bc:towns:discovery:start



Discovery

Discovery, BC, Canada

Original name- Discovery BC, changed to Pine a short time later
aka: Pine Creek City
aka: Pine City

Founded by Sergeant Davis, NWMP, the townsite adjoined the Discovery Claim
Davis owned the townsite of Lake Bennett per newspaper article

Located on Pine Creek, between Stevendyke Creek, running south, and Willow Creek, running north,
both branches off Pine Creek

Established as a Mining Camp on Pine Creek 6 1/2-7 miles south from Atlin BC
Lots were surveyed and sold approx June 1899
Now a Ghost Town

Pine Creek flows from Surprise Lake to Atlin Lake

From Atlin Lake, and the mouth of Pine Creek, heading almost due East, the first creek south is Spruce Creek, with Dominion Creek branching off of it at the end
Stevendyke Creek branching to the south is the next creek.
Then the townsite of Discovery
Then Willow Creek branching to the north
Next is Pearl Creek to the south
Then Birch Creek to the north
Musket Creek and Ruby Creek come in from the north, not clear if they reach Pine Creek.
Then comes the large Surprise Lake, with Snake Creek, then Otter Creek, then Wright creek all branching off south of Surprise Lake in the order heading East.
Eagle Creek branches off Wright Creek
A trail from Otter Creek led to Slate Creek, a tributary of Dixie Creek, which was a tributary of Pike River

Mar 12, 1899- A steep hill was located about 4 miles south of Atlin on the way to Discovery
At that time they had 2 hotels and 1 saloon

Post Office History

Office Name: Discovery
Electoral District: Skeena
Established- June 26, 1899
Closed Dec 18, 1930

Name of Postmaster Date of Appointment Date of Vacancy Cause of Vacancy
Herbert Canceller 1899-06-26
D.G. Stewart 1900-10-17 1905-09-05 Resignation
Harry E. Brown 1905-12-01 1912-08-26 Resignation
O.F. Conley 1912-11-01 1918-01-16 *
Charles Gairns 1918-01-16 1919-04-07 Resignation
Ward Kilpatrick 1919-05-01 1930-12-18 Death closed

This reproduction is NOT represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of the National Archives of Canada. The source of this material is the National Archives of Canada

First Postmaster
Herbert Canceller

b- July 9, 1864 in England
Baptism- July 21, 1865 at St Saviour, Hampstead, Camden, England
d- May 29, 1942 in Victoria BC, age 76
Buried in Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria BC
Father: Francis Cancellor
Mother: Frances Emily Cancellor
Married Jessie Mollison June 3, 1897 in Yale District, BC
He had 2 brothers when he died- Walter Cancellor in Kentwell SK. and Percy Cancellor in England
In Obit he is shown as a well known hotel man in Victoria

2nd Postmaster- D.G. Stewart
David Gordon Stewart
b- Aug 22, 1867 in Kirkcowan, Wigtown, Scotland
d- Dec 27, 1945 in Vancouver BC
Living in Prince Rupert in 1911 as a wholesale merchant
Immigrated in 1898
Father: James Stewart
Mother: Helen Gordon
married Jean Douglas Nov 10, 1909 in New Westminster
she was born in Listowell, ON

Harry E. Brown
Enumerated the 1901 census in the Atlin area

O.F. Conley
Owen Francis Conley
b- Aug 16, 1864 in ON
d- Jan 9, 1946 in Vancouver BC, age 81
son of James and Bridget Owen
single when he died

Gold House was built and named and opened ca early May 1899
John (Jack) Leatherdale and David “Dave” Burton were partner owners
40 x 50 ft, 2 storey building

John Leatherdale
when born name registered as John Letherdale
also death cert says John Letherdale
b- Jan 1, 1860 in Orillia, ON
d- July 24, 1949, in Renton, King, WA, USA, age 89
I know he lived in Vancouver before Atlin
Shown as a contractor when he was married
son of Henry Letherdale and Isabella McLean
married Florence Ethel Ormsby Sept 16, 1891 in Rugby Congregational Church, Simcoe, ON
b- Nov 25, 1869, Orillia, ON
d- Jan 31, 1949 in King County, WA, age 79
daughter of Edward Ormsby and Susan Brown
Had a daughter Florence O. Leatherdale born Dec 13, 1893 in Vancouver BC
His daughter married a Williams

David Burton
b- ca 1871 Ontario
d- Feb 23, 1944 in Vancouver BC, age 73
shown as a hotel keeper when he married in 1911
son of George Hunter and Agnes Baird
married Jessie Dyer Sherlow Hunter Aug 14, 1911 in Vancouver
b- Scotland (age 18 when married)
d- ?

