Period 1896 – 1898

Period 1896 – 1898 for South-western Canada

• 1896
  B.C.: Oblates of Mary Immaculate sell their Mission in the Okanagan valley of BC.
• 1896
  B.C.: The Balfour Steam Navigation Company launches Angerona onto Kootenay Lake, BC.
• 1896
  John W. Cleaver, E.C. (Edwd.) Smith and W.C. Burchett sell the Sullivan group of mines at Mark Creek Crossing, BC, to consortium of Spokane businessmen headed by W.W. Ridpath and G.H. Turner for $24,000.
• 1896
  Calgary, N-WT.: The Calgary Indian Industrial School (St. Dunstan’s) opens. Anglican.
• 1896
  B.C.: The London and B.C. Goldfields, Limited, locates the Ymir mine.
• 1896
  The Boundary Mines Company of New York bonds the No. 7 near Greenwood, BC.
• 1896
  N-WT.: Arthur Wm. Gillingham’s new sawmill at the confluence of the Crowsnest and Oldman rivers destroyed by explosion.
• 1896?
  N-WT.: School established at “French Flats” (now Cowley, AB).
• 1896
  N-WT.: Fr. Foisy opens Sacred Heart Residential School on the Piikani reserve. Staffed by the Grey Nuns.
• 1896
  Pincher Creek, N-WT.: Creek first bridged.
• 1896
  B.C.: E.E. Alexander files claim to the Betts and Hesperus properties on Hardy Mountain near Grand Forks.
• 1896
  Nakusp, B.C.: C&KSN launches the Columbia (50 tons).
• 1896
  B.C.: F.X. Richter planted the first commercial apple orchard in the Similkameen valley.
• 1896
  B.C.: The Jewel and the Denoro Grande staked near Greenwood.
• 1896 Jan. 7
  Rossland, B.C.: Electricity generated for domestic use.
• 1896 Jan. 14
  B.C.: Kaslo and Slocan Railway’s four mile long branch from Sandon to Cody opened for business.
• 1896 Jan. 21
  Nelson, BC.: Hall Mines blew in its first, small furnace in its smelter.
• 1896 February
  Alberta Railway and Coal Company announces intention to build westward from Lethbridge, N-WT, through the Crowsnest Pass to Kootenay Lake, BC.
• 1896 Feb. 1
  Nelson Electric Light Company begins delivering power.
• 1896 Feb. 1
  Trail Creek Landing, BC.: First furnace in smelter blown in.
• 1896 Feb. 10
  British Columbia Mining and Smelting Company registered in B.C.
• 1896 Feb. 23
  Trail Creek Landing, BC.: Monday. Production begins at smelter.
• 1896 Mar. 7
  U.S.A.: President S. Grover Cleveland signs the bill dissolving the northern half of the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington.
• 1896 Mar. 31
  Waneta, B.C., “… erected into an Outport of Customs and Warehousing Port, and placed under the survey of the Collector of Customs at Nelson… .”
• 1896 Apr. 1
  Trail Creek Landing, B.C.: First shipment from smelter.
• 1896 Apr. 7
  Nelson, B.C.: C&KSN launches the Kokanee (348 tons). Dismantled 1923.
• 1896 Apr. 17
  B.C. political: The Mineral Act of 1896 read into law.
• 1896 Apr. 17
  B.C.: An Act to Incorporate the Columbia and Western Railway Company (C&W) receives royal assent: Capitalization of $5 million.
• 1896 Apr. 21
  CPR announces that it will not, after all, build into Rossland.
• 1896 Apr. 22
  Libby, MT.: aUpper Columbia Navigation and Tramway launches Ruth.
• 1896 Apr. 23
  Federal: 59 Victoria chapter 44, “An Act to revive and amend the Act to incorporate the Alberta Irrigation Company” receives royal assent.
• 1896 Apr. 26
  A Sunday.
• 1896 Apr. 26
  Ainsworth, B.C.: CBD levelled by fire.
• 1896 May
  Great Britain: The London and British Columbia Goldfields Company Limited formed to buy Canadian mining properties. Re-structured in March of 1899; H.W. Forster, a close financial ally of J.J. Hill, director.
