VALLEY HISTORY AND THE WINDERMERE VALLEY MUSEUM BOX 2315, , V0A IK0 342-9769 FEBRUARY 2007

with Bill Hardy on Columbia Lake. He took up the Thunder Hill Ranch in the spring of 1886. ( Now owned by the McKersie Fam- ily– 2007 ) During the summer of 1886 he looked after the store and ranch of Captain F.P. Armstrong located on the east side of Columbia Lake. Armstrong was operating boats on the lake and made his ranch one of the ports of call. Jack was joined by his brother Billy in 1887 and they homesteaded the Thunder Hill Ranch which they called “ Tayntons Hilla- William Jack hee.” During 1887 and 1888 they packed Taynton Family supplies for James Brady and the Royal John Hopkins Griffiths “ Jack” Taynton North West Mounted Police and also for was born at Ross-On-Wye, Herefordshire, contractors on the Baillie-Grohman Canal. In England and came to Canada with his par- 1889 they operated a pack train of 6 oxen ents and brother Billy in the spring of 1882. and 6 horses carrying supplies south from Jack arrived in Winnipeg and worked at his where they were dropped by Capt. Arm- trade– plastering and bricklaying until De- strong’s boats to Wildhorse Creek and to cember when he departed for Moose Jaw. Captain Baker who had bought out Gal- braith’s store on St. Joseph’s Prairie. ( Now During 1883 and part of 1884 he worked on the railway as a brakeman. In the summer Cranbrook ) of 1884 he accompanied Fred Barnes ( who They went to Sinclair ( Radium ) in the later became prominent in mining circles of fall of 1889 with Charlie Lewis ( the discov- erer of coal in the Crow’s Nest Pass.) They B.C. ) and headed north and west and , took up the East Firlands Ranch . He later crossing the , followed the sold the ranch to Horace Cannon. In the Canoe River and the Columbia to the rail- spring of 1890 the two brothers and Jack’s way construction camps in the Selkirks. He family moved to Brisco and built a house on remained there until late in the fall then start- the island there for Charlie Lewis. ed south via the Crow’s Nest Pass to take Later in the same year they moved to part in the Riel Rebellion. When part way Golden and helped build the bridge over the through the Pass, he learned the rebellion Kicking Horse River. In 1891 they helped was over. When returning to the railway build the Golden smelter. In 1892 Jack and camps, he met Bert Low and Manuel his family moved to Pilot Bay, near Nelson Dainard who had discovered gold in the can- and assisted with the construction of the yon of Toby Creek. Jack Taynton spent the smelter there. From there he went to Kaslo summer of 1885 with them panning gold . until Christmas of 1899 when he returned to He spent the winters of 1885 and ’86

Page 1 Windermere. The brothers leased the Gal- man Beach area ) Also named after the braith Ranch which is now part of the pre- Taynton brothers is Taynton Mountain and sent town site of Windermere. Taynton Creek. ( Near Panorama Resort ) In 1902 Jack moved to Canterbury ( In- Jack was involved with masonry work in vermere ) and built his home on the the valley until his death in 1954 at the age lakeshore and started a brick and lime yard of 95. Billy died in 1968 at the age of 98. there. Surviving members of Billy Taynton’s Billy Taynton also had a home built there. family include Avryol ( Avy) Nicholson, Jack was married to Lydia Ellen Masters ( grandaughter) of Invermere and her brother in Manitoba and their only son, born in Griffiths Taynton, ( grandson) of Kamloops. 1889 was the first white child to be born in Billy Taynton’s great grandchildren are the Windermere Mining Division. They Dean Nicholson of Cranbrook, B. C. , Dale named him William Sinclair Taynton. Nicholson of Wilmer, B.C., Kelci Reid of In 1899, at Fort Steele, Billy, ( or William Kamloops and Nancy Stocker of Kelowna. Walter, ) married Edith Annie Wilks, who he There are six surviving great-great grand- had known since childhood. Gilbert Griffiths children. Taynton was born the following year.( Gil- Some of the brick-making equipment is at bert and his wife Ethel had a son Griffiths the museum. It is in need of a frame to show and a daughter, Avryol. ( Avy ) how the equipment worked. If you are inter- Billy Taynton recalled Christmases of ested in such a project, please be in touch those early years in the Valley. The group of with museum staff. settlers would visit from settlement to settle- ( from an interview with W.H.Cleland ) ment-Baptiste Morigeau’s, Sam Brewer’s, Jaryl McIsaac Files Ed Johnston’s and on. The visit would last a And from the Avryol Nicholson Files day or two at each place, wining ,dining and dancing until the refreshments ran out or the Bottle, Document found in Building spirit moved them on. These trips were done ( from the Lake Windermere Valley Echo. by horse and sleigh in winter and the lake Aug.23,1973) One of the few remaining old time build- was used as a road. ings left in Invermere was felled by wreckers He remembered trips from Cranbrook to hammers last week. Invermere in the early days of motoring that The stucco covered building on the east took 12 hours. There would be numerous side of Bruce Avenue adjacent to the Curtis stops to build up mud holes with brush so Building, was erected by the late B.G. Ham- the car could get through. Bill Taynton, in ilton in 1925 and served as his real estate the early days, was a prospector, rancher and and insurance office until his death. hotel keeper. He was one of the original Much of the history of the valley until finders of the Mineral King Mine. Later he the late 1930’s was recorded by Mr. Hamil- was foreman for the Windermere Experi- ton in this building as he was meticulous mental Farm, both in Windermere and Inver- about recording historical detail and wrote mere and did this until his retirement. He profusely about the Valley. was a kind, gentle man and had a great love During the wrecking procedure a bottle for people, music and flowers. His flower was found encased in a hollow tile and with- beds were exceptional as was his singing in the bottle was the following document: voice. TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY The area on the lake where the brothers COME: lived was known as “ Tayntons Bay” ( Kins-

