Mar 04, 2017 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)

"Greenwood, though practically a young city, has long since ceased to be an experiment, and today is recognized as the coming city of Southeastern British Columbia. The pillars upon which its ultimate prosperity is founded are of a most substantial character…"

In a previous journal article we saw early Greenwood referred to as the "Commercial Metropolis" of the Boundary. Today we begin a series of articles drawn from an 1900 publication called the "Greenwood Mercantile Review", a supplement to The Greenwood Times._[1], featuring "The Future Metropolis of Southeastern British Columbia — The Land Of Golden Opportunities."

This Mercantile Review showcased Greenwood as the "Manufacturing and Commercial Center of the Famous Boundary District", and presented "Historical Sketches and Mercantile Reviews of the Leading Wholesale and Retail Merchants". Our series features will offer summary descriptions from the Review, highlighting the City of Greenwood and its various public works, along with the Smelter and 14 adjacent mining camps.

Also featured will be introductions to a host of retail and industrial enterprises in the city, which we hope to present with some further historical details, pictures, etc. Included among them are the following retail, industrial and service businesses that were operating circa 1900:

2 Lumber & Millworks, 2 Realtors, 2 Banks, 8 Hotels, 1 Restaurant, 1 Hardware store, 4 General Mercantiles, 5 Grocers, 3 Druggists and Jewelers, 4 Dry Goods and Clothing stores, 6 Blacksmithing, Harnessing, & Horse supply stores, 4 Breweries, Distillers and sellers of Liquor & Beer, 2 Home Furnishing and Decorators, 2 Building Material suppliers, 2 Electricians & Plumbers, a Dentist, a Photographer, a Laundry, a Music store, a Cigar & Stationery shop, and a Funeral Parlor.

We begin today with the Mercantile Review's descriptions (excerpted and slightly edited) of the City and its public works and buildings, opening with this editorial:

"There are not many people who have not heard favorably of Greenwood. But the number of those who have studied the 7 causes of the remarkable growth and development witnessed here are few as yet.

Greenwood, though practically a young city, has long since ceased to be an experiment, and today is recognized as the coming city of Southeastern British Columbia. The pillars upon which its ultimate prosperity is founded are of a most substantial character, offering the staunchest guarantee for the city's ultimate brilliant future.

Strange to say the historians have used but little ink either examining into or describing the history of this part of British Columbia, or the City of Greenwood. Why, cannot be conjectured, not surely on account of dearth of material, for the early history of British Columbia abound in legends and romances that outrival the tales and myths of classic tunes. It is a history replete with chivalry; of sturdy adventurers, of the Indian and his opposition to the treade of advancing civilization; a story of privation, starvation and ultimate success; a tale of men with hearts of oak and nerves of steel, who know no fear and who were the pioneers that blazed the trails, made the roads, found the mines, and made possible the glorious future that is even now unfolding its wings of gold and makes this both a heaven and home, for all who seek the shelter of its hospitable area; and it is this city, so replete with everything that constitutes the nucleus of a great mining metropolis that we will endeavor to portray to our readers, that they may have some idea of its trades, manufacturies and industries, of our prosperity and of the possibilities of the future.

THE BOUNDARY DISTRICT: The Boundary district comprises a country reaching from the divide or water shed between the Okanagan and Kettle river valleys on the west and Christina lake on the east a distance of same 60 miles, and from the International boundary line on the south to a distance of some 30 miles north.

GREENWOOD was laid out and platted on the Dark Horse mineral claim in May, 1895. The townsite at that time was covered with heavy timber which was cleared off and the first work undertaken by Mr. Robert Wood, the townsite owner, was connecting the town by wagon road with the various camps in the surrounding country. Some lots were sold that fall and in the spring of '96 the town began to forge ahead. About this time Mr. Wood was joined by Mr. C. Scott Galloway and the Greenwood Townsite Company was formed, disposing of quite a portion to the C. P. R. Co., which was at that time contemplating building here, and which began running trains to this place in '99. All camps on the hills around the town are connected with this road by spurs from the main line. The principal ones branching off from Greenwood, which has steadily grown without any rush or boom until now at the age of only five years.

She has a POPULATION of over 3000 souls. Every branch of business represented, several manufacturing establishments, a few solid wholesale concerns, two smelters, almost completed, good schools, several churches, a fine opera house, business men's club, an incorporated board of trade, three banking houses and five agencies here. There are two breweries, a fine steam laundry, there is also a Trades and Labor Council representative of the local unions, of the Miners', printers', carpenters', tailors', painters', clerks' and plumbers and iron workers. Greenwood also has more members of the profession — medical, legal, civil and mining engineers, surveying, etc., that are bonafide residents of the city than any other town in the district.

CLIMATE: Nature in forming this part of British Columbia seemed to have had the purpose in view of making a residence place for surrounding country of Greenwood apparently hemmed in on all sides by mountains, blizzards or windstorms are unknown as well as severe cold. It is true that the thermometer sometimes for a few hours or a few days will drop as low as 20 and sometimes 30 degrees below but it is soon over and the atmosphere is so light and dry that the cold is not felt the same as in lower altitudes and while there is considerable snow there are days and days of beautiful weather even during the winter.