• 1896 May
  B.C.: Road to Moyie from Rykert’s on the Boundary south of Kootenay Lake begun. Finished in October of 1897.
• 1896 May 1
  Charles Tupper succeeds as Conservative prime minister of Canada. Honourable H.J. Macdonald appointed Minister of the Interior and Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs.
• 1896 May 9
  Nakusp, B.C.: C&KSN launches the Trail (663 tons). Burned 1900.
• 1896 June
  B.C.: Colonel Ridpath of the Sullivan Group Mining Company renames Mark Creek Crossing, “Kimberley.”
• 1896 June 11
  Rossland, B.C.: First train load of ore shipped to Trail Creek Landing smelter on the Columbia and Western Railway’s “Trail Creek Tramway.”
• 1896 June 12
  B.C.: The International Navigation and Trading Company incorporated provincially to absorb the assets of the the International Trading Company Limited.
• 1896 Summer
  Christina Lake, B.C.: Charles Sandner pre-empts 320 acres.
• 1896 Summer
  Trail Creek Landing, B.C.: B. Abernathy hired as constable.
• 1896 June 23
  Federal Election: Wilfrid Laurier leads Liberals to power in Canada; 117 of 213 seats.
• 1896 June 23
  H. Bosrock (Liberal) elected for the District of Cariboo and Yale, B.C.
• 1896 July
  N-WT: Wild fires destroy much timber in the Old Man/Crowsnest River drainage area.
• 1896 July 7
  Kaslo, B.C.: International Navigation and Trading Co. launches International (525 tons) at Mirror Lake Yards. Withdrawn 1909.
• 1896 July 14
  Jerry Potts dead. Buried in Ft. Macleod Police Cemetery.
• 1896 July 17
  B.C.: Reports in the press that the CPR intended to build a 2500 ton/day smelter on the Columbia at Blueberry Creek.
• 1896 July 20
  D.C. Corbin lets $555,400 contract for construction of the Columbia and Red Mountain/Red Mountain Railway and the Northport Bridge. Takes it himself.
• 1896 July 24
  New Jersey: The British Columbia Smelting and Refining Company incorporated; $2.5 million in capitalization.
• 1896 August
  N-wT: First recorded vacation trip by democrat on the waggon trail from Macleod to Crowsnest Lake.
• 1896 September
  The AR&C agrees to sell the Dunmore–Lethbridge line to the CPR.
• 1896 Sep. 3
  WA: First C&RM/RMR construction train crosses the Columbia from Northport on Corbin’s cable-controlled reaction ferry.
• 1896 Sep. 5
  Nelson, B.C.: Hall Mines blew in its second, 275–300 ton-per-day furnace in its smelter.
• 1896 Sep. 16
  Pilot Bay, B.C.: Kootenay Mining and Smelting shuts down its smelter.
• 1896 Sep. 30
  I.R. 148A, N-WT.: Si’k-okskitsis—”Black Wood Ashes”—killed Nina’msko’taput-sikumi—Medicine Crane—lover of his wife, Anu’tsis-tsis-aki—”Pretty Wolverine Woman.”
• 1896 October
  N-WT.: Marcella McFarland (née Sheran) dies.
• 1896 Oct. 2
  B.C.: The British Columbia Mining and Smelting Company incorporated.
• 1896 Oct. 7
  N-WT political: Responsible government instituted with Frederick William Aplin George Haultain as Premier, Attorney General and Territorial Treasurer.
• 1896 Oct. 12
  I.R. 148A, N-WT.: Si’k-okskitsis—”Black Wood Ashes,” translated as “Charcoal”—wounds Kainai farm instructor Edwd. McNeill and flees to the Kainai timber reserve with his nuclear family, including Pretty Wolverine Woman.
• 1896 November
  Rossland, B.C.: Board of Trade organized.
• 1896 Nov. 9
  N-WT: Si’k-okskitsis (Charcoal) kills N-WMP Sergeant William Brock Wilde.
• 1896 Nov. 12
  I.R. 148A, N-WT.: Charcoal captured.
• 1896 Nov. 17
  Honourable Clifford Sifton (Liberal member from Brandon) appointed federal Minister of the Interior and Superintendent-general of Indian Affairs.
• 1896 December
  N-WT: Western Stock Growers Association incorporated.
