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MEMBER***** ********SOCIETIES Member Societies and their secretaries are responsible for seeing that the correct address for their society is up-to-date. Please send any change to both the Treasurer and the Editor at the addresses inside the back cover. The Annual Return as at October 31St should include telephone numbers for contact. Members’ dues for the year 1988/89 were paid by the following Members Societies: Alberni District Historical Society, Box 284, Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7M7 Atlin Historical Society, P0. Box 111, Atlin, B.C. VOW lAO BCHF - Gulf Island Branch, do Marian Worrall, Mayne Island, VON 2J0 BCHF - Victoria Section, do Charlene Rees, 2 - 224 Superior Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1T3 Burnaby Historical Society, 4521 Watling Street, Burnaby, B.C. V5J 1V7 Chemainus Valley Historical Society, PC. Box 172, Chemainus, B.C. VOR 1KO Cowichan Historical Society, PC. Box 1014, Duncan, B.C. V9L 3Y2 Creston & District Historical & Museum Society, Box 1123, Creston, B.C. VOB 1 GO District 69 Historical Society, PC. Box 3014, Parksville, B.C. VOR 2S0 East Kootenay Historical Association, P0. Box 74, Cranbrook, B.C. Vi C 4H6 Fraser Nechako Historical Society, 2854 Alexander Cresent, Prince George, B.C. V2N 1J7 Golden & District Historical Society, Box 992, Golden, B.C. VOA 1 HO Ladysmith Historical Society, Box 11, Ladysmith, B.C. VOR 2E0 Lantzville Historical Society, Box 501, Lantzville, B.C. VOR 2HO Nanaimo Historical Society, PC. Box 933, Station ‘A’, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5N2 North Shore Historical Society, 623 East 10th Street, North Vancouver, B.C. V7L 2E9 North Shuswap Historical Society, PC. Box 22, Celista, B.C. VOE 1 LO Princeton & District Pioneer Museum and Archives, Box 687, Princeton, B.C. vox iWO Qualicum Beach Historical & Museum Society, c/o Mrs. Cora Skipsey, PC. Box 352, Qualicum Beach, B.C. VOR 2TO Saltspring Island Historical Society, P0. Box 705, Ganges, B.C. VOS 1 EO Sidney and North Saanich Historical Society, P0. Box 2404, Sidney, B.C. V8L 3Y3 Silvery Slocan Historical Society, PC. Box 301, New Denver, B.C. VOG iSO Trail Historical Society, PC. Box 405, Trail, B.C. Vi R 4L7 Vancouver Historical Society, PC. Box 3071, Vancouver, B.C. V68 3X6 Affiliated Groups B.C. Museum of Mining, P0. Box 155, Britannia Beach, B.C. VON 1JO City of White Rock Museum Archives Society, 1030 Martin Street, White Rock, B.C. V4B 5E3 Fort Steele Heritage Park, Fort Steele, B.C. VOB 1 NO The Hallmark Society, 207 Government Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 2K8 Nanaimo Centennial Museum Society, 100 Cameron Road, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2X1 Second Class registration number 4447 Published fall, winter, spring, and summer by the British Columbia Historical Federation, P0. Box 35326, Station E, Vancouver, B.C. V6M 4G5. A Charitable Society recognized under the Income Tax Act. Subscriptions: Institutional, $16.00 per year; Individual (non-members), $8.00. Financially assisted by the Government of British Columbia through the British Columbia Heritage Trust. Back issues of the British Columbia Historical News are available in microform from Micromedia Ltd., 158 Pearl St., Toronto, Ontario M5H 1L3 - Micromedia also publishes the Canadian Magazine Index and the Canadian Business Index. Indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index. BritLsh Columbia Historical News Volume 23, No. 1 Winter, 1990 Journal of the B.C. Historical Federation Editorial Contents Looking back at 1989, my first full Features Page year as editor I extend a big Table of Contents & Editorial 1 “Thank You” to all who have con 0 tributed articles; to Colleen, our 0 The First Bank of British Columbia typesetter and her fellow staff mem- by Kenneth M. Pattison 2 bers at Kootenay Kwik Print 0 Cranbrook; to my spouse for diligent Was Vancouver Named by Americans? proofreading; and Ann Johnston, 0 by Leonard Meyers 3 Nancy Peter and Anne Yandle who 0 make it possible for this magazine British Columbia’s Pioneer Inventor to appear every three months. 0 by Valerie Green 5 1990 will be good year for the B.C. Historical Federation. Grand The Beholder Forks is hosting our annual confer- 0 by Russell C. Shelton 8 ence in May, and we make optimis 0 tic predictions for the News. Buddhism in British Columbia Material has been assembled for the 0 by Douglas Henderson 11 “Okanagan Special” by Winston 0 The Withy Hoax Shilvock of Kelowna with the help of 0 by Ron Welwood 15 a few members of the Okanagan 0 Historical Society. Several fascinat- 0 The Florence Nightingale of Vancouver ing articles are on hand for the by Helen Borrell 16 Summer 1990 issue. 