Fiddler Creek

Fiddler Creek BC

Unincorporated Area.

Latitude- 54º 51' 32“ N
Longitude- 128º 21' 52” W

Range 5, Coast Land District
Elevation- 437 ft above sea level
1620.0 miles from Winnipeg
Located on the Grand Trunk Pacific/ CN Railroad

Credit: William James Topley/Library and Archives Canada/PA-

June 1914
Lewis “Lew” Cleveland Knauss was working on his claim near here
He was driving a long drift tunnel to the ore.

Lewis “Lew” Cleveland Knauss
aka: Louis Knauss
b- Jan 21, 1886 in Jordan, Monona Co. Iowa
d- Nov 17, 1918 in Prince Rupert BC, age 32
buried in Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria BC
He was born in Jordan, Monona Co. Iowa
where he shows up with his mom and sister in 1900
mother- Kate Knauss, b- Feb 1854 in Iowa, widow in 1900
sister- Minnie Knauss, b- Apr 1882 in Iowa

1905 he was a Barber in Spokane WA

Sept 1907 he operated the Knauss Barber Shop in the Driard Hotel, in Victoria BC, built in 1892.
It was Victoria's grandest Hotel before the Empress.

He found the Doreen Gold Mine Vein in 1907

From BC Mining report ca 1916-
This group consisted originally of three claims owned by Louis Knauss,
Fiddler Group, but now there are eight claims in the group, all held by annual assessment-
work. The three original claims — the Boulder, Indicator, and Intrusive — are staked on Knauss creek, about two miles above the junction of that stream with Fiddler creek.
Knauss creek is a small, short, glacial stream rising in Knauss basin, and the claims are only a short distance below this basin.
The vein was discovered on the Boulder claim and has been exposed for a considerable distance on this claim, and the next one, the Indicator.
The property is distant about four miles from Dorreen, a station on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, 125 miles east of Prince Rupert.
A trail from the station was formerly the means of access to the property, but recently a wagon-road has been constructed.

Knauss Creek is named after this man.
Lat- 54º 50' 1“ N,
Long- 128º 23' 49” W

ca Jan 1908, He built a house on Chester St in Victoria BC

Dec 11, 1909 he sailed from Prince Rupert on SS Cottage City heading to Vancouver, showing from Kitselas, age 24, shown as a Bartender, born in USA

1910 he was selling a 5 room furnished cottage in Victoria.

July 1914- Lew Knauss bonded his claims on his Fiddler Mountain Group and PeePee Hill to Capt. John Irving, Harry Howson, and Martin Welch

Dec 27, 1914 he arrived in Ketchikan Alaska, age 29, on CPR ship SS Princess May

by 1915 he was opening a barber shop in New Hazelton.

He was a member of the Barber's International Union

William Wesley Knauss came to Jordan, Monona township in Iowa in 1882, and lived on Section 35, farm of 240 acres

father- William Wesley Knauss
b- Nov 24, 1851 in Nobles Co., Indiana
d- Dec 11, 1922, age 71
buried in Bethel Cemetery, Logan, Harrison Co. Iowa
There is a whole bunch of Knauss family buried here.
William was a prominent and well to do stock raiser in Monona township.

William was the son of Henry Knauss
b- July 5, 1811 in PA, USA (date on headstone)
(July 4, 1913 in another source)
d- Apr 3, 1897
and Rachel Knauss, nee Dunigan (Dungan?)
b- Oct 23, 1819
d- Sept 27, 1892
both buried in Bethel Cemetery, Logan, Harrison Co. Iowa

William was married Feb 22, 1887 to Kate Hillman
at Jefferson Township, Harrison Co, Iowa
daughter of Abit Hillman and Martha Easley.

siblings of Lewis:
Stella M. Knauss, b- Dec 13, 1878
Minnie B. Knauss, b- Apr 8, 1882
Annie Knauss, b- Oct 23, 1887

June 1914

William John “Bill” Guiney
b- May 21, 1875 in Renfrew, ON
d- Feb 9, 1929 in Victoria BC, age 53
He was invalided in WWI
shot 3 times, and called for stretcher for another wounded soldier
before he told anyone about his injuries.
Private, enlisted Nov 1914, in Victoria BC
Served 1 year in South Africa as well
Occupation- Teamster, Reg # 77137
next of kin- his mother, Mrs. C. Guiney, in Renfrew
Father- Cornelius Guiney, farmer
Mother- Jane Anne Joyce

Bill was one of the first prospectors in Fiddler Creek area, who was returning to work his claims.

he also appears in my Lakelse lake page, he nearly drowned there.