• 1896 Dec. 6
  B.C.: “Trail Creek Tramway” begins passenger service between Rossland and Trail Creek Landing.
• 1896 Dec. 9
  F.A. Heinze contracted Winters, Parson and Boomer to lay track on the C&W right-of-way from Trail Creek Landing, BC, to West Robson.
• 1896 Dec. 10
  Province of B.C. declares Red Mountain Railway complete.
• 1896 Dec. 16
  State of Washington declares Columbia and Red Mountain Railway complete.
• 1896 Dec. 31
  N-WT: CPR agrees to buy the “Turkey Track” rail line running from Medicine Hat, District of Assiniboia, to Lethbridge, District of Alberta, from the Alberta Railway and Coal Company for $976,590.
• 1896 Dec. 31
  N-WT: All range leases declared “open” and subject to forfeit.
• 1896 Late
  (? See Apr. 16, 1897) Rossland, B.C.: Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace opened Mater Misericordia hospital.
• 1897
  Princeton, B.C.: The first business, a saloon-hotel, opened on present townsite.
• 1897
  B.C.: Glencairn Campbell pre-empts and subdivides property into the townsite of Moyie.
• 1897
  Fernie, B.C.: CNP Coal organized the Elk Lumber Company, Limited, to cut mine props.
• 1897
  Rocky Mountain Trench, B.C.: Jas. Baker has surveyor F.W. Aylmer lay out the townsite of “Cranbrooke” on Joseph’s Prairie.
• 1897
  “Cranbrooke,” B.C.: Archibald Kenneth Leitch sets up settlement’s first sawmill.
• 1897
  Salmon Siding, B.C.: Name officially trimmed to “Salmo.”
• 1897
  Federal political: Hayter Reed dismissed from the Department of Indian Affairs.
• 1897
  Lethbridge, N-WT: Galt No. 2 converted to a ventilation shaft for Galt No. 3.
• 1897
  N-WT: Geo. G. Anderson of Denver, Colorado, contracted to plan what would be called the St. mary’s Main Canal and oversee its construction.
• 1897
  I.R. 147A, N-WT: Anglicans raise their Victoria Jubilee Home (aka the “Peigan Indian Residential School”) in the Pincher Creek’s valley near the stream’s confluence with the Old Man. Demolished in 1926.
• 1897
  Midway, B.C.: Canadian customs-house established on the Kettle River valley waggon road.
• 1897
  Fairview, B.C.: The Morning Star staked and opened by Steve Margott.
• 1897
  Fairview, B.C.: The Fairview Amalgamated Gold Mining Company buys the Stemwinder and the Morning Star.
• 1897
  Fairview, B.C.: The London-based Fairview Gold Mining Company buys the Joe Dandy group.
• 1897
  Trail Creek Landing, BC.: Name officially trimmed to “Trail.”
• 1897
  Trail, B.C.: C&W builds its new station downtown.
• 1897
  Marysville, B.C.: Wm. Meacham has townsite on his property officially surveyed. (? See 1894)
• 1897
  Crowsnest Lake, N-WT: N-WM Police establish a six-man detachment. Withdrawn in 1900.
• 1897
  B.C.: The Jewel and the Denoro Grande bonded by L.W. Hill for the British Columbia Prospecting Syndicate.
• 1897
  B.C.: J. Thurber raises his small hotel on the Penticton townsite.
• 1897
  Similkameen valley, B.C.: The old grist mill built by Barrington Price near waht is now Keremeos ceases operation.
• 1897
  Similkameen valley, B.C.: Peter Scott staked Rollo on Nickel Plate Mountain for R.R. Hedley.
• 1897
  Similkameen valley, B.C.: C. Johnston and Albert Jacobsen staked the Copper Cleft and the Mound on Nickel Plate Mountain for W.Y. Williams.
• 1897
  Kettle River Valley waggon road completed to Rock Creek, BC.
• 1897
  Macleod, N-WT.: Holy Cross RC Church built.
• 1897
  B.C.: The Spokane and Fort Steele Telegraph Company completes its line from Kalispell to Fort Steele.
• 1897
  East Kootenays, BC: Robert Henry Bohart erects a hotel on his property on Kootenay River at Big Sand Creek.
