HISTORY OF THE FRASER VALLEY ..... HOPE, BC, CANADA
Collector postcard for historians shows the 1960s Canadian postcard of a Pacific 66 gas station (Canada's version of Phillips 66) next to the Winstrom Motel about 9 or 10 miles (16.09 km) north on Trans-Canada 1 of Hope, British Columbia. While the campground provided a shaded place for rest a café provided a meal and/or coffee giving visitors a renewed energy and “Hope” for a good journey north.
Tucked in a valley of some of the most gorgeous mountains in BC, giving promises of hunting, fishing, swimming, fruit, vegetables, honey, beeswax, and volumes of necessities as well as pleasures in nature. A small town where the highways 1 TransCanada, 7 Lougheed, 3 Crows nest and the Internationally famous Coquihalla 5 HWY. Maybe you're travelling to spend quality time with loved ones. Better yet a place where you go to a future which you are going to create to be so glorious it's written in history for generations to come to learn about, read and enjoy.
You have Hope.
One of 2 major rivers travelling through Hope had been named for Simon Fraser, who first descended it to the Pacific Ocean in 1808. Travelling about 92,000 square miles (238,000 square km) to the central interior of British Columbia the mighty Fraser River with stories of wars fought between head Chief David Spintlum and the gold miners who arrived from the USA and Britain. A proud, fair, and strong Chief and other people of this land were travelling all along from Agassiz and Laidlaw next to or in the Fraser to meet with the Thompson and stop somewhere past Kamloops. You can have a meal or snack while gazing at the river travel, on a hot summer day the cool river breeze refreshes the skin through to the soul. I walk through town on a hot day and read or just rest there and leave feeling a calmness and coolness transform me into a new, happier person.
Originally called the Fort Hope apparently, now just called what it is, Hope. The Fort established in 1848 – 1849 for fur trade business by the historic Hudson Bay Company. The Gold Rush arrived here in 1858 bringing strangers who didn't know the customs and etiquette of respect that was law of their own for the natives here before them.
Before HBC arrived natives some from as far as Kelowna; shared supplies and food. There were pony races, canoe races and a lot of socializing. Where Hwy 1 and Wallace Street meet, imagine the potlucks there, soon became illegal.
When the HBC arrived British Colonies started to form on what is now called Vancouver Island and on the mainland. In 20 July 1871 the island and the mainland amalgamated, becoming the 6th province to join the Confederation called Dominion of Canada. On the edge of Hope is Yale, once the largest place in BC and if you tour the Creighton Museum there you may find the picture of almost the entire town gathered for one of BC's first Dominion Day celebration. Fort Hope became a village in 1929 and grew into a town in 1965.
The Anglican church called the Hope Christ Church finished in 1861, pictures of locals attending services from as early as the early 1900s can be found in some locals albums.
Hope is full of new citizens as well as families whose lines go back earlier than HBC themselves. One thing that is common among almost every person is the town provides an atmosphere of peace and kindness. Sure, the problems of the outside world reach Hope, but the general feelings about it is people are friendly, good-hearted and almost everyone has a smile.
Creighton Murphy
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