Hazelton, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley
and Skeena River
s in northern British Columbia
, Canada
. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293 (2006 Census). New Hazelton is also the northernmost point of the Yellowhead Highway
, a major interprovincial highway which runs from Prince Rupert, British Columbia
to Winnipeg
, Manitoba
.
The Hazelton area comprises two municipalities (the Village of Hazelton and District of New Hazelton
), three unincorporated settlements (South Hazelton, Two Mile and the Kispiox Valley), four First Nations
’ villages: 3 of which are of the Gitxsan
people - (Gitanmaax, Glen Vowell and Kispiox) and 1 of the Wet'suwet'en
people - (Hagwilget).
and Wet'suwet'en
First Nations.
Hazelton was the original gateway and staging area for the Omineca Gold Rush
of 1869-73. Besides the hunt for riches, there was one other important reason to visit: it had the only proper hospital for hundreds of miles in any direction. One of its other, less appreciated, distinctions was in having dozens of roaming, foraging and howling sled dogs, as nearly everyone had their own team and many were allowed to run free. Transportation options got better in 1891 when the Hudson's Bay Company
’s sternwheeler
Caledonia arrived from Port Essington
. Being the head of navigation on the Skeena, Hazelton was to play host to more than a dozen sternwheelers throughout the next twenty-two years.
Two Mile was a community two miles out of Hazelton. During the gold rush and rail construction, it was home to a roadhouse
and a prosperous red-light district
.
When it was announced in 1903, that the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
would be coming through near Hazelton, another flurry of excitement erupted and hundreds of settlers poured into the district, buying whatever land they could get a hold of. Everyone was certain there was a fortune to be made and Hazelton was widely advertised as the "Spokane of Canada". What made Hazelton even more attractive was her mines, the Silver Standard and the Rocher de Boule. In 1911 two rival town-sites, Robert Kelly’s New Hazelton and the Grand Trunk Pacific’s South Hazelton both came into existence and competed to sell the most lots. Thus, the original Hazelton was called "Old" and they all became known as the "Three Hazeltons". Where the railway station would be built was an issue for many years until both South and New Hazelton received one.
The first car, a Flanders 20, arrived in Hazelton on October 5, 1911. It came from Seattle. It did not arrive by rail, which wouldn't be completed from Prince Rupert
until 1912, nor did it come in by sternwheeler. It was brought in overland. None of the people in town believed that story, as it was nearly impossible to walk into Hazelton overland in 1911, much less drive. Everyone went to go see the car where it was parked in front of the Hazelton Hotel and questioned the owner, PE Sands, on how he had accomplished the feat. At a banquet held in his honor later that evening, Sands revealed his secret. He had brought along two mechanics and they had often had to disassemble the car and load it unto mules. Clearly they'd had enough of doing that by the time they reached Hazelton. They packed the car up on a sternwheeler and went to Vancouver
.
In November 1913, the Union Bank at New Hazelton was robbed by gunmen. In the commission of the crime, a young bank teller by the name of Jock McQueen was mortally wounded. Even though a posse was swiftly formed to go after them, the bandits got away with $16,000, a great deal of money in those days.
The second robbery occurred on April 7, 1914, already a red letter day for the area as the last spike of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
was being driven 180 miles away in Fort Fraser. Little did anyone know that an equally historic event was about to happen right there in New Hazelton, one that would be remembered in hundreds of Canadian history books. Luckily, someone was there with a camera. Those pictures would become among the most famous of that era in British Columbia.
Cataline
, the most famous packer in British Columbia, served Hazelton throughout most of his career and also chose to retire there and died at the Hazelton hospital. People who knew his love for his mules, which he called his "ponees", were not surprised to hear what his biggest concern about the afterlife was. On the night before he died, Cataline asked his nurse if she believed that God would let him have a least one "ponee" in Heaven. When she replied that she believed He would, Cataline was satisfied and never spoke another word. He is buried at the Hazelton cemetery.
in 1869. In 1871 went to the Omineca
district and staked a claim on a small stream that ran into Babine Lake. His claim was one of the richest ever found in that area at Manson Creek. Wille, like most of the other gold rush miners, would buy his supplies in Hazelton. Besides having one of the richest claim, one other thing set Willie apart, he was careful with his money. Willie worked the claim himself and then sold out to a mining syndicate and returned to the Shetland Islands. Back at home, he couldn't help but notice the poverty of some of his countrymen and he decided to do something about it. Using his gold rush wealth, he purchased large flocks of sheep from Scotland
and sold them to his neighbors at cost and on credit. Then he built a wool processing mill and a knitting mill, which employed many more Shetland Islanders.
was a decorated Boer War
veteran, who spent his many years in Hazelton in several different occupations, from mushing the huskies down the frozen Skeena River
to deliver the mail, to canoe freightman, mine boss and frontier policeman.
, so every customer that commented he was going to vote Liberal
found themselves sitting in the jail on drunk and disorderly charges the next day, while the others who were voting Conservative were all free men.
who had stolen him as a colt. With Oregon lawmen hot on his trail, Harry Tracy was forced to abandon the horse, which was returned to its owners and eventually ended up working on a Pat Burns cattle drive from the Chilcotin country before finally winding up in Hazelton.