• 1897
  B.C.: R.A. Brown leases the Volcanic to the Olive Mining and Smelting Company.
• 1897
  Phoenix Mountain, BC: Knob-Hill Gold Mining Company oraganized by J.P. Graves of Spokane and F.P. Bucke of Sherbrooke, P.Q., to take over the Knob-Hill mine.
• 1897
  Phoenix Mountain, BC: Paddy Clark of Spokane bonds the Snowshoe.
• 1897
  Rossland, BC: Miners’ Union Hall built.
• 1897
  Lethbridge, N-WT: Town hires Corporal Thomas Lewis of the N-WMP to enforce the municipal by-laws in his spare time.
• 1897
  St. Eugene’s Mission, BC: Under the direction of Father Coccola, Jas. Matt. Easterbrook completes the Mission’s extant neo-Gothic church near Cranbrook.
• 1897
  B.C.: Albert Mutz, Fritz Sick and G.H. Scott form the Fort Steele Brewing Company.
• 1897 Circa
  The “Cariboo Gold Mining and Milling Company” reorganized in Toronto as the Cariboo Consolidated Gold Mining Company to work the Cariboo-Amelia and buy up surrounding properties at Camp McKinney.
• 1897 January
  W.G. Gooderham and T.E. Blackstock form a syndicate with senator G.A. Cox and buy the War Eagle Gold Mining Company for $850,000.
• 1897 Jan. 12
  The London and Vancouver Finance and Development Company formed in England to buy up B.C. mining properties; A.T. Nation, director.
• 1897 Jan. 14
  Preliminary agreement on Crow’s Nest Pass railroad announced.
• 1897 February
  GN acquires control of the Kaslo and Slocan Railway.
• 1897 Feb. 1
  CPR buys Columbia and Kootenay Steam Navigation Company.
• 1897 March
  Staking of the right-of-way of the Crow’s Nest Line east of the Rockies completed.
• 1897 Mar. 4
  Rossland, BC: Incorporated as a City.
• 1897 Mar. 5
  Lethbridge, N-WT: The Alberta Railway and Coal Company shuts down its “Galt No. 1” mine.
• 1897 Mar. 16
  Macleod, N-WT: Si’k-okskitsis (Charcoal) hung at for murder.
• 1897 Mar. 18
  Nelson, BC: Incorporated as a City.
• 1897 Mar. 18
  B.C.: Latimer’s townsite plan of Fairview filed (see June 9).
• 1897 Spring
  B.C.: The provincial government passes the Loan Act of 1897.
• 1897 Spring
  Trail, BC: Branch of the Bank of British North America opens.
• 1897 Spring
  Revelstoke, BC: Kootenay Smelting and Trading Syndicate smelter building undercut by Columbia River; completely washed away by 1899.
• 1897 April
  Nakusp, BC: CPR launches Kootenay (1117 tons). Withdrawn 1919.
• 1897 Apr. 5
  Captains Francis Patrick Armstrong and J.D. Miller partner with James F. Wardner to form the International Transportation Company. $60,000 in capital, headquarters in Spokane, Washington.
• 1897 Apr. 5
  Wardner, BC: Crahan and Company in the Rookery Building, Spokane, begin selling building lots.
• 1897 Apr. 6
  Maiden voyage of Kootenay.
• 1897 Apr. 6
  Trail, BC: Electric power generation begins for the smelter.
• 1897 Apr. 15
  Grand Forks, BC: Incorporated as a City.
• 1897 Apr. 16
  Rossland, BC: Construction of the Mater Miseracordia hospital begins.(see late 1896)
• 1897 May 1
  Wardner, BC: First settlers arrive on the townsite.
• 1897 May 6
  West Kootenay Power organization begins dam construction at the Lower Bonnington Falls on the Lower Kootenay River.
• 1897 May 7
  Gwendoline and Ruth of International Tranportation Co. smashed in the Jennings Canyon on the Upper Kootenay River. Gwendoline repaired, Ruth salvaged.
• 1897 May 8
  Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern Railway & Navigation Company incorporated in B.C. by William Templeton, W.L Nicol, G.L. Milne, J.T. Bethune, Alexander Ewan.
• 1897 May 8
  West Kootenay Power and Light Company incorporated in B.C.: Oliver Durant, president.
