An old building with large glass windows, just off Highway 97, brought the thought that – How often do we know the history, the people and the events that occurred at our house or lot or farm.
When the current owners of a piece of land bought the place from Larry Bell in 1974, it had all the appearances of an old stage coach post although it is not listed anywhere. An old HBC branding iron from days of yore was found in an old sod roofed log barn which seems to confirm its historic past when Fort Alexandria nearby was a major centre of the fur trade. Ashcroft, 200 miles away, was the main supply spot for the area which sits now beside the CNR (was PGE), the Fraser River and the highway.
As reported in “Tribute to the Past” the Macalister and Williams families, settled on a land bench beside the river and developed their farms (when trapping and farming were the only sources of employment.) The two families supplied the necessary eight to 10 children and built a one-room school - about 1912.
In old pictures, the single pane windows were made up of several small panes in multiples 9, 12 or 16, brought in from Ashcroft by horse and wagon.
Alexander Mackenzie had passed this way in 1793, Simon Fraser in 1808, the Cariboo Waggon road in 1864, the Collins Telegraph in 1866, the Yukon Telegraph in 1898, the Pacific Great Eastern Railway in 1912 and now Highway 97.
In more recent times, 1974, the Amos and Maybee families who had left Port Hardy and its airport (where they knew teacher Jim Girvin) bought the land. They were new to farming (milking a cow was a whole new experience) but tried everything and learned the hard way.
Their first hay crop was mouldy from high moisture.
Over time they had ponies, goats, sheep, ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, horses and up to 23 cows. Fruit trees also did well in the micro climate.
There was one house on the property which fitted them well.
It had been occupied by a German fellow who gave the new owners his pictures of the site. One is attached.
Arnold (deceased) and Vera (she is 89 years old) Maybee put up a house above the old one; while Jim and Linda (nee Maybee) Amos lived in the historic house below.
Just south of their place, is the restored PGE Train State house, which in summer is a cafe and nostaligic place, it too carrying on the history of days of long ago.
Andy Motherwell is an amateur historian and regular Observer columnist.