Ritchie Station

Ritchie / Ritchie Station

132 mi from Rupert,
Flag Station on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad

Latitude- 54º 55' N,
Longitude-128º 23' W

Elevation- 457 ft above sea level

1614.1 miles from Winnipeg

Sub-Mining Recording Office and Post Office
3 miles East of Lorne Creek, the Post Office Location

Unincorporated area

3 residents in Ritchie:

Daniel Small
b- ca 1893, in Ukraine,
CNR Section Foreman
Immigrated in 1910

George Ironside
b- ca 1883 in ON,
CNR Section Hand

George Hambly
b- ca1847, in England
Immigrated in 1857,
Prospector
he had a South African War Land Grant,
Served in Strathcona's Horse, Feb 1900- Mar 1901
he was in Lorne Creek at the time he applied.
he lived in Cranbrook BC when he enlisted.

GTPR Station Named after: \\

2 possible suspects in my eyes

Joseph Frederick “ Fred” Nelson Ritchie, DLS and PLS
b- May 23, 1863, in Aylmer, Gatineau, Quebec
d- May 11, 1939, in Prince Rupert BC, age 76
Buried in Fairview Cemetery in Prince Rupert.
(age 33 in 1896 when married)
He was a Dominion and Provincial Land Surveyor
who had a an office in Prince Rupert.
was it named after him?
He named Ritchie Point, and surveyed Kaien Island.
He was commissioned by the Prov. Govt. to survey their 1/4 interest in the Prince Rupert Townsite.
He printed the first map of Kaien Island Tsimpsean Peninsula.
Prior to this he worked in the mining industry in the Kootenays.
His Obit showed him as a Pioneer Oil Driller as well.
In 1884 he drilled the First Oil Well in the Cardston District in AB.
He sold 80,000 acres of land around Cardston, to some early Mormon settlers.
Came to BC in 1881.
Associated with land surveys in BC and AB
1889 he started the First Hydraulic Gold Operation in Southern BC.
Five years later he surveyed the Townsite of Rossland BC.
He owned 1/3 of the Townsite at that time.
He then surveyed the water rights for Bonnington Falls Power,
which became West Kootenay Power and Light Company.

married Jenny Josephine “Jane” Adams, Oct 24, 1896 in Rossland Dist., BC
b- Jan 8, 1879, in Campbellford, ON, (age 18 in 1896 when married)
d- aft 1939
daughter of David and Ellen Adams

Children of Fred and Jane:
son- Robert A. Ritchie
b- Sept 6, 1897
d-
son- Joseph Frederick Ritchie
b- Mar 23, 1901, in Rossland BC (age 33 in 1934)
d- June 2, 1959 in Vancouver BC, age 58
son became an elevator man in Prince Rupert
and married there in 1927.

Fred's Father- Robert Ritchie
b- 1818 in Lower Canada
d- 1872
Came to Aylmer in 1840
He served with the Canadian Militia,
at the battle of the Windmill at Prescott in 1839.
He was the one who knocked the door down with a sledgehammer.
Shown as a Butcher in Village of Aylmer in 1861 census, age 39

Fred's Mother- Mary nee McCullough,
b- 1822 in Ireland, age 37 in 1861 census
d- Jan 31, 1898, home in Aylmer Que., age 76

Ritchie Family were associated with a sawmill in Aylmer
for 115 years prior to 1955

Fred had many brothers and sisters:

Ann Jane Ritchie
b- Upper Canada, age 18 in 1861 census
married Dr. Daniel Beatty

Sarah L. Ritchie
b- 1844 in Hamilton ON
(age 33 in 1880 US census)
(age 17 in 1861 Canada Census, b- in Upper Canada)
d-
Mrs. Dr. Palmer of Bay City, Michigan USA
she married Thomas R. Palmer Jan 2, 1865
1880 census shown as a Dr in Michigan, age 40, b in Canada
She had 3 sons, 3 daughters in 1880 census, all born in Michigan