The summers are simply delightful. Never do we experience extreme heat. The summer and falls are the most beautiful sunshine interspersed with refreshing showers. The nights are always cool and pleasant, the atmosphere the year around is very invigorating, inspiring one with energy, thrilling every pulsation, brightening the intellect and infusing enterprise and ambition into every part of the body. What Denver is to Colorado and what Butte City is to Silver Bow county, Montana, Greenwood will be to the Boundary district.

There are from here STAGE LINES running to Phoenix, to the upper main Kettle river and its several tributaries, to Camp McKinney, Fairview, Similkameen and the Myers creek and Okanagan camps south of the International boundary line. Two telegraphs and two telephone systems.

There are also two NEWSPAPERS published in the town, The Greenwood Times, Duncan Ross publisher and manager, and The Greenwood Miner, J. W. Grier, publisher and manager.

In municipal matters the City owns its own WATER WORKS SYSTEM, the plant being in excellent condition has a gravity pressure of 120 lbs. to the square inch which affords ample protection in case of fire.

We also have an excellent FIRE DEPARTMENT and while the chief is the only salaried member the rest being volunteers the company is capable of excellent service. They are supplied with hose carts and hook and ladder trucks, the fire hall is located on the lower floor of the city hall building and is an honor to the City.

We also have an ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT and while this is controlled by a private company the service is good.

Greenwood is very fortunate as regards SCHOOLS: They have a fine school building built by the government, the townsite company donating one whole block of ground for the erection of the building. The best of teachers are in charge and every educational facilities are afforded for children.

We, also have most of the RELIGEOUS DENOMINATIONS represented. The Catholics have a nice building close to the school building, the Baptists, the Methodist have buildings and the Presbyterian and Church of England are preparing to build. All have resident pastors and are well attended.

We also have an exceptionally fine appointed HOSPITAL which cares for the sick and afflicted, people coming from all the surrounding camps for care at this place. It is owned and conducted by Drs. Jakes and Oppenheimer and has a full staff of professional nurses.

Most all the 7 SECRET SOCIETIES are represented here, the Masons, Oddfellows aNd Nights of Pythias probably having the largest membership.

There is also a BUSINESS MEN'S CLUB which boasts of nearly all the most prominent business and professional men of the city as its members. They have a reading room, billiard room, writing rooms, card rooms and bar. The place is finely furnished and is acknowledged by all visitors to contain the largest selection of reading matter of any similar club in the province.

There is also an incorporated BOARD OF TRADE: C, Scott Galloway, president; Duncan Ross, vice-president; and W. G. Gaunce, sec-treasurer.

GOVERNMENT: The Dominion Government has its resident customs and inland revenue officers here, and the Provincial Government has made Greenwood the official centre of the extensive Kettle river mining division, and has its resident gold commissioner, mining recorder, etc., located here. A supreme court registry has been established, and here too are held the regular sessions of the county court of Yale, and in the town is also stationed the chief provincial constable for the whole Boundary district.

The opportunities for investment and advantages offered CAPITALISTS are almost unlimited, and it is the writer's honest conviction that no better or safer investments, offering a surer or larger return on the amount invested, be it large or small, can be found today on the North American continent, than in Greenwood. When one comes to study the advantages offered, and take into consideration the importance of the location of Greenwood, in the midst of one of the greatest copper fields the world has ever known, property is ridiculously low, and in real estate alone there is bound to be thousands of dollars made in the next twelve months.

The place, as well as her mines, have been held back on account of railroad facilities, the great cost of shipping machinery and supplies, but now that the C.P.R. has built to the city, this has in a way been overcome, and the shipping of ore by some of the mines, the building of two and the starting of two more smelters is the result, and from now on the place as well as mines will advance more rapidly.

There is also a proposed TRAMWAY ROAD, to connect Greenwood with Phoenix and to ultimately be built to Deadwood camp on the west, Long Lake camp on the north and Summit camp on the north-east. This road from Greenwood to Phoenix at least will be built the coming year, and it is almost a certainty that the C.P.R, will commence work on the Crow's Nest pass road from Greenwood on through to Vancouver, passing through the Similikameen and Okanagan country, and making them tributary to Greenwood from a wholesale standpoint.

It is also expected that the GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD will build into the city within a year or two at most. Several surveying parties have been out and we are informed that some portions of the road have been located.

GREENWOOD is and will continue to be the commercial as well as the mining and manufacturing centre of all this great district with lumbering interests enough alone to create a city and mineral wealth sufficient to create an empire. Now look to the hundreds of mines in this district all producing and the thousands of miners at work. Then imagine if you can the smelters and mills and the army of labor required to reduce this yast amount of ore from the mines. The large wholesale establishments, the manufacturing plants, coupled with every industry that it will require to supply the wants of this great section.

Imagine all these, we ask you, in our flourishing city, with street railways and all modern improvements, and you will see Greenwood, as she will be in a dozen years from now, if not sooner. In this we may be accused of exaggeration, but Greenwood need only be seen to be appreciated, and we have followed the settling of new countries from the Missouri river to the Pacific coast, and have seen these things accomplished, yet we are free to say…

we have never seen a country or a town under the sun with the natural resources and offering the opportunities that does this section in common, and Greenwood in particular.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The Greenwood Mercantile Review, Supplement to The Greenwood Times — October 31, 1900, pp. 5-8
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172860#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20&%20Co%22