Wagon Roads to Greenwood
BY: BG EDITOR
Jun 17, 2017 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)
From the time of Greenwood's founding in 1897, ease of travel across around the Boundary region was facilitated by one main road, with many branching wagon roads and trails criss-crossing it. The condition of Greenwood's road system was a matter of pride, and was promoted as one of many aspects of the infrastructure that attracted new businesses and residents. A 1909 edition of the Boundary Creek Times [1], touted its excellence:
Wagon Roads
"The Boundary is noted for its good roads. In any mountain country, and especially in its earlier stages of development, transportation, which is a synonym for progress, depends on good roads. In 1894, before any serious mining had been undertaken here on any large scale, this district was shut off from the outside world by the pressing need of good roads, and the provincial government, recognizing the growing importance of the Boundary, built a first-class road from Penticton to Grand Forks, which not only opened up these lower valleys, but connected them with one another, and with the rest of B. C., also providing work for the many needy prospectors and trail blazers of those days. This road is in present use and good preservation.
Since then more good roads have been built by the government, and also by private and public enterprise, to every town and mining camp in the district, and they are kept in excellent repair, under the supervision of the road superintendents and their road gangs. Greenwood is the center of the West Boundary, and as such, roads from the town reach out in every direction and to every point. Visitors to the various mines can drive comfortably and without danger to themselves or fatigue to their horses, since the grades are uniformly good. This means much to a town and is a distinct attraction to riders and drivers alike."
From 1903 to 1906 Alex Broomfield ran a stagecoach line between Greenwood and Camp McKinney.[2] And his was not the only stage transport serving the residents of Greenwood.
One of the stagecoaches that ran the Greenwood line can be seen today, in beautifully restored condition, at the Boundary Museum in Grand Forks, B.C. The coach, pictured above, was restored to its original beauty by the efforts of the Boundary Woodworkers Guild.[3] Known as the Mountain Wagon Stagecoach, it was described in an article by that name[4], excerpted below:
"With all the cargo piled on top of the carriage and passengers on board, the coach set out from Bossburg, USA to the Kootenay Boundary region of BC. Although there were several different routes used by various stage coaches in the region, the general route used to transport passengers from Bossburg USA to Greenwood BC was long and treacherous and took two days to accomplish. Starting out in Bossburg, the wagon driver would go over the top of the mountain and down into the Kettle Valley ending up three miles below the town of Laurier depending on the river. Here they forded the Kettle River using Hall's Ferry when necessary and came into the town of Cascade. Travelling on that side of the river for about 1.5 miles, they crossed again below Howie's Farm where part of the old wagon route still exists before arriving into Grand Forks and the former City of Columbia where the passengers and driver would overnight.
The original building is now the Station Pub and the trail, now part of the Trans Canada Trail, is just out the back door. Heading towards the Danville Border at the old Carson Rd. crossing to pick up more passengers, the coach would come back onto the flats to the bottom of what is now called Spencer Hill and turn up May Creek towards the many mining camps including the "lost City of Paris" that dotted along the border. Following McCurdy Creek to Boundary Creek, the coach would cross once again into the town of Anaconda and travel a few more kilometers onto Greenwood. There is some debate as to the exact route, but the above description gives a good idea. Other routes included stage lines to the booming cities of Phoenix and Rock Creek.
The coaches were pulled by a team of four horses and would take any cargo that would fit. If you were affluent and could afford the 50 cent fee to travel first class, you could sit where you wanted and you didn't have to help during the journey. If you were a second class passenger, you could sit where you could find a spot, but would be required to assist pushing the coach on steep ground if needed or get out and walk to lighten the load. Third class passengers could sit if they could find a spot, and had to push, walk, dig and help with the horses at the outposts."
FOOTNOTES
[1] Boundary Creek Times — Sep 3, 1909, p. 2
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172011
[2] Alexander Derward Broomfield Papers
http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/exhibits/living-landscapes/thomp-ok/archival-record/contents.html
[3] Boundary Woodworkers Guild
http://www.grandforksgazette.ca/community/boundary-woodworkers-guild-restores-bossburg-stagecoach-gives-history/
[4] The Mountain Wagon Stagecoach
http://www.openminder.com/mountainwagon.html (article no long online)
Wagon Roads
"The Boundary is noted for its good roads. In any mountain country, and especially in its earlier stages of development, transportation, which is a synonym for progress, depends on good roads. In 1894, before any serious mining had been undertaken here on any large scale, this district was shut off from the outside world by the pressing need of good roads, and the provincial government, recognizing the growing importance of the Boundary, built a first-class road from Penticton to Grand Forks, which not only opened up these lower valleys, but connected them with one another, and with the rest of B. C., also providing work for the many needy prospectors and trail blazers of those days. This road is in present use and good preservation.