Isabella Ritchie
b- ca 1845, in Upper Canada, age 16 in 1861 census

Mary Ritchie
b- ca 1846 in Lower Canada, age 14 in 1861 census
d- July 9, 1932 at her home in Aylmer, age 86
buried in Conroy Cemetery, Aylmer rd.
married Charles W. Deegan, lived in Hull until 1900

Elizabeth “Bella” Ritchie
b- ca 1848 in Lower Canada, age 12, in 1861 census
b- Jan 1, 1850 in Que. per 1901 census, living with brother Samuel
shown single, age 51, name shown as Bella
Niece Blanche Palmer was living with them.
d-
married Richard Chamberlain, after 1901

Agnes Henrietta Ritchie
b- ca 1850, in Lower Canada (Aylmer), age 11 in 1861
b- ca 1858 (per age in obit) in Aylmer, Que
d- Feb 6, 1929 at her son's home in Aylmer, (age 71?)
married Patrick George Nash, of Ottawa, Aug 23, 1881 at Portage du Fort, Que.
b- abt 1857 in ON
d- 1916
shown as Managing Prop. Canadian Granite Co. in Ottawa

Richard McCullough Ritchie
b- Dec 25, 1851 in Aylmer Que.
b- in Lower Canada, age 9 in 1861 census
d- Aug 28, 1940
buried in Bellevue Cemetery, Aylmer, Gatineau County, Quebec
lived in Aylmer Que. in 1939
Orangeman
Hotel Keeper in 1881
married 1- Frances Grout
married 2- Anna Elizabeth Hurdman

Robert McCullough Ritchie,
b- 1853 in Aylmer Quebec
b- in Lower Canada, age 7 in 1861
d- Oct 14, 1940 in an Ottawa Hospital, age 88.
He lived in Ottawa in 1939
wife- Lucy Rolston

Thomas Ritchie
b-1855 in Aylmer Que.
b- in Lower Canada, age 5 in 1861 census
d- Dec 20, 1926 at his home, Main st, Aylmer Que., age 72
partner with his brother Robert in lumbering firm R. and T. Ritchie Ltd.
Mayor of Aylmer Que, Feb 1, 1892 - 1898
married Emma Lydia McLean
b- 1860
d- 1942

Edna Frances Ritchie
b- ca 1859
b- shown as male?, born in Lower Canada, age 2 in 1861 census
d- June 1, 1861, age 2 yrs and 3 mo

Samuel Francis E. Ritchie
b- Mar 17, 1861 in Quebec
d- aft 1921
lived in Aylmer Que. in 1939
his wife Agnes E. Derby
1921 census in Aylmer, shows his wife as Mary F. B., age 51, in Que.
and son Samuel F. Ritchie, age 17 in Que., b- June 1904
1911 wife is Florence Ritchie, age 41

or what is assumed to be correct:

GeoBC says it was “presumably” named after Captain George Hamilton Ritchie,
Sternwheeler Captain on the Skeena River, when the railroad was built.
1910 he was in charge of the Chilco, (originally named the Nechacco)
which plied the Upper Fraser River until Apr 1911 when it was sunk near the Cottonwood Canyon.
He was working for the Fort George Lumber and Navigation Co. at the time.
He was then put in charge of the Fort Fraser Sternwheeler.
He was Captain until at least 1913.