0/ Now we are looking for articles / Peter Skene Ogden - A Great Explorer which will fill out the Fall theme by Winston A. Shilvock 18 “Because of the War” (any war). Do you have special memories of the 0 Something Out of Nothing: Mission’s Memorial Hospital blackout I brownout? or community 0 by Catherine Marcellus 20 clubs which prepared parcels for 0 overseas ? rationing? What of com- 0 The Hunter Family of Thetis Island munities that suddenly became gar- 0 by Grace Dickie 24 risons? What was it like to arrive as 4 a war bride ? to be on staff at a 0 Photographer of Nootka Sound Veterans Hospital? Agricultural 0 by Eleanor W Hancock 26 practices were changed in some plac- 0 News & Notes 28 es “because of the war”. Tuum Est! 4 Deadline July 1, 1990. 0 Bock Shelf: Book Reviews Naomi Miller *** *** * * ** $ Crofton House School 0 Review by JoAnne Naslund 30 Cover Credit: Continental Dash Review by Gerry Andrews 30 The Canadian Bank of Commerce $ Building at the corner of 4 Robert Brown and the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition Government and Fort Streets in 0 Review by John Spittle 31 Victoria as it was in Service’s day. 0 Widow Smith of Spence’s Bridge Photo courtesy of the CIBC Archives 4 0 Review by Naomi Miller 32 Manuscripts and correspondence for the editor are to be sent to P0. Box 105, Wasa, B.C. VOB 21(0 Correspondence regarding subscriptions are to be directed to the subscription secretary (see inside back cover) B.C. HicdcaJ News 1 The FirstBank ofBritish Columbia by Kenneth M. Pattison With the closing of the Canadian Many factors encouraged the to Victoria. The total trip took a lit Imperial Bank of Commerce branch founding of the bank, primarily gold tle less than two months and cost at Government and Fort streets in on the Fraser and in the Cariboo nearly 200 pounds. Victoria in 1987 we should be re and the presence of much capital in Then there were the hardy few minded of’ the part this handsome England needing opportunities for who ventured overland from New building played in the history of investment. York to San Francisco, then took a British Columbia. Finally, Queen Victoria’s Privy steamer to Victoria. In 1860-61 by letters to the Council acted. In April 1862 a James D. Walker was appointed Colonial Office in London, Governor group of London bankers received a resident manager and with three as Douglas pleaded for the establish Royal Charter and issued a sistants chose the Panama route. ment of stable banking facilities for Prospectus under the name “The Arriving from England in July 1862 the Colonies. Apparently, existing Chartered Bank of British Columbia they set up quarters for the new banking services were not faring too and Vancouver’s Island.” This was bank in the former home of Victoria’s well for he complained that miners subsequently changed to “Bank of first Mayor Thomas Harris. were walking around Victoria with British Columbia” with Head Office Many branches were opened in the no place to deposit their gold and no in London. next few years; New Westminster in cash to acquire their daily needs. The prospectus indicated that the October 1862, Richfield 1863, In a dispatch from the Governor to bank was to provide facilities essen Quesnel, Yale and San Francisco the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of tial to the colonies of British 1864, Portland 1865, Vancouver State for the Colonies, he wrote: Columbia and Vancouver’s Island. 1886 and in 1889 Seattle and “Much anxiety has been expressed The Prospectus also stated: “Great Tacoma, The Richfield branch by the miners generally upon the complaints were made by the miners moved to Camerontown in 1865 subject of banks which are greatly that they could not sell their gold.” then to Barkerville in 1867. needed in every district of British (and) “The salubrity of the climate Further expansion was made in Columbia. The miner’s only alterna and its suitability to the European the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with tive at present being to bury his gold constitution; the fitness of the soil branches opening in Nanaimo, dust for security, which is known to for agricultural purposes; the im Kamloops, Nelson, Sandon, Kaslo, be the general practice on Fraser’s mense mineral wealth of both colo and Rossland. River; but were banks of deposit es nies, and the existence of English The Bank was also an outstand tablished, they would willingly pay laws, are strong inducements to rap ing example of an International a monthly percentage on any sums id and extensive emigration, and are Bank, with the branches in the they might deposit. 1 have long also powerful reasons for at once es United States often surpassing the been convinced of the value and im tablishing a bank with large capital, Canadian business in size and prof portance of such institutions, but especially as the only existing bank its. without men of tried integrity and ing accommodation is so inadequate Twenty-four years after James business habits, no such scheme to meet the exigencies of the colo Walker arrived, the magnificent could be carried out with advantage nies.” building we now see on the south to individuals or to the public.” With all negotiations completed it west corner of Fort and Government The London Times reported, was time to appoint staff and send opened for business as the new “According to our correspondent them to the Colony.