City of Greenwood: The Commercial Metropolis of the Boundary Creek District
BY: BG EDITOR
Dec 03, 2016 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)
Many turn of the century newspapers followed a standard format for their holiday edition. The issue would be 'fat', with many extra pages of news stories, editorials and, of course, holiday advertising. On December 24, 1898, the Boundary Creek Times published their special holiday edition, which provided in-depth coverage of many facets of life in and around the City of Greenwood. One of the most interesting is the following article, which was the Holiday feature about the City itself. It offers a great description of Greenwood's progress as the year 1898 drew to a close.
CITY OF GREENWOOD — THE COMMERCIAL METROPOLIS OF THE BOUNDARY CREEK DISTRICT.
It Has Energetic Business Men, Substantial Buildings and a Bright Future.
"Encircling the City of Greenwood at an elevation of from 500 to 1,200 feet are all the important mining camps of the Boundary Creek District. If a circle were described with Greenwood for its center and a radius of about eight miles, the circumference would pass through or include at least a dozen separate mining camps. The enterprise of Robert Wood, the locator and one of the present owners of the townsite, and the business men, have connected the city with those camps by very good wagon roads. These roads are the links that make the growth and prosperity of Greenwood directly associated with the development of the wonderful mineral resources of Boundary Creek district.
The employment of men, or the expenditure of money in any of these camps, means more trade for the merchants. Greenwood is the natural distributing point for the different camps. It is the Mecca to which capitalists seeking investment, miners seeking employment and prospectors searching for new fields, make their way. It is the center where all business in connection with the mining industry is transacted, in fact the metropolis of the Boundary Creek district. In its peculiarly advantageous position it feels the influence of every movement made in the development of the mines in the different camps.
A stranger visiting the city naturally supposes that its origin dated back several years. The substantial buildings, the civic improvements and the general appearance would naturally convince one that it had taken years to accomplish so much. But at the recent banquet tendered the bankers, the "pioneers" spoke of walking three years ago through a forest where Greenwood now stands.
In the fall of 1895, Robert Wood, a merchant of Armstrong, B.C., visited Boundary Creek. He became at once convinced that the central point for the Boundary Creek district was at the confluence of Twin with Boundary creek. He purchased several hundred acres of land, which he at once subdivided into lots. Roads were built to the then practically undeveloped camps A store was opened, and other improvements carried on. The confidence of the owner in his town inspired confidence in others. Shrewd business men came and invested their money; others followed, until the town grew to such proportions that in August, 1897, it was incorporated and its people assumed all the responsibilities of self government. Since then it has kept pace with the development of the mining district surrounding it.
Greenwood never enjoyed a boom, nor have its people encouraged one. They did everything to promote the interests of the city, but never attempted to give property an inflated value or induce people to come here who could not make a good living. Greenwood to-day has a population of about 1,200. There are eight general stores, six excellent hotels and two others in course of construction, several stationery stores, livery stables, bakeries, harness shop, blacksmith shop, etc., — indeed every line of business is well represented.
Greenwood is also the financial center of the district. Three chartered banks have branches here. The Bank of British North America, "the Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Bank of Montreal chose Greenwood as the most advantageous point from which they could command their share of the large number of monetary transactions carried on in connection with the mines and business houses.
While the city enjoys the advantage of being the natural and most convenient center for the mines, it owes much of its progress and stability to the character and enterprise of its business men. They are all wide-awake and enterprising, and have established an excellent reputation for business integrity with wholesale houses. They are public-spirited and never lose an opportunity to act in concert in promoting" the interests of the city.
The city is orderly and no tramps or hoboes are allowed to remain within its limits. Police Magistrate Hallett is a terror to evil-doers, and the vigor with which he punishes offences has had a salutary effect upon those who had any desire for a wide open town. The religious denominations are well organized. The Presbyterians and Episcopalians have resident clergymen. At present both congregations worship in a public hall, but are taking active steps towards erecting churches. The Roman Catholics have built a handsome church on a knoll overlooking the city. There is also in Greenwood an imposing and well, arranged hospital. For two years this institution was admirably conducted by Dr. Jakes, the pioneer physician in the district. His name is revered throughout the whole of Southern Yale, for not only were the hospital doors thrown open to those needing medical attendance, but he never spared himself in order to reach those requiring his services. The hospital has been closed temporarily, but will probably be opened early next spring.
Many families have built neat houses for themselves in the city and their children are educated at the public school. The provincial legislature voted $1,500 for the erection of a new school building in the city. It is hoped that this grant will be augmented next session by an additional $1,000, when a two-room school building will be erected.
Since the town was incorporated many improvements have been undertaken by the municipal council. This year two loans, aggregating $25,000 were floated. Of this amount $14,000 was expended in grading the principal streets, and $11,000 is being utilized in constructing waterworks. The water is taken from Twin creek at a distance of 800 yards and at an elevation of 250 feet above the city. Hose, reels and other fire apparatus have been purchased.
The site for the city is an excellent one and the corporation boundaries are all within the Boundary Creek valley. The townsite is two miles in length and half a mile in width. The business portion is on a low bench, sloping both ways to lower ground. At present the majority of the residences are situated near the foothills, but the city is growing so rapidly that houses are springing up in every direction. The business houses are nearly all frame, two-story structures, the store fronts being tastily arranged. The principal hotels are three-story buildings, heated by hot-air and lighted with acetylene gas.
As is generally known, the C.P.R. Co. is pushing its Robson-Boundary Creek line towards Greenwood. Its officers are noted for having a keen eye for any chance by which the company can make money. Mr. E. A. Hamilton, the C. P. R. land commissioner, visited Greenwood last fall. He at once appreciated the advantages possessed by Greenwood. He opened negotiations with the owners of the town-site, with a view to acquiring an interest for his company. These negotiations were successful. The C.P.R. secured a third interest in the unsold lots in the city, conditional upon the C.P.R. company undertaking the expenditure of considerable money in improvements within the city. These include the erection of a handsome depot on the bench across Boundary creek, the grading of a wide street from the station to Government street, and necessary excavating and filling in to make ample yard room near the station. The company is to advertise Greenwood in all C.P.R. literature and generally to give Greenwood the benefit of its great power and influence. Evidence of the bona fide intentions of the railway company is to be found in the fact that, wherever possible, surveys for the branch lines to the different mining camps have been run so that these branches will terminate in Greenwood."
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