He had a company paid trip to Japan, shown age 48,
arrived back in Victoria June 30, 1925,
left from Yokohama Japan on Kaga Maru.
shown as a Master Mariner, Single
Master Mariner Certification #4067
father shown as A. J. K. Ritchie,
living at 901C, Park Ave, West Vancouver, BC

father- James Kinsella (Kinsey?) (Kinsley?) Ritchie
b- Jan 14, 1851 in Windsor, Annapolis, NS
d- May 13, 1929 in Vancouver BC, age 86
died at his sons Dudley's house, west 8th Ave..
His father was a famous mariner himself.
1871 James is shown as a Sea Captain, living in Annapolis with his family
1881 shown as a farmer and a mariner age 33 in Annapolis NS

James Ritchie was of United Loyalist Stock.
VANCOUVER, May 14 —One of British Columbia's well-known pioneers and a veteran of marine circles on this coast, died on Monday,
In the person of James Kinsley Ritchie, 86, at the residence of his son. Dudley A. Ritchie. West Eighth Avenue.

Captain Ritchie brought a sailing vessel round the Horn to the site of Vancouver early In the 1870's and loaded lumber here when even Gastown was in its pioneer days.
(four-masted schooners Warswa and Venus)

He returned In 1887 to make his home here.

During the Cariboo gold rush days Captain Ritchie was a prominent figure as he navigated the Delaware and William Irving up the Fraser.
When the Boundary gold rush was at its height, Captain Ritchie still followed with the boats and is remembered as the master of craft used by the stampeding miners.

The Yukon gold rush also saw Captain Ritchie playing a historic role. As master of SS. Tyrill he took his vessel from Vancouver to St. Michael's In the Bering Sea,
And thence up the Yukon to Dawson, and the White Horse Rapids, head of navigation on the river.

1901 census he was age 60 in the Yukon shown as a Captain.

At the close of the rush he returned to Vancouver and endeavoured to settle on a farm, but gave it up and came to live with his son. Dudley A. Ritchie, and retired.
His eyesight failed and he became totally blind two years later. He was born in Windsor.

1891 census shown as Ship Master
James married Isabella “Bell” Hamilton Dealy,
Aug 6, 1873 in St. John's Anglican Church, Saint John, NB
b- Mar 10, 1853 Saint John, NB
d- Sept 7, 1917
Buried in Calgary AB
daughter of Michael Dealy and Isabella McCausland

James had 3 sons:

George Hamilton Ritchie
b- Aug 6, 1881 in Carleton Corner, Annapolis, NB
d- Aug 9, 1953 in Vancouver BC
(shown age 80 in death cert which doesn't add up)
1901 census shows him as a Steam Boat Mate

son- Dudley Athelston Ritchie
b- June 16, 1882 in Bridgetown, NS
d- Sept 18, 1937 in Vancouver BC, age 54
Provincial Police Officer

son- Bartley Livingstone Ritchie
b- July 28, 1884, in Laurencetown, NS (1882 in attestation form)
enlisted in WWI, May 9, 1918, living in Three Hills AB at the time.
shown as a clerk., reg # 944
next of kin, father James Kinsella Ritchie

1891 family in New Westminster

Grandfather- Wilkinson James Exshaw,
b- ca 1825
d- May 19, 1878, Annapolis NS, age 53
a Shoemaker in 1871 in Annapolis NS, age 46 in 1871
Grandmother- Ann “Anna” Elizabeth Balsor (Bolzer?), age 44 in 1871
b- Nov 5, 1825
d- Mar 27, 1904, Winnipeg MB

siblings of James K. Ritchie in 1871 census:
Thomas Ritchie, Carpenter in 1871, age 27
Eliza Ritchie, age 19
Matthew Ritchie- farmer in 1871, age 18
Sinclair Balsor Ritchie, age 15
Lora Ritchie, age 9
Elizabeth Ritchie, age 7
Irena Ritchie

Great Grandfather- Matthew Ritchie
b- ca 1797, Annapolis Co., NS.
d- Apr 12, 1871, Rosette, Annapolis Co., NS (Age approx 74 yrs)

Michal Kic
b- ca 1901 (abt 1895) in Hurko, Poland, (per pass list Apr 30, 1925)
d- Feb 8, 1935 in Ritchie BC, age 34

Joseph Studal
b- ca 1890
d- Dec 12, 1925, in Ritchie BC, age 35

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