• 1897 May 8
  D.W. Moore, J.D. Munn and Franklin McKay obtain a B.C. charter for the Kaslo and Lardo-Duncan Railway.
• 1897 May 8
  Bedlington and Nelson Railway incorporated.
• 1897 May 8
  South Kootenay Water Power Company enchartered.
• 1897 May 12
  Rosebery, BC: CPR launches Slocan (578 tons) onto Slocan Lake. Re-built, re-registered, re-launched on September 30, 1905. Retired in 1928.
• 1897 May 28
  International Transportation Co. launches North Star at Libby, MT.
• 1897 June end
  Captain M.D. McCall and the M.P. Zindorf Construction Company of Seattle set up the Kootenay Lumber and Manufacturing Company at Wardner, B.C.
• 1897 June 2
  N-WT: CPR takes possession of the “Turkey Track.”
• 1897 June 3
  CP and Ottawa reach accord on Crow’s Nest Pass railroad.
• 1897 June 4
  Rossland, BC: Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace open their new Mater Miseracordia Hospital. (see late 1896)
• 1897 June 9
  B.C.: Davidson & Russell’s townsite plan for Fairview filed. (see March 18)
• 1897 June 20
  Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
• 1897 Summer
  Simon and William Guggenheim make tour of appraisal in southern B.C. Buy the dean claim on North Star Hill.
• 1897 June 24
  Wardner International begins weekly publication: Fred. E. Simpson and Horace T. Brown.
• 1897 June 28
  Maiden voyage of the North Star on Upper Kootenay River.
• 1897 June 29
  The federal Act to authorize subsidy for Crow’s Nest Line (60-61 Victoria, Chap.5) Crow’s Nest Pass Agreement becomes Law.
• 1897 June 29
  The federal “An Act respecting the British Columbia Southern Railway Co.” (60-61 Victoria, Chap.36) permits the BC Southern to extend itself eastward to the “Calgary and Macleod Railway” and Lethbridge.
• 1897 June 29
  Federal political: 60-61 Victoria C 5 grants an $11,000/mile subsidy to the B.C.Southern and requires the line to pass within 500 yards of Macleod’s town limits.
• 1897 June 29
  Federal political: 60-61 Victoria C 66 “An Act to incorporate the Columbia River Bridge Company” granted royal assent. Capitalized to $500,000; headquarters, Trail, BC. F.A. Heinze, et al.
• 1897 June 29
  Federal political: 60-61 Victoria C 41 allowing the Columbia and Kootenay Navigation and Railway Company to connect its line to CP’s Mainline at Revelstoke.
• 1897 June 29
  Federal political: Alien Labour Act which had received royal assent.
• 1897 June 30
  Crown grants Arthur Burroughs Fenwick title to his pre-emption, the future Wardner, B.C., townsite.
• 1897 July 2
  Okanagan Landing, BC: The sternwheeler Fairview, launched in 1894, burns.
• 1897 July 10
  Grand Forks, BC: Fire Brigade organized.
• 1897 July 12
  Greenwood, BC: Incorporated as a City.
• 1897 July 14
  Lethbridge, N-WT: Sod turning for the Crow’s Nest Line. Grading begins east and west from “Haneyville” near Macleod, N-WT.
• 1897 July 17
  Lethbridge, N-WT: Work begins on Crow’s Nest Line.
• 1897 July 27
  B.C.: Draft of contract to build the B.C. Southern received governmental approval.
• 1897 July 30
  The “tripartite agreement” among CP, Kootenay Coal and the B.C. Southern Railway Company allowing the construction of the Crowsnest Pass railroad.
• 1897 August
  CPR Vice-President Shaughnessy announces that CP will build into Rossland.
• 1897 Aug. 10
  Trail, BC: smelter pours its first ingot of gold.
• 1897 Aug. 14
  Lethbridge, N-WT: Bank of Montreal opens a branch.
• 1897 Aug. 16
  WA: The Kootenai River Transportation Company, Limited, incorporated. $50,000 in capital, headquarters in Spokane, John D. Farrell, Captain M.L. McCormack and W.J.C. Wakefield, trustees.
