Apr 20, 2019 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)

There are three historic dams in the Boundary region: Boundary Falls Dam (c. 1898), the Cascade Dam (1899), and the Granby Dam (1899). Closest to Greenwood, and most often mentioned in our local mining histories is Boundary Falls.

Readers of this journal will find mention of Boundary Falls in many feature stories. In 1894, George Rendell established a store at Boundary Falls. He operated his mercantile there until the founding of Greenwood, when he partnered with town founder Robert Wood and Ralph Smailes in opening the first store here. Many interesting stories about George Rendell's activities at Boundary Falls can be found in his Persons of Note chapter.

By 1896, mining operations at Boundary Falls were considered an important part of the region's industry, and ore samples from the Falls were sent, along with many Greenwood and area specimens, to the 1896 Spokane Fruit Fair.

Also in that year, the Greenwood Citizens Band had among its members at least one resident of Boundary Falls, and Dr. Jakes moved from the Falls to Greenwood to take charge of the new hospital here. Well before that, in 1893, Mr. And Mrs. Thomas Hardy lived at Boundary Falls, before they took up residence in Greenwood in 1898, where he served a tumultuous term as Mayor.

In 1899, smelter engineer Paul Johnson explored the Boundary country, looking for a prime site to build a smelter. Boundary Falls and Midway were both surveyed for consideration, but fortunately he settled on Greenwood and built the operation here.

While mining operations rose and fell with the times, in 1910 the smelter was still in operation at Boundary Falls. Both the B.C. Copper Company and the New Dominion Copper Company were shipping ore to both the Boundary Falls and Greenwood smelters.

Aside from its importance as a mining industry site, Boundary Falls was simply a beautiful place to spend time, as it is today! Many residents and local groups travelled to the Falls for picnics, club outings, sports events and entertainment, including a group of Greenwood residents who went to enjoy the Falls on Easter Sunday in 1900.

At Boundary Falls
[ Photo by Brigitte Huerzeler ]

BOUNDARY FALLS SMELTER
(Text from historic place sign)

"Although prospectors like "Jolly Jack" Thorton worked this area during the 1860s, Boundary Falls was not settled until the 1890s, when a new breed of miners flooded the district. Surrounded by mining properties, the Boundary Falls Smelter (also called the "Sunset Smelter") was built by 1901 and it was 'blown in' by June of 1902.

Setbacks such as high operating costs, coke shortages, financial difficulties, and low copper prices eventually took their toll. By 1907 the smelter was permanently closed, and the facility and the camp of Boundary Falls passed into oblivion. Today only slag piles remain as mute testament to the former existence of this short-lived smelter."

Boundary Falls
[ Photo: Greenwood Heritage Society ]

An excellent description of the power generation operation at Boundary Falls is found at VirtualMuseum.ca. The Boundary Falls Dam was completed in 1902, under the operation of the Greenwood Water, Power & Light Company. It was a 'run of the river' type generating station.

"Boundary Falls is located on Boundary Creek, about 3 miles south of the City of Greenwood it was the site of one of the first power dams in the Boundary region. At the turn of the 20th Century, the town of Boundary Falls had a population of several hundred and a full supply of hotels, stores, a post office and school and a hydro power plant to supply the Dominion Copper Company Smelter. Today, Boundary Falls consists of a small cluster of buildings along the side of the highway.

Construction on the dam began in 1898, to provide power to the towns of Boundary Falls, Greenwood and some nearby mines.

The dam was built of concrete and wood 40 feet (12 metres) long and 60 feet (18 metres) high. It was constructed upstream from Boundary Falls and the water was carried to the powerhouse by a steel riveted pipe 1300 feet long creating a hydraulic head of 130 feet. The water flume was blasted out of the side of the cliff surrounding the Falls on the east side of the creek (with a walkway beside it for inspection purposes) and then connected to the turbines within the powerhouse.

Boundary Falls Dam, looking downstream, 1901
[ Photo: Greenwood Heritage Society ]

The roar of the water coming through the flume was immense. The power plant was constructed of cement blocks with high ceilings were the office, the generator, turbine and a cot for use by the night shift.

In 1919 the power plant was being phased out as it had problems with low water levels in the winter and was eventually shut down in the summer of 1920 when water levels were too low to turn the turbines. West Kootenay Power and Light began to supply power to the City of Greenwood after that as well as the other customers this small dam had serviced for almost 20 years.

The foundations of the dam and some of the walkway infrastructure clinging to the side of the cliff are all that remain of this pioneer dam."