125 YEARS AGO: MARCH 17, 1900
Government Building: The business men of Ashcroft have petitioned H. Bostock, M.P., to urge that a sufficient amount be placed in the estimates to erect a building for the post office, customs, and Dominion telegraph offices. It would certainly facilitate business if these offices were im one building instead of several, as at present, and the business done [in Ashcroft] warrants the government in going to the expense. [A government building in Ashcroft, housing the post office, customs, telegraph, and telephone exchange would not be built until 1917. The building now houses the Ashcroft Museum.]
Gardens: It is a matter of some expense and trouble to put gardens into shape, and very discouraging to have them destroyed by rambling cattle and poultry. Owners of such will confer a favour by preventing this.
Dance: A pleasant dance was given at the Grand Central hotel this week. Refreshments were served at midnight, after which dancing resumed until early morning.
100 YEARS AGO: MARCH 14, 1925
Road Open To B.C. Interior Next Summer; Contractors Hope To Get Work Finished Before End Of This Year: Both contractors on the Fraser Canyon highway have begun work on the big drive to push the road through from the coast to the interior in the present season. The A.B. Palmer Co., which has the work from the crossing at Spuzzum northward, already has 100 men at work in two camps and is establishing a third one farther north to which 50 men will be sent next week. Tierney & Sons also have two camps at Yale and Saddle Rock respectively, where about 75 men began work this week. A third camp is to be established by Tierney & Sons next week at Spuzzum, and by the first of next month this firm will have 200 men on the job. Both contractors announced their intention of rushing the work with all speed in order to carry out the public works department’s programme of completing the job this season so that one can drive from Vancouver to any part of the interior next summer.
Courthouse: We understand that if the Provincial government cannot arrange a purchase of the B.C. Express office in Ashcroft which they now occupy, the old courthouse will be repaired for use as a government office.
Clinton Clippings: A very pretty dance was given in the Memorial Hall Monday evening of last week. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Lunch was served at midnight.
Jones Dairy Barn Burns; Town Of Lillooet Back To Canned Cow Owing To Loss Of Stock: The town of Lillooet has gone back to canned milk, for the splendid cattle barns on the Jones ranch, together with 21-head of fine dairy cows, were destroyed by fire last week. The herd supplied Lillooet with fresh milk, daily delivery by truck being made. . . The enterprise of supplying fresh milk to the town of Lillooet was somewhat unique. In old days, when stockmen had thousands of beef cattle on the range, there was not a milk cow at a single ranch. Piles of empty condensed milk tins adorned some waste spot at every ranch house. There is not another dairy herd in the district, and residents who have become accustomed to the fresh product are not taking kindly to the idea of going back to the tin cow.
Roads: The hauling of hay still continues from the Maiden Creek ranch. The heavy trucks negotiate the frozen ground in the early hours of the morning when the surface is frozen and no damage is done to the road bed.
Bills: This is the middle of the month. Have you paid last month’s grocery bill? Do it now. What? Pay your grocery bill.
75 YEARS AGO: MARCH 16, 1950
Land Mark At Cache Creek Burns: The 50-year-old store building at Cache Creek owned by Bert Collins was burned to the ground this morning about nine o’clock. The fire started in the middle room, and despite efforts of Bert to put it out, got beyond his control and he had to give it up. Everything was lost, including a heavy stock of groceries, etc. Mr. Collins took this store over from Mr. Wong about 1947, and since then built up a good business. The building, we understand, is covered with insurance.
Trans-Canada To Come Our Way: Hon. E.C. Carson, Minister of Public Works, named the Fraser Canyon route on to Kamloops as the Trans-Canada Highway in his speech to the house at the session now presently going on. The 20 miles of road between Cache Creek and Maiden Ranch of the Cariboo Road will also be completed this year, which will make this highway the most modern, beautiful, and important in B.C.
Twelve-Mile Comes To Life: The famous 12-Mile House of the Cariboo freighting days, when teams found this a haven for rest after a day’s pull of heavy freight wagons from Cache Creek or Ashcroft, has come to life again. The old McDonald stopping place has become a camp for the Dawson-Wade Construction Co. Several buildings have been placed on a plateau gouged out by one of their huge bulldozers. The buildings have electricity, and the residents are quite at home. They are using this as a “jumping off” place in their construction of the Cache Creek–20 Mile link of Highway No. 2 [now Highway 97]. At the 12-Mile, at one time, there was a school, which was moved away up the Bonaparte some years ago. The old stopping house of the McDonald family was taken down, but the old barn and granary still remain standing. The property was absorbed into the J.E. Jackson farm. When the new highway is completed it will be across the Bonaparte about a half-mile away, and this historic site will no doubt pass into oblivion.
Ashcroft Will Boom Again: We who turn a cold shoulder to progress are wasting our time, because whether we like it or not, progress has finally reached our village, and we must all get in the line and march along with the progressive parade. Among the new industries to be starting up in Ashcroft are a planing mill on the ground across the tracks, and a planer mill, box and sash and door mill will commence shortly across the river on part of the Holgate property. Mr. Ted McRae was up Wednesday making preparations for his feed plant, to be in operation by May 1 in Ashcroft. With the Trans-Canada Highway coming up the Fraser Canyon and by here, together with the above industries, it will put Ashcroft on the map as a busy, industrious centre. A new Legion hall is in the building and expected to be completed this year, and Ashcroft’s first Auto Court is also in the making, and two cottages of very attractive design have been built. With the passing of the school bylaw a new large school will be erected here this year, and a new hospital will also be built. Progress on incorporating the town is going on, and the ratepayers will be asked to express their wishes soon. Ashcroft is feeling the progressive bulge that is taking place in British Columbia.
World Happenings Briefly Told: Britain now has 239,700 television sets in use compared with 111,950 a year ago, the BBC reported. Two years ago the figure was 38,983.
50 YEARS AGO: MARCH 12, 1975
Site O.K.: The village of Ashcroft has been informed that the Thompson-Nicola Regional District has approved the use of Ashcroft and District General Hospital grounds for a proposed senior citizens’ complex.
To Attend UBCM This Week: Ashcroft mayor Michael Yewchin and Mrs. Frances Helland, alderperson, will attend the UBCM being held at Harrison Hot Springs this week. Last year a motion was passed at the convention to separate the smaller and larger municipalities so the little guys’ requests were not drowned out by the bigger ones. However, when a convention of the smaller groups was called to meet at Vernon a short time ago, there wasn’t much of a turn out, so apparently the two groups will continue to meet as one.
News From St. Alban’s Church Women: When women make their minds up to do something, it happens in a hurry. Each Monday night the Anglican Church Women have met to sew, knit, or make crafts for the Community Bazaar, where they will have a booth — next November. The results to date have been a carton of beautiful things to be sold at the Anglican booth. The Cathedral Quilt is coming along quickly now. When finished we hope to raffle it. Many beautiful colours are shown in the little windows, which look like stained glass.
