Share via Share via... Twitter Facebook Pinterest × Table of Contents Aiyansh Information by Year Post Office History Aiyansh Aiyansh, BC, Canada aka: The Valley of Eternal Bloom Note on Native History Note on Native History Note- This is only the European History of this area of the last hundred years or so. Of course this area is part of the Nisga'a Nation. I will leave the Nisga'a to record and publish their own history as I have limited information available to me. Also the term “Indian” is used where it is the historically accurate term in regards to job titles etc.. and is not meant in any derogatory way. I don't personally agree with the way the European came and took over this land, but I am not going to judge them here. Just as it is important to have a record of Native history in the area, I also feel these men and women need their history saved. This is the purpose of this web page. From BC Geo, link below, Nisga'a name meaning “Place of the First Leaves” (in spring), or “Place of Early Blooming”. Unincorporated Area Lat- 55º 12' 15“ N Long- 129º 4' 45” W NE of junction of Ksi Sii Aks (Tseax River) and Nass River, Cassiar Land District The Village of Aiyansh was founded in 1878 by the C.M.S. missionary, Robert Tomlinson, following the pattern of establishing native Christian villages separately from existing villages Gitlaxt'aamiks or New Aiyansh is a Nisga'a Village about 100 km north of Terrace, in the heart of the Nass River valley, Canada Old Aiyansh was on the other side of the Nass River. Map of West Coast, BC, showing Aiyansh on the Naas (Nass) River, 2 miles down the Nass (Naas) River from the Nisga'a Native village of Gitlakdamiks Holy Trinity Church, Aiyansh “Old Aiyansh” Rev. James Benjamin McCullagh's house at the back by itself I believe this is all gone with floods now. Nass River in foreground Information by Year 1914 C. C. Perry- Indian Agent for the Nass Agency Charles Clifton Perry b- Apr 18, 1882 Tiverton, England d- Aug 5, 1955, Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria, BC. son of Thomas Perry, and Rhoda Vickery Indian Agent at Metlakahtla Retired as Assistant Commissioner for Indian Affairs in 1936. married Catherine Jane nee Manson, Oct 20, 1910 in Nanaimo BC b- 1882, Nanaimo BC d- 1943 daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Manson Constable Phillipson in charge- (see below) His Headquarters was in Prince Rupert 1916 Access was by steamer to Naas Harbour, then via motor boat or by Kitsumkalum Telegraph Trail Wagon road, 18 miles, and then Pack Trail 45 miles. Ferry Crosses River at Aiyansh They had a Dominion Government Telegraph Station, Arthur Featherstone Priestley's Store, a School, Church,- Rev J. B. McCullagh (see below) Directory showed W. McCullagh Industry- Farming and Stock Raising Had a Native Village with a considerable Population Trail Communication with Kitwancool, Kitwangar, Alice Arm, and Stewart, via Meziadin Lake Residents C. C. Buchanan- Farmer J. V. Davile- Farmer J. F. Davies- Prospector Albert Ernst Ferris- Miner b- abt 1862 in NB d- Apr 9, 1939 in Prince Rupert, age 73 age 59 in 1921, Woodsman, Seal Cove, Prince Rupert T. R. R. Free- Gas Engineer F. C. L. Gordon- Policeman Dennys Bryan M. Jackson- Farmer, Grease Harbour Frederick Ernest “Fred” Juggins- Miner b- Mar 27, 1883, in Solihull, Warwickshire, England (age 43 when he married) d- Oct 23, 1942, Mead Spokane Co, WA, USA Immigrated in 1894 son of Ambrose Juggins and Caroline Wagstaff married Mrs. Elizabeth Muriel Garlach, nee Haycock, June 19, 1918, Vancouver BC b- Salford ON (age 23 when she married) (a widow) daughter of John Haycock and Margaret James John Thomas McCabe- Farmer (see below) B. McEachern- farmer Rev. James Benjamin McCullagh- C.M.S. Missionary (see below) W. McLean- Prospector J. Potter- Farmer Arthur Featherstone Priestley- Farmer (see below) Mitchell Robertson- Farmer, Grease Harbour George Schech- Farmer W. Stewart J. Studdy- Miner J. A. Whalen- Logger H. Worrell- Cook J. A. Wynnes- Carpenter Nov 29, 1917 6ft flood swept thru the village, wiping out animals even 1923 Government Pre-Emption Reserve