary outlines, and things are being generally put into condition to enable the commissioners of the work to call for tenders early this coming spring. Mr. H. Badeley Smith, of the firm of Keefer & Smith, who are the engineers in charge of the work, has just returned from Sumas, where he has been gathering final particulars and looking over the work of the parties now in the field, one of which is in [the] charge of Mr. Peter Summerfield and another under Mr. C. A. Stoess.

Generally speaking, the scheme comprises a system of levees, one averaging twelve feet high and about 5,800 feet long, extending along the Fraser river front between Miller’s mountain and Chilliwack mountain; another levee, averaging seventeen feet high, and 7,000 feet long, running between Sumas and Miller’s mountains, and a third embankment averaging six feet in height and 12,000 feet in length from the Chilliwack mountains to the highlands.

The idea is the diversion of the Sumas river by means of a tunnel through a rocky bluff about a mile above the mouth of the river, the tunnel to be about ninety-five feet long. At the point where this cutting through the rock is to be made, a large embankment will be thrown up in the river, completely blocking it, and rising three feet above the level of the greatest known flood. At the north end of the tunnel will be a system of lock-gates which, during the high water in the Fraser, will be closed, and the embankment referred to will, with the assistance of the levees, prevent the backing up of the water from the Fraser, and consequent flooding. During the low water season the pumps will be sufficient to take out the surplus water of the Sumas river. At present with Vedder creek running into Sumas lake, this could not be done, so the plans provide for the diversion of this body of water into the original channel of the Luck-a-Kuck river, which will discharge into the Fraser in another direction.

Vedder creek is about one hundred and ten feet wide, has an average depth of twelve feet, and discharges some 120,000 cubic feet of water to the minute. Sumas lake being relieved of this flow the work of keeping down the water there and in Sumas river, its outlet, will be greatly facilitated. The diverting of Vedder creek saves all that land lying between Sumas lake on the west, Achelitz river on the east, the Fraser on the north, and the main chain of mountains on the south. In short, the scheme, when completed, will be a feat of engineering skill, and the saving of a section of the finest agricultural land in the Province.

The commissioners of the work are: Messrs. D. McGillivray, J. L. Atkinson, W. S. Marher, and A. Ackerman.”

Source: Victoria Daily Colonist, Sunday, 14 January 1894, page two.

NOTE: The specifications for the work were outlined in “NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS” on page six of the Vancouver Daily World, 10 July 1894. Among the works involved was “The closing of Sumas river by an earth-work dam” and “The construction of a rock tunnel through a spur of Sumas mountain.”

The Mother of All Dictionaries

This Website claims to have the widest and deepest set of dictionaries, grammars, and other language resources on the Web. New languages and dictionaries are constantly being added so it is worth a detailed look. Go to http://www.yourdictionary.com/index.shtml

Assessment Records (Again)

In a past issue of “History Helps,” I’ve extolled the value of Assessment Records for research into the history of family homes and other buildings. However, while reading an article about research resources in Heritage Quest, the on-line genealogy magazine [http://www.heritagequest.com/magonline/html/d_020820.html], about research resources, I realized that these City or Municipal records could contain valuable information of another sort for someone attempting to trace the movement of family members.
Since tax bills were sent on to a property owner’s new place of residence (and they do always seem to find us), the assessment records could tell the researcher where the family had moved to. Having worked extensively in the Assessment Records for the B.C. community in which I live (Delta), I know that this is the case here. Whether the Assessment Records would be useful in this fashion in other parts of the Province or the Country, I don’t know. Perhaps someone will test the theory and let us know.

A Website to Browse for Days

I could have spent all day looking at the treasures to be found on the [American] Library of Congress site, and that was just what I turned up when searching in “American Memory” for “British Columbia.” There is lots and lots of First Nations material, as well as other photographs, maps, documents, etc. It can be found at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/amhome.html

A Rare Newspaper Reference

“A DASTARDLY ACT

The Indian Burial Ground at Garry Point Is Despoiled
The Steveston Enterprise has this to say: An Indian burial ground, or more correctly speaking, a place for the disposal of their dead, is located in the southern portion of the Crab-apple ridge in the western extremity of Steveston. A visitor to this spot will observe oblong boxes deposited upon the trees about five feet from the ground and protected from the weather by a roof of cedar shakes. These boxes contain the remains of departed members of that portion of the Mamquim [sic] tribe of Indians residing at Garry Point. A few days ago the spot was visited by some profanely disposed persons, some of the coffins broken up and their contents scattered in a most sacreligious [sic] manner. The occurrence gave rise to several vague rumors of some sort of dire tragedy and the constable and others were sufficiently excited to proceed to the scene. No clue has been found to the perpetrators of the deed, though a significant clue might be found in the fact that portions of the skeletons are missing. The Indians are naturally much incensed at the desecration of the, to them, sacred place.”

Source: Vancouver Daily World, Wednesday, 25 July 1894, page four.

Something to Think About

From the Vancouver Daily World, 24 April 1899:

"In the chase after happiness there are too many crossroads and too few guideboards."

Reminder

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Gwen Szychter, M.A.
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Newspaper Obituary Database coming to

History of Delta, British Columbia On-line

Delta History On-Line

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