Page 2 hollow tile stucco covered one story build- ahead of the candles used by our forefa- ing of which this forms a part was originally thers. These can be seen in the Athalmer built on Lot Three, Block Y in the town-site Pool room. V. Houghton, Athalmer, is the of Invermere B.C. Plan number 1013. sole agent for the district.” That the owner of said lot at the time of Early Canal Flat Businesses erection the building was Anna Maud Mary Hamilton, wife of Basil George Hamilton of 1889– A small settlement called “ the said town-site of Invermere. Grohman” sprang up around the sawmill That the foundation of concrete and the built by William Adolph Baillie-Grohman piers were well and truly laid by John Hop- to provide timbers to build the locks to con- kins Griffiths Taynton, an Englishman by nect the to the Kootenay birth. Assisted by his son William Sinclair River. Taynton and Percy G. Docking, a veteran Grohaman built a store with a post office of several of the Empire’s wars, an English- and the Grohman Hotel where he lived and man of Bath. entertained many distinguished guests. He *********************************** provided bunk houses and tents for the work force. Mr. and Mrs. Grohman returned to Mabel Barbour England in 1893. The lock was destroyed Mabel was born in North Dakota in and there was little activity in Grohman for 1908. In 1911 she moved to Golden with many years. her parents, the McLaughlin's. Mabel came to Windermere in 1926 to work at the Win- 1927-28- Don Roberts built a general dermere Hotel. There she met James Albert store and was the first postmaster in Canal Barbour known as Bert. Bert was the son of Flat. Jack and Marguerite Barbour who home- 1928-29– Frank Nemrava and Joe Pie- steaded on Toby Creek in 1900 close to trosky Sr. built a hotel on the east side of Barbour's Rock. They had 4 boys: Ed, Main St. and served meals. After a short Bert, Harry and George. The Barbour chil- time they turned the building into a Meat dren attended the Sparkling Creek School Market. It burned down the winter of 1931. on the Benches. Bert and Mabel had a fam- 1928– A general store was built by Ben ily of six– Dorothy, Harold, Annie , Ellen, Weston. It burned down in 1930. Two more Edna and Earl. stores were built in 1928 by Albin Johnson *********************************** and Paul Nodgren. Times 1929– A popular General Store was built ( March 15, 1915 ) by Mrs. Harrison from Yahk and her neph- “ The Aladdin mantle lamp is one of the ew Archie McLeod. They operated this greatest and most practical inventions of the store for many years. They sold out. age. It is the highest achievement of science 1950– Mr. Simpson owned the Harrison in connection with artificial lighting. It has store at this time. He sold to Percy Lake solved the lighting problem for rural homes, who operated it until 1956. Shortly after , it giving them a brilliant white light superior was demolished. to the gas or electricity used in big cities. A 1956- A grocery store operated by J. light that makes evenings reading, writing Doherty sold to Charles Churchill who ran or sewing a pleasure. It’s as far ahead of the the Canal Flat Mercantile. ordinary oil lamp as the ordinary lamp is 1959- J.A. Doherty owned J&E Dry

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Two old timers in lively mix-up Museum Update “ Just to illustrate,” said Mr. Er- icson, “ the pride these old-timers The 2007 Executive is : ( and I am proud if I am called one) , have in their age, endurance and President- Marg Christensen long resistance, I recall a funny sce- Vice-President- Eileen Fiell ne between old Sam Brewer and Ed Secretary– Joan George Johnston some years ago. Ed heard Treasurer– Dot Smith somehow that Sam was dying and , Directors– Joy Bond, Audrey Man- of course, hell and high water would tyka, Sandy McKay, Anne Keely and not prevent his going to his bedside. Louise Frame. Arnor Larson contin- Basil Hamilton and myself went ues to be our photographer , Jaryl along , for we too loved Sam. When McIsaac is our archivist and Dorothy we got there, there was old Sam and Blunden our curator. his boy pulling a crosscut through a Thank-you to all those members mighty log. Sam’s stroke was fuller that have renewed their membership and freer than the lad’s. and to all those for their generous “ Darn your old hide ,” said Ed. donations. “We heard you were ready to croak Our summer theme will be and came over here to hold your “ David Thompson ” as it is the Da- hand and find you pullin’ a saw vid Thompson bicentennial. Dorothy when you ought to be in bed.” Blunden is organizing a David “ Me dying ? ” said Sam, giving Thompson Fair in co-operation with Ed’s patriarchal chest warmer the local schools. ( beard ) a nasty tug. “ Does this feel Our ongoing projects are the like I’m dying ? And giving John- completion of the wagon shed, The ston a jab in the ribs, he asked “ Lord’s cabin and the Doll case. In Can you hold your breath after the spring the Notary Building will that ? ” be painted. It looks like a busy year. Johnston did and the two old gladiators shook hands after a mix- ***************************************** up that made me the umpire, doubt- ful whether to laugh or cry. Arm in arm, we three old men Nemrava’s Meats & Groceries ( me the baby ) had our picture tak- en but with the wind blowing , Ed’s Frank Nemrava, Prop. big beard blew across the group and , B.C. ruined the picture for which I would have given any money as it could Fresh meats—sporting goods never be taken again. Eleven years service to the Resi- dents of Canal Flats. ( Museum Files ) ( compiled by Sandy McKay )

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