Clair Leon Morris Giggey

Clair Leon Morris Giggey

Logging a Long Cedar tree ca 1930's near Terrace, Up Kalum Lake Road.
Some of these cedar poles were 135 ft long.
Postcard courtesy Grant Walker, CA

Mar 30, 1935, 15 cedar poles were ordered by somebody in eastern US.
Clair L. M. Giggey came up with the platforms, built up on 2 trucks to get them out of the bush,
to the rail yard, to be loaded on the train.

1928 he came up with the idea to haul logs with a 1 ton truck, instead of horses. A first in this area.

Giggey built a sawmill in mid 1930's in Terrace
He went into partnership with Ernest Sande in fall of 1946.
8 years they worked together, and in 1954 he sold out to Sande, and it became the Sande Lumber Ltd.
That Company operated until 1967

Clair owned numerous mining claims in the area.

Giggey family were early Terrace Pioneers, Their residence was near where the arena is today.

Credit- some of the above bio was from an article Gordon Little wrote when Clair died.

Clair Leon Morris Giggey
b- Mar 7, 1894 in Boulder, Grand Co., Colorado, USA
d- June 26, 1983 in Vancouver BC, age 89

ca 1903- Moved to Bellingham WA.
1904 his father went to Lorne Creek
where he worked as a placer miner for 3 summers.
His father staked a claim on Gold Creek.
His father brought his wife, and son Clair
to Kitselas, and spent 1909 and 1910 there.
1911 Census says He immigrated in 1909
Clare worked for the Big Canyon Newspaper in Kitselas as a type setter.
After being laid off at the newspaper he went to work in Patterson's Hotel in Kitselas.
Oct 1910 family moved to Kitsumkalum.
Clare and his father worked for Ed Eby cutting firewood for the riverboats.
He was a Clerk in George Little's Commissary Store in 1911
1915 he was a Sawyer for George Little in his downtown mill
WWI US Draft Reg, living in Fraser Colorado, working for Houston Lumber Co.'s Sawmill
Shown as a 2nd Lt, Infantry in Colorado.
he was in the Army.
1916 he was living in Nederland Colorado.
1921 he returned and went into partnership with George Little.
He managed a mill on the north end of Thomas Rd on the banks of Spring Creek.
1923 this mill was closed and moved to four mile on Kalum Lake Rd.
1921 shown as a lumberman-Sawmill, married, living in Terrace
The Little partnership failed, and he went into business on his own.
Eventually he operated the firm Inter-Valley Lumber and Supply Co.

Clair's father- Charles Albert Giggey
b- Jan 21, 1867 in IL, USA (1871 on headstone)
d- Dec 8, 1940 in Terrace BC, age 77
buried in Terrace Pioneer Cemetery

note- father's name shown as Edward C. Giggey in 1911 census
b- Jan 1868 in IL, USA (1867 in 1900 census)

1900 shown as a Gold Miner, in Colorado
1911, Carpenter, House builder
Edward's father and mother both born in IL

His father, with another man named Nels, worked for George Little, and built the First Frame Building in Terrace, George Little's Commissary Store.
It was built on the West side of Kalum st. on the corner of what was a 10 ft lane, dividing the north boundary of the GTP, and the south boundary of the new Townsite.
I think this was the original Co-op Garden Centre building.
Today an empty lot next to George Little House.
They also built 3 small duplex cabins in this same area.
The Giggey family were one of the first to live there in 1911.
Before this Clair and his father worked for George Little, Cutting rail ties, they were called “Tie Hacks”.
Little paid them 10 cents per tie, and they produced 25-30 each day.

Claire's mother- Belle Phillips
they were married May 1, 1889
b- July 18, 1869
d- Apr 28, 1895 in Boulder, Boulder Co. Colorado, USA
daughter of Herman H. Phillips

his father remarried:
Janette Martha “Jennie” Giggey, nee Campbell, Feb 22, 1898
Martha Jane Giggey (name on headstone)
b- July 9, 1871 in Colorado, US (1873 on headstone)
d- Jan 1, 1931, in Terrace BC, age 60
buried in Terrace Pioneer Cemetery
Jennie's first husband- John A. Lowe, b- 1862
daughter of Rev. Charles McPheeters Campbell
and Mary Martha Ann Chambers
her father born in Indiana, mother in PA

1911 Giggey family living in Kitsumkalum,
without Nellie, since she died in 1907.
1900 US census, family shown as Giggie

Clair's older sister- Nellie H. Giggey (Giggie shown in census)
b- Apr 1891 in Colorado, USA
d- abt 1907, probably in Colorado

Clair married Sarah “Viola” Christy, May 12, 1921 in Terrace
Viola Sarah Jane Christy
b- Dec 15, 1902, Thurso, Quebec, age 18 in 1921
d- May 13, 1999, Vancouver BC, age 96
daughter of Robert Daniel Christy and Elizabeth Ann Russell
Christy family living in Truax, near Moose Jaw SK in 1916
Robert a farmer, b- Sept 11, 1877 in Perth, Lanark, ON,
d- May 30, 1965 in Vancouver BC
son of John Christy
Elizabeth born in Ottawa ON
Viola was oldest of 6 children at that time

Clair's son- Clair George Giggey,
b- June 20, 1922 in Terrace BC
d- Nov 18, 1922 in Terrace BC
buried in Terrace Pioneer Cemetery

Clair's 2nd son- Michael Alan Giggey
b- Feb 4, 1948 in Terrace BC
d- Dec 21, 1985 in Coquitlam BC, age 37

Charles father- George Wiggen Giggey, Clair's Grandfather
b- Oct 28, 1833 in Saint John NB, Canada
d- Sept 30, 1896 in Boulder, Colorado, USA
Injured in a railroad accident, died a few months later.
son of John Giggey, Clair's GGrandfather
George married Julia Ann Smith, Clair's Grandmother, Dec 2, 1852
b- Feb 18, 1834 in Campton, Grafton, NH, USA
d- July 12, 1906 in Boulder, Boulder Co. Colorado, USA
daughter of Daniel Smith and Elizabeth Jane “Eliza” Dearborn
1885 George Giggey was a mine operator in Boulder, Colorado, age 57
Charles Giggey shown age 18
George went to Colorado in 1873, via Nevada, CA, and IL.
George and Julia had 10 children, 2 daughters died in infancy,
8 lived to be adults

George Giggey struck it rich, at the Emerson Mine, Wallstreet, CO.

George traded his home in Boulder to William Martin
for the Hockaday Ranch, SE of Nederland, Colorado.
Martin had bought the ranch in 1876
It became known as the Giggey Ranch It was sold in 1920.

Giggey Lake, located 2.6 miles from Nederland CO named after this family.
Latitude: 39°57'6.8“
Longitude: -105°27'50.09”

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