July 1899- Masonic Club established with 75 members-
J.C. Dillon- President
J.B. Higgins- Secretary

W.R. Dockrill & Co.- Drugs & Stationary
Colonel Walter Roy Dockrill
b- May 31, 1878 Euphemia, Lambton, ON
d- Aug 11, 1942 Hong Kong
buried in a military grave, Stanley, Hong Kong
member of the Masonic Order
son of Joseph Dockrill and Maria Catharine Ogorman
married (1) Mabel Claire Palmer June 25, 1902 at Chemainus BC
b-
d- July 2, 1935 at Victoria BC
they had 3 daughters
married (2) Margaret Estelle Mayberry

Gold House- John Leatherdale & David Burton- Prop. (see above)

John McCarthy- Agent Atlin Claim Newspaper

Pine Tree Hotel- Charles R. Oubridge, Manager, Herbert Canceller, caterer, and Post Master (see above)
Charles Robert Oubridge
b- Oct-Dec 1870 Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England
d- Sept 21, 1899 in his Pine Tree Hotel, Atlin, BC, age 28
buried in the Atlin Pioneer Cemetery
He must have been entered into directory and died shortly after
He was the first to establish a General Store at this locality
Father Matthew Oubridge
Mother Joanna Stobart

Pine Creek Hotel- G. C. Hall

Atlin Lumber Company
Brown & Sinclair- Lumber

James G. Cornell- Nugget Hotel
b- June 14, 1864 in ON
d-

Cummings & Richardson- Dry Goods

Andrew Galarno
Andrew Louis Galarno- BC Hotel, Prop.
b- Mar 31, 1862, Courtright ON
d- June 30, 1937 in Burnaby, age 75
buried in Mountainview Cemetery, Burnaby
Married 3 times
1- ?
2- married Edith Warren, nee Cartwright a widow born in London England, Feb 7, 1904 in his home in Discovery
Edith died in 1914 in Campbell River age 52
they had a son Andrew Louis Galarno who died age 15 in Burnaby
3- married Sarah Lomax, nee Harper Nov 2, 1916 in Cumberland BC, she was also a widow
Father- Joseph Galarno
Mother- Agnes Pelkie (Pilkie?)
Mr. Galarno built the first hotel in Skagway AK, also called the BC Hotel
He was a pioneer of the Yukon Go9ld rush
Per his obit he owned the first team of horses in the Klondike
He ranched at Campbell River for 20 years after his Klondike years.

Gold House- Joseph P. Rose, Joseph Carlson, James Doyle, and John Koford- Owners
Hans Gunderson- Dray

Harry W. Hial-(spelling in directory was wrong) Provincial Constable
Henry 'Harry' William Heal
b- Jan 16, 1870 Lake District, Vancouver Island, BC
baptized June 1, 1887 in Victoria
d- Apr 24, 1962 Victoria, BC, age 92
buried in Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria BC
married twice, 2 children first wife and 4 with 2nd
father- John A. Heal
mother- Julianna (Julia Ann) Thompson

George A. Kerr & Co.- General Store
Alex R. McDonald- Irving Hotel
Miss J. E. MacDonald- Bakery and General Store
Frank H. Mobley- Taxidermist
John Newsham- Bakery
Charles D. Newton- Dry Goods
Joseph Palmer- Shoemaker
Pillman & Co- Fruits
Presbyterian Church- Rev Turkington
James S. Regan- Hardware
Napoleon Sabin- Gold Pan Mine
Edward “Ed” Sands- Pine Tree Hotel, same owner in 1907
James Stables- M.P.P.
D. G. Stewart- General Store and Postmaster (see above)
Henry E. Ward- Laundry

E.M.N. Woods- Magistrate
Edward Montague Nelson Woods
b- May 1 1862 Victoria, BC
d- Nov 23, 1919 Victoria, BC

Frederick B. Wrong- Restaurant

Gold House- C.H. Nissen-Prop- Frederick B.Wrong- Manager
Hans Christian (Christien) Nissen (Nicolaisen)
b- Sept 24, 1857 in Denmark
d- Apr 1918 at Goose Lake BC

They had a hockey Rink, also used for dances

June 18, 1909 the North Columbia Gold Company dam, at Surprise Lake, at the head of Pine Creek, broke and sent 8ft of water down Pine Creek, wiping out mills, buildings, and flumes all the way to Atlin Lake.



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  • Last modified: 2021/10/10 13:15
  • by dlgent