extends for 25 miles, 2 miles either side of the river, population 41 non-native, and 260 natives. Residents Pat Calvin- Farming, Aiyansh H. Derby- Farming S. C. Gordon- Farming Frank Hoeft- Farming John Nelson- Farming, Aiyansh Nels Olsen- Farming, Grease Harbour Jonathan Joseph Phillips- Farming, Tseax Arthur Featherstone Priestley - General Store- Sub-Recorder Mines, and PM (see below) M. Robertson- Farming Benjamin Franklin Spencer - Farming, Grease Harbour b- possibly Metlakatla d- Oct 16, 1940, in Aiyansh, age 77 William Stewart- Market Gardener Ewan John Butler Studdy - Telegraph Operator, Grease Harbour b- Dec 31, 1879, in England d- Aug 27, 1955 North Cowichan, age 75 son of ? Studdy and ? Needham married Dorothy Walford-Gosnell Rev. Oliver Thorne Photo courtesy his grandson Jim Thorne, Dec 3, 2020 - Anglican Mission He took over the mission at Aiyansh from Rev McCullagh, see ext link below J. Vetter- Farmer (wrong initial in directory) 1935, Charles Vetter, farmer, married Charles E. Vetter b- 1863 in Ohio, USA, Age 53 , Aug 24, 1916 when family arrived in Vancouver d- Sept 30, 1942, in Fairview, Prince Rupert, age 80 son of George and Hanna Vetter, both born in Germany married to Margaret Vetter, nee Fraser b- May 14, 1868, in Scotland, Age 48, Aug 24, 1916 when family arrived in Vancouver d- Dec 31, 1948, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver BC, age 80 buried in Mt. View Cemetery, Vancouver BC daughter Lillias Swanson Vetter b- ca 1907, in Canada age 9, Aug 24, 1916 when family arrived in Vancouver d- May 17, 1923, in Aiyansh, age 15 Vetter Falls named after Charles Vetter Family August Weber- (Webber?) Farming George Wohlschlegel- Farming John Alfred Wynes- Farming, Aiyansh Post Office History Name of Office: Aiyansh Federal Electoral District: Comox - Atlin (BC) Office Opened- Aug 1, 1912 name change- Upper Naas- Jan 1, 1916 closed May 15, 1918 Postmaster Information: Name of Postmaster Date of Appointment Date of Vacancy Cause of Vacancy Arthur Featherstone Priestley Aug 8, 1912 -1918 Resignation- closed Office moved from Aiyansh to Upper Naas 6 miles above on the Naas River Name of Office: Aiyansh Federal Electoral District: Skeena (BC) Dates: Establishment Re-openings Closings 1917-05-01 1961-08-04 1964-02-01 - Summer-Winter Schedule Date Opened Date Closed 1950-10-01 1951-06-16 1951-11-01 1952-06-13 1952-10-16 1953-06-15 1953-10-20 1954-05-23 1954-10-18 1955-06-07 1955-10-24 1956-05-31 1956-10-25 1957-05-21 1957-10-21 1958-05-29 1958-10-21 1959-04-12 1959-12-08 1960-03-31 Postmaster Info Name of Postmaster Military Status Date of Appointment Date of Vacancy Cause of Vacancy Albert John Phillipson 1917-05-01 1918-01-03 Non-residence of postmaster Rev. James Benjamin McCullagh 1918-01-05 1920-04-15 Resignation Arthur Featherstone Priestley OAS 1920-06-05 1930-10-28 Resignation Charles Herald Gray OAS 1930-12-01 1942-07-07 Resignation John Thomas McCabe (see below) OAS 1942-08-10 Acting - “ ” 1942-11-16 1944-03-06 Resignation Charles Herald Gray OAS 1944-04-12 1944-08-16 Resignation Mrs Martha Kinley, nee Burton (see below) 1944-08-16 Acting - “ 1944-10-03 Jun-54 Resignation Roderick Anthony Robinson 1954-10-18 1957-09-27 Resignation Roger Mercer 1957-10-21 Acting - ” 1958-12-31 1959-03-29 Death Roddy Vincent Tait 1959-12-08 Acting - “ 1960-04-01 1961-10-28 Resignation Douglas McIntyre 1964-02-01 1966-02-23 Resignation Mrs Lilian Pearl Munson 1966-04-14 Acting - ” 1966-05-25 1967-09-14 Resignation Miss Clara Janet Innes 1967-10-17 Acting - “ 1967-12-04 1968-04-08 * Nash Service Centre Co. Ltd 1968-04-09 Acting Temporarily closed Mrs Louise P. Nisyok 1969-03-25 - - Additional Information: * Location - Naas River - 70 miles north of Terrace B.C. - 1964-02-01 * Note - 1960-04-01 status changed to year-round office. * Other employment - Accounting - 1966-06-11 * Status - Year round - 1960-04-01 * Status - Year-round - 1917-05-01 - Winter office - 1950-10-01 Aiyansh- Tseax Cone Ext Links Rev Oliver Thorne Story https://www.northernsentinel.com/opinion/the-rev-oliver-thorne/ © Last modified: 2021/06/18 13:58by dlgent Log In