Since then more good roads have been built by the government, and also by private and public enterprise, to every town and mining camp in the district, and they are kept in excellent repair, under the supervision of the road superintendents and their road gangs. Greenwood is the center of the West Boundary, and as such, roads from the town reach out in every direction and to every point. Visitors to the various mines can drive comfortably and without danger to themselves or fatigue to their horses, since the grades are uniformly good. This means much to a town and is a distinct attraction to riders and drivers alike."
"The Boundary is noted for its good roads. In any mountain country, and especially in its earlier stages of development, transportation, which is a synonym for progress, depends on good roads. In 1894, before any serious mining had been undertaken here on any large scale, this district was shut off from the outside world by the pressing need of good roads, and the provincial government, recognizing the growing importance of the Boundary, built a first-class road from Penticton to Grand Forks, which not only opened up these lower valleys, but connected them with one another, and with the rest of B. C., also providing work for the many needy prospectors and trail blazers of those days. This road is in present use and good preservation.
Since then more good roads have been built by the government, and also by private and public enterprise, to every town and mining camp in the district, and they are kept in excellent repair, under the supervision of the road superintendents and their road gangs. Greenwood is the center of the West Boundary, and as such, roads from the town reach out in every direction and to every point. Visitors to the various mines can drive comfortably and without danger to themselves or fatigue to their horses, since the grades are uniformly good. This means much to a town and is a distinct attraction to riders and drivers alike."
"With all the cargo piled on top of the carriage and passengers on board, the coach set out from Bossburg, USA to the Kootenay Boundary region of BC. Although there were several different routes used by various stage coaches in the region, the general route used to transport passengers from Bossburg USA to Greenwood BC was long and treacherous and took two days to accomplish. Starting out in Bossburg, the wagon driver would go over the top of the mountain and down into the Kettle Valley ending up three miles below the town of Laurier depending on the river. Here they forded the Kettle River using Hall's Ferry when necessary and came into the town of Cascade. Travelling on that side of the river for about 1.5 miles, they crossed again below Howie's Farm where part of the old wagon route still exists before arriving into Grand Forks and the former City of Columbia where the passengers and driver would overnight.
The original building is now the Station Pub and the trail, now part of the Trans Canada Trail, is just out the back door. Heading towards the Danville Border at the old Carson Rd. crossing to pick up more passengers, the coach would come back onto the flats to the bottom of what is now called Spencer Hill and turn up May Creek towards the many mining camps including the "lost City of Paris" that dotted along the border. Following McCurdy Creek to Boundary Creek, the coach would cross once again into the town of Anaconda and travel a few more kilometers onto Greenwood. There is some debate as to the exact route, but the above description gives a good idea. Other routes included stage lines to the booming cities of Phoenix and Rock Creek.
The coaches were pulled by a team of four horses and would take any cargo that would fit. If you were affluent and could afford the 50 cent fee to travel first class, you could sit where you wanted and you didn't have to help during the journey. If you were a second class passenger, you could sit where you could find a spot, but would be required to assist pushing the coach on steep ground if needed or get out and walk to lighten the load. Third class passengers could sit if they could find a spot, and had to push, walk, dig and help with the horses at the outposts."
The original building is now the Station Pub and the trail, now part of the Trans Canada Trail, is just out the back door. Heading towards the Danville Border at the old Carson Rd. crossing to pick up more passengers, the coach would come back onto the flats to the bottom of what is now called Spencer Hill and turn up May Creek towards the many mining camps including the "lost City of Paris" that dotted along the border. Following McCurdy Creek to Boundary Creek, the coach would cross once again into the town of Anaconda and travel a few more kilometers onto Greenwood. There is some debate as to the exact route, but the above description gives a good idea. Other routes included stage lines to the booming cities of Phoenix and Rock Creek.
The coaches were pulled by a team of four horses and would take any cargo that would fit. If you were affluent and could afford the 50 cent fee to travel first class, you could sit where you wanted and you didn't have to help during the journey. If you were a second class passenger, you could sit where you could find a spot, but would be required to assist pushing the coach on steep ground if needed or get out and walk to lighten the load. Third class passengers could sit if they could find a spot, and had to push, walk, dig and help with the horses at the outposts."
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172011
http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/exhibits/living-landscapes/thomp-ok/archival-record/contents.html
http://www.grandforksgazette.ca/community/boundary-woodworkers-guild-restores-bossburg-stagecoach-gives-history/
http://www.openminder.com/mountainwagon.html (article no long online)
