Windermere Townsite, Windermere District, Windermere Lake
“Windermere [was] a magnet for land speculation by government officials.”
Windermere (1)
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Tag Archives: Francis Patrick Armstrong
Johnston (1)
Johnston Creek (flowing into Windermere Lake)
“Put a winged helmet and ring-mail harness on Ed Johnston and he would be a veritable viking; put him in trimmed beaver and jack-boots, and he could ruffle it with the boldest buccaneer that ever walked deck.”57
Marion
Marion Creek, flowing into Columbia Lake; Mount Marion
The Marion didn’t spend much time on the Upper Columbia, but she was one of the most well travelled steamboats in the Kootenays.
Giant Mine (2)
Giant Road
Giant Mine, Silver Giant Mine, Giant Mascot Mine
“There is nothing today to encourage anyone but a born gambler to take the chance [on developing the property], and everything to discourage anyone to do this.”58
Nowitka
Nowitka Mountain, Nowitka Lake, head of Findlay Creek
The Nowitka … has the distinction of being the last commercial steamboat on the Upper Columbia River.
Ethelbert
Mount Ethelbert
Sister Ethelbert, “having undertaken the rough trip to Kootenay … fell sick on the way… and our dear Sister was called home to God.”24
Armstrong
Armstrong Bay, Columbia Lake
Armstrong quickly developed a reputation in the valley as, “one of the most energetic little men I ever met.” Described as, “Short, compactly but cleanly built, with iron-grey hair, square, determined jaw and piercing black eyes,” Armstrong was also described as “the biggest little man on the Upper Columbia.”
Canal Flats (?akamukul)
Canal Flats Village, South end of Columbia Lake
Other Names: ?akamukul, Yaqa•n Nukiy, McGillivray’s Crossing/McGillivray’s Portage, Grohman, Canal, Canal Flat
“We… coast[ed] along the low rush-grown shore [of Columbia Lake] towards the south-western corner … We soon became aware that this marshy waste of rushes, grass, willows, and water swarmed with every sort of moisture-loving bird, from geese down to sand-pipers. … we began to paddle up what we guessed to be the arm leading to the landing. More than a mile we followed this delusive stream, remarkable for the numerous springs which everywhere gushed up from crater-like basins at the bottom, while round them grew the most beautiful and luxuriant water-weeds ever seen, their delicate filigree-work of many-hued leaves and tendrils all clearly defined in the limpid water.” (Lees and Clutterbuck, B.C. 1887: A Ramble in British Columbia, p 178-179.)
Gwendoline
Gwendoline Mountain, between Stockdale and Forster Creeks
The steamboat Gwendoline was merely a visitor to the Windermere Valley, having passed through only twice: once on her way up to Golden, and once going back down to the Kootenay River. Nonetheless, she does hold the title for being one of only two steamboats to successfully pass through the canal at Canal Flats.
In The Windermere 