Sept 1914 Harry Howson was working on the Fiddler Creek Property, which was taken over by Martin Welch and Associates

Howson Mountain possibly named after this man
Howson Creek was supposedly named after Jack Howson a prospector in Telkwa area. (same guy, or relative?) I am thinking this is his son.

He lived in Telkwa area, He had a mining camp with 8 men, on Dome Mountain near Telkwa.

He was General Manager of The Telkwa Mining, Milling and Development Co. which owned over 40 Copper/Gold claims in the Telkwa Basin
His associates were Butte, Chicago, and New York Capitalists
W. D. Lukeas was one in Chicago

Harry Howson (Sr.)
b- 1865 in Peterborough ON
d- Jan 30, 1944 in Vancouver BC, age 78
son of John Howson and Margaret Howson, nee ?

Married, to Anna McCallum
b- Mose ON
d-

son- Harry Howson (Jr.)
b- July 4, 1905 in Hazelton BC
d- Feb 4, 1965 at Broughton St. Vancouver BC, age 59

and he had at least 2 daughters as well

Martin Welch
b- ca 1864, in Marcellus, Onondaga Co. New York, USA
(or Jones Co. Iowa, USA in another source?)
d- aft Jan 1929
I found a headstone in The Dalles, OR, b- 1863, d- 1937, him?
I am starting to think this headstone is his.
He was from Spokane WA. in Oct 1914
when he was at Fiddler Creek BC, looking over his property

He was a wealthy railroad contractor in Spokane, Brother and Partner of Patrick “Pat” Welch, The Multimillionaire Railroad Contractor
see Foley, Welch and Stewart

father- Austin Welch
b- 1812 Galloway Ireland (shown on his tombstone)
d- Oct 26, 1875
mother- Margaret Maley/Melia? (Daly in one source)
b- 1820 in Galloway Ireland
d- July 22, 1872

Martin married Agnes Kelly, Jan 21, 1903 in Spokane, WA, USA
b- ON
d- ?
She was from Winnipeg Canada, age 25, when they married
daughter- of Patrick Kelly and Mary Neville
note sons middle name was Nevel, so possibly not Neville?
They were divorced Oct 2, 1912
He had to pay an alimony of $260.00 a month.
He then moved to Canada and never paid the amount for a few months.
He left Washington to Vancouver BC shortly after his divorce.
He came back to WA to visit his brother in hospital,
and she had him arrested for lack of payment.
Oct 1912 Martin won custody of their 2 children:

Patrick Welch
b- Jan 11, 1908, Spokane, WA, USA
d- Jan 1988 Boise, Idaho, USA
1935 he lived in Monrovia CA
In 1940 he was married to Ronna Welch, nee ?
b- in Iowa, age 30 in 1940
He was a salesman, in Seattle WA. in 1940

Martin Nevel Welch Jr.
b- Jan 22, 1910, Spokane, WA, USA
(when he was born his mother's surname shown as Kelley)
d- Jan 22, 1936, Sedro-Woolley (Rural), Skagit, WA, age 26

Agnes was given their house at W313 fourteenth Ave in the divorce settlement.
She then sold it Feb 13, 1914 to a Mr. A. L. Browne, for a much lower price than it was worth, He then sold it to Martin Welch, her ex husband.
Eyebrows were raised in real estate circles at the time.

His ex wife lived at Hotel Perry in Seattle after selling their house.
She remarried a Thomas Lovins, from New York, ca 1916
They lived in New York in a hotel

He worked on the Alaska Railroad and lived in Seward Alaska at that time.
Nov 30, 1905, He was charged with murder for slapping a labourer that worked for him, named August Nilson, who just happened to die right after.
It was declared the fellow had a heart condition, so Martin was found not guilty in a Seward Court.

Jan 23, 1907 Martin was in Cheney WA directing work on the Portland Seattle Rail line, for the P. Welch & Co.

Martin (Sr.) remarried to Cecelia M. Welch, nee Dorsey
b- in Iowa
shows as his wife in 1920 census, age 34, he was 56
2 sons with them, Patrick and Martin.
all 4 in Seattle, King Co. WA.
with them his step son:
John F. Kerrnish, age 14, b- in Alaska
and his mother-in-law:
Isabelle Dorsey, age 47, b- in Kentucky

Martin lived at The Dailes, (Dalles) Oregon, when brother Patrick died in 1929

besides brother Patrick Welch, he had 2 brothers, Thomas Martin and Henry Martin of Seattle WA.
and 2 sisters, (*note) -Mrs. Francis Duke, and Mrs. Stephen K. Manning of Stanberry Missouri (in 1929)
that were still alive in 1929.