• 1897 Aug. 16
  Wardner, BC: Maria Howden Armstrong purchased Fenwick’s Lot 1901 for one dollar.
• 1897 Sep. 1
  B.C.: Spokane and Fort Steele Telegraph Company inaugurated service.
• 1897 Sep. 5
  Nelson, BC: Hall Mines blew in to then the biggest copper blast furnace in the world.
• 1897 Sep. 18
  Wardner, BC: Frank McCabe receives appointment as first post master.
• 1897 Autumn
  London, England: J. Whitaker Wright has his London and Globe Finance Company set up the British-America Corporation, Limited, to channel investments into the Kootenays.
• 1897 Autumn
  Rossland, BC: F.A. Heinze buys the Rossland Miner.
• 1897 Autumn
  N-WT: The siding of “Livingstone” established by the CPR at what is now Burmis, AB.
• 1897 Sep. 23
  B.C.: Mackenzie and Mann et al buy the Vancouver, Victoria & Eastern Railway for $75000.
• 1897 Sep. 23
  B.C.: Lot 1901 registered as the townsite of Wardner.
• 1897 Sep. 27
  B.C.: Columbia and Western Railway trackage 21.1 miles from Trail to West Robson complete.
• 1897 Sep. 29
  Wardner, BC: First school class taught; Clara Warren, presiding.
• 1897 Sep. 29
  Wednesday.
• 1897 October
  B.C.: Road to Moyie from Rykert’s completed.
• 1897 October
  Lethbridge, N-WT: WFM delegation arrives from Montana to organize Lethbridge Miners Union for AR&C miners.
• 1897 Oct. 1
  N-WT: Responsible government proclaimed.
• 1897 Oct. 4
  Northport, WA: Corbin completes the Columbia River bridge on the Columbia and Red Mountain Railway.
• 1897 Oct. 6
  The contract between the federal government and the CPR to build the B.C. Southern signed.
• 1897 Oct. 20
  Kootenay Coal Company incorporated federally; headquartered in Montréal, Jas. Baker, president and Geo.A. Cox, vice.
• 1897 Oct. 27
  B.C.: F.A. Heinze opens his standard gauged Columbia and Western Railway to Robson West.
• 1897 Oct. 28
  Princeton, BC: John Fall Allison dies. (see Dec. 14)
• 1897 November
  “the Springs,” District of Alberta, N-WT: CP crews grading the Crow’s Nest Line arrive at “tenth siding,” now Blairmore, AB.
• 1897 November
  N-WT: Crews begin construction of the Crow’s Nest Line bridge over the Pincher Creek west of present-day Brocket, AB.
• 1897 November
  Sand Creek Crossing, BC: Wm. Stewart establishes Sand Creek Crossing Hotel near the future site of Galloway on the right-of-way of the B.C. Southern.
• 1897 Nov. 8
  Jennings, MT: The Kootenai River Transportation Co. launches the J.D. Farrell onto the Upper Kootenay River.
• 1897 Nov. 11
  Swansea, BC: BC Southern tote road reaches Moyie Lake.
• 1897 Nov. 18
  BC political: Honourable T.R. McInnes commissioned lieutenant-governor.
• 1897 Nov. 18
  Nakusp, BC: CPR launches Rossland (884 tons). Sank 1917, raised, stripped and sold.
• 1897 December
  Coal Creek, BC: Wm. Blakemore and his Nova Scotia coal miners arrive and begin sinking Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Co.’s first mine.
• 1897 Dec. 6
  Slocan City, BC: First train travels the C&K’s Slocan branch to Nelson and back.
• 1897 Dec. 14
  Princeton, BC: J.F. Allison dies at home nearby. (see Oct. 28)
• 1897 Dec. 14
  The J.F. Allisons’ son-in-law, S.D. Sandes, files claim to 331 acres on what is today the Princeton townsite.
• 1897 Dec. 15
  First meeting of the Trades and Labour Council of B.C. James Wilkes elected VP of the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada, and head of the B.C. Council.
• 1897 Dec. 16
  Captain M.D. McCall and John Sucksmith organize the Wardner Saw and Planing Mills Company.
• 1897 Dec. 23
  Arrowhead, BC: CPR’s B.C. Lake and River Service’s Naksup burns on Upper Arrow Lake.