Greg Nesteroff posted a story in the Nelson Star yesterday: Sandon photo sale causes a stir. Sandon is our local quasi-ghost town, and the controversy centred on who actually owned the picture, circa 1900, being sold. The picture in question can be seen here.
This reminded me of my grandfather’s picture of Sandon. His picture was taken in May 1909 from about the same place as the controversial picture and shows many of the same buildings. My grandfather’s picture does not have the high quality of the professional one.
My grandfather, Rev. Thurlow Fraser, had been sent to Sandon by the Presbyterian Church in Ontario. It is a measure of the smugness to be found in Ontario that he had been sent to British Columbia as a missionary to convert the heathen miners, rather than as a minister to support the faithful.
As I look at his photo album now, I can identify eighteen shots taken around Silverton, New Denver and Sandon in 1909. They show buildings, people, sternwheelers, rail lines, a mud slide, and a mine. I may have to scan some more pictures.
This is clearly a picture of Sandon, although my grandfather’s caption describes it as a spot “Back of Silverton”. Near the centre of the picture is the shell of a recently burned building. My higher-resolution version shows the Canadian Pacific boxcar to be number 46980 and the building between it and the burned one says: Red Cross Drug Store. The big church in the earlier picture is now missing—maybe Sandon did need missionaries.
Hi Alistair,
Yet another facinating post. It makes me think that I need to contact various historical societies to find good homes for the many fascinating, historical photographs from my own family and the various locations in which they lived and ‘pioneered’.
Alistair,
I’m not sure why but I can look at these old pictures for hours on end and never tire of feeding my curiosity of how life really was back then. I look forward to your future postings of days gone by. I’m even now enthralled with your family history.
Sincerely,
Bill
Alistair,
I too enjoy your posts highlighting Kootenay history. No doubt your Grandfather met a few lapsed Presbyterians among the miners in Sandon! The clergy would have had their hands full in Rossland however. Weren’t there a huge number of Saloons during its’ heyday?
My impression from family stories of the time was that the miners were a pretty good lot! It was a wild, untamed and often lonely country then and it took a special breed to survive. Indeed, the holier then thou attitude held by those ‘Back East’ was always a source of much humour for those that worked and settled in our mountains and valleys.
Thanks for this and of course, your wonderful photography & commentary.
Best regards, Marie
I hope you will post some more of your Grandfather’s photos. It is wonderful to see the long gone scenes.