Mr. and Mrs. Manning later moved to Superior Wisconsin

Children of Austin Welch and Margaret:
Thomas Welch, lived in Seattle WA in 1929

Bridget Welch (*see note above)
I believe she married Francis Duke

Henry Welch, lived in Seattle WA in 1929
Patrick Welch (see Foley,Welch page)

John B Welch- b- Ireland, d- bef 1929

Martin Welch (our subject here)

Maggie Welch, married Samuel Lindsey

Mary D. Welch- (*see note above)
I believe she married Stephen K. Manning

Gregory Welch, b- Ireland, d- bef 1929
Michael “Mike” Welch, b- Ireland, d- bef 1929

all born before 1870 in Iowa, or Marcellus, Onondaga Co., New York in other sources, other than 3 in Ireland, shown otherwise

so I am still missing info on some of Martin's siblings

July 1916,
Lessard and Shaw were starting work on the Knauss Property on Fiddler Creek.
They were working on a road to the railroad. Motor Trucks were to be used.

Prosper (Peter?) Edmond Lessard
baptized- James Alexander Prosper Edmond Lessard
b- Feb 3, 1873 in Cranbourne, Quebec
d- Apr 11, 1931 at his home in St. Paul AB, age 58
buried in Edmonton Cemetery, 116th st.
Merchant in Edmonton in 1911
Member of Alberta Legislature, Pakan
He was from Edmonton
Came west in 1898
Feb 1882 his barns and outbuildings were burnt down
in Cranbourne Quebec.
He became a Canadian Senator
He had a brother named Jack Lessard
and one named Thomas “Tom” Lessard
They were sons of Jean-Prosper Lessard

Prosper's wife- Hélene “Helen” Lessard, nee Gariepy
b- Aug 1878 in Quebec

4 children:
daughter- Albertine Lessard
b- Sept 1901 in AB
son- Arthur Lessard
b- Mar 1903 in AB
daughter- Alice Lessard
b- Sept 1904 in AB
daughter- Bertha Lessard
b- Oct 1908 in AB

Robert Lee Shaw
b- Nov 27, 1866 (1865?) in Roseburg, Oregon, USA
d- Jan 22, 1930 in Vancouver, BC, age 64
Educated in Oregon Public Schools
Cattle Exporter, Union Meat Co., Portland (1894-1897)
Immigrated in 1902
Naturalized in 1905
Hotel Keeper in Stettler in 1911
President and Managing Director National Hotel Co. Ltd.
He also operated a ranch and butcher shop in Stettler.
President and Managing Director Stettler Meat Co. Ltd.
MLA 1909-1917 for Stettler AB
Member of the Masons
son of John and Mary Shaw

wife- Nettie Shaw, nee Sloan
b- June 1872 in USA
daughter of Elijah Sloan

adopted son- Frank S. Shaw
b- May 1900 in USA

both Lessard and Shaw were Liberals

---

1921 in Fiddler Creek

Robert Lamb
b- ca 1879 in ON
Farmer
wife- Lulu Lamb- b- ca 1883 in USA
She immigrated in 1901 to Canada
She was the Lorne Creek Post Mistress
3 sons:
Gordon Lorne Lamb- b- ca 1912 in SK
Robert Garfield Lamb- b- ca 1913 in SK
Stanley Wilson Lamb- b- ca 1915 in SK
see Lorne Creek page for more info

Arthur Michel
b- ca 1886 in Scotland
d-
immigrated in 1906, clearing land on his pre-emption
Nov 1934, he went missing and was presumed drowned
His farm was across the river from Fiddler Creek.
Known as a rancher and prospector
He had 2 ranches that were almost adjoining.
Last known location he was going to the Lower Ranch.

Rodrick McDonald
b- ca 1873 in Scotland
d-
Immigrated in 1904, clearing land on his pre-emption
wife- Annie McDonald, b- ca 1879 in ON
children:
Donald Lamont McDonald,
b- ca 1919, in BC
Christina Marion McDonald,
b ca 1920- (age 8 mo in 1921), in BC

Jan 1924 the McDonald family moved to Port Angeles, WA, USA
after first moving to Victoria BC in Aug 1923.

Charles Taylor
b- ca 1859, in Australia
d-
parents both born in England,
He immigrated in 1862
Farmer
He was still there in 1928, when he visited Pacific BC

Fiddler Creek Property comprises 25 claims totalling 465.74 hectares, located within the Omineca Mining Division

bought in 2009 by Chancery Mining Canada Ltd.

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