Category Archives: History

January 2019 Watershed Moments

Here is the latest newsletter installment of an image and quote from the museum’s award-winning book Watershed Moments – A Pictorial History of Courtenay and District.

Photo credit: The Island Realty Company, ca. 1911. Left to right: Unknown, Billy (William) Miller, P. Leo Anderton. CDM 991.164.1. Pages 72-73.

Photo caption: “In 1911, Peter Leo Anderton was one of the young businessmen who saw great potential in the new commercial district forming on the west side of the Courtenay River. Always known as P.Leo, he began as a notary public, working from his home, and then added insurance as well as real estate sales. He had his first big break acting for Joseph McPhee when McPhee sold the eleven-acre property known as “The Orchard” to investors Herman Helm and his son-in-law, Henry Herzog.

Customers recognized Anderton’s first office, on the south side of Union Street (Fifth Street) between the Courtenay Opera House and Marocchi’s Bakery, by the beautiful maple tree that grew out front.” Page 73.

Periodical Wisdom: January 2019

Let’s start the new year with an introduction. That’s the “proper” way to make social introductions courtesy of the March 1931 edition of McCall’s magazine.

Periodicals and magazines from the archives can provide some great advice on a variety of topics. Stay tuned to this feature in our monthly newsletter for tips on things like special winter beauty problems, gardening advice and household chores.

Click for Larger Image

Click for Larger Image

Happy New Year!

We hope you enjoy this example of an 1899 New Year’s card.

It was sent by Charles Laing Forrest to his son James (1867-1937). James and wife Ann (aka Tottie) settled in the Comox Valley in 1918 and ran the Forrest Dairy on Headquarters Road in the 1920s and 30s. They had four children: Ann, Charlie, Peggy and Bunty.

Merville – 100 Years and Counting

CDM 2004.42.1

“In late November of 1918 Mr. MacDonald of the Land Settlement Board and professor B.A. Boving of the University of British Columbia visited the Comox Valley with a view to investigating the feasibility of the Provincial Government taking over a large area of land located north of Grantham.

Thousands of acres belonging to the Comox Logging and Railway Company had been logged off and were available… By the end of May, 1919 seventy-five veterans were engaged in clearing and building on the home sites…”.

From Land of Plenty, A History of the Comox District, p. 107.

This quote sets the stage for our 2019 newsletter feature which will include a historical tidbit about the community of Merville.

What’s in a name?

Merville was first known as Camp Nelems* but the name was soon changed. The Daily Colonist newspaper of July 6, 1919 reported that “Merville” won in a vote over the name “Empire.” The Colonist went on to say “Merville [France] was the first headquarters of the Canadian Corps in 1915, and it is also appropriate for the settlement, which will touch the coast at several points.”

*Named after M.H. Nelems (Melbourne Henry) who was the chairman of the Provincial Land Settlement Board from February to October, 1919.

Periodical Wisdom: December 2018

Women’s magazines and periodicals from the past offer some great advice on things like how to economize, care for your baby’s teeth or even the proper way to make social introductions.

We’ve scoured the archives for some examples to share with you.

This month’s write-up is an article is from The Christmas Peoples Home Journal of December 1917 and offers ways to celebrate “Summer in December.”

December 2018 Watershed Moments

Here is the latest newsletter installment of an image and quote from the museum’s award-winning book Watershed Moments – A Pictorial History of Courtenay and District.

Photo credit: The Comox Co-operative Creamery building, 1927. CDM 986.73.3. Pages 84-85.

Photo caption: “…the Creamery became a one-stop shop for dairy products, grains and farm supplies for Courtenay and the valley, and its milk, butter, cheese and ice cream were sold throughout British Columbia. By 1920, 2,700 cows were contributing to the co-op.” Page 86.

Holiday Cooking from 1922

This year the newsletter includes two recipes to delight your taste buds. The Bestway Cookery Gift Book from 1922 is the source for the spin on turkey prep and A Calendar of Dinners with 615 Recipes including the Story of Crisco from 1916 provides a Christmas Dinner menu as well as a plum pudding recipe that (you guessed it) features Crisco as a key ingredient.