- 2008 Freestyle Wrestling Olympic gold medalist
Bulkley River
The Bulkley River in British Columbia is a major tributary of the Skeena River. The Bulkley is 257 km long with a drainage basin covering 12,400 km²....
and Skeena River
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
s in northern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293 (2006 Census). New Hazelton is also the northernmost point of the Yellowhead Highway
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
, a major interprovincial highway which runs from Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.
The Hazelton area comprises two municipalities (the Village of Hazelton and District of New Hazelton
New Hazelton, British Columbia
New Hazelton is a community on Highway 16 in northwest British Columbia, Canada. It is situated east of Terrace and west of Smithers and in 2006 had a population of 627 people...
), three unincorporated settlements (South Hazelton, Two Mile and the Kispiox Valley), four First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
’ villages: 3 of which are of the Gitxsan
Gitxsan
Gitxsan are an indigenous people whose home territory comprises most of the area known as the Skeena Country in English...
people - (Gitanmaax, Glen Vowell and Kispiox) and 1 of the Wet'suwet'en
Wet'suwet'en
Wet'suwet'en are a First Nations people who live on the Bulkley River and around Broman Lake and Francois Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia...
people - (Hagwilget).
First Nations history
The Hazeltons are home to the GitxsanGitxsan
Gitxsan are an indigenous people whose home territory comprises most of the area known as the Skeena Country in English...
and Wet'suwet'en
Wet'suwet'en
Wet'suwet'en are a First Nations people who live on the Bulkley River and around Broman Lake and Francois Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia...
First Nations.
Old Hazelton and Two Mile
Hazelton is one of the oldest settlements in Northern British Columbia, its European settlement dates back to 1866 when the Collins Overland telegraph went through.Omineca Gold Rush
The Omineca Gold Rush was a gold rush in British Columbia, Canada in the Omineca region of the Northern Interior of the province. Gold was first discovered there in 1861, but the rush didn't begin until late in 1869 with the discovery at Vital Creek....
of 1869-73. Besides the hunt for riches, there was one other important reason to visit: it had the only proper hospital for hundreds of miles in any direction. One of its other, less appreciated, distinctions was in having dozens of roaming, foraging and howling sled dogs, as nearly everyone had their own team and many were allowed to run free. Transportation options got better in 1891 when the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
’s sternwheeler
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
Caledonia arrived from Port Essington
Port Essington, British Columbia
Port Essington was a cannery town on the south bank of the Skeena River estuary in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, and at the confluence of the Skeena and Ecstall Rivers. It was founded in 1871 by Robert Cunningham and Thomas Hankin and was for a time...
. Being the head of navigation on the Skeena, Hazelton was to play host to more than a dozen sternwheelers throughout the next twenty-two years.
Two Mile was a community two miles out of Hazelton. During the gold rush and rail construction, it was home to a roadhouse
Roadhouse (facility)
A roadhouse is a commercial establishment typically built on a major road or highway, to service passing travellers. Its meaning varies slightly by country.-USA:...
and a prosperous red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
.
New Hazelton and South Hazelton
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
would be coming through near Hazelton, another flurry of excitement erupted and hundreds of settlers poured into the district, buying whatever land they could get a hold of. Everyone was certain there was a fortune to be made and Hazelton was widely advertised as the "Spokane of Canada". What made Hazelton even more attractive was her mines, the Silver Standard and the Rocher de Boule. In 1911 two rival town-sites, Robert Kelly’s New Hazelton and the Grand Trunk Pacific’s South Hazelton both came into existence and competed to sell the most lots. Thus, the original Hazelton was called "Old" and they all became known as the "Three Hazeltons". Where the railway station would be built was an issue for many years until both South and New Hazelton received one.
The first car in Hazelton 1911
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
until 1912, nor did it come in by sternwheeler. It was brought in overland. None of the people in town believed that story, as it was nearly impossible to walk into Hazelton overland in 1911, much less drive. Everyone went to go see the car where it was parked in front of the Hazelton Hotel and questioned the owner, PE Sands, on how he had accomplished the feat. At a banquet held in his honor later that evening, Sands revealed his secret. He had brought along two mechanics and they had often had to disassemble the car and load it unto mules. Clearly they'd had enough of doing that by the time they reached Hazelton. They packed the car up on a sternwheeler and went to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
The Union Bank robberies of 1913 and 1914
Last Spike (Grand Trunk Pacific Railway)
The Last Spike of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was driven one mile east of Fort Fraser, British Columbia, Canada on April 7, 1914.-History:...
was being driven 180 miles away in Fort Fraser. Little did anyone know that an equally historic event was about to happen right there in New Hazelton, one that would be remembered in hundreds of Canadian history books. Luckily, someone was there with a camera. Those pictures would become among the most famous of that era in British Columbia.
Cataline
Cataline
Cataline was the nickname given to Jean Caux or Jean-Jacques Caux, the most famous mule packer of the Canadian West.-Biography:In different biographies Cataline has been recorded as being born in Mexico, Spain and France...
, the most famous packer in British Columbia, served Hazelton throughout most of his career and also chose to retire there and died at the Hazelton hospital. People who knew his love for his mules, which he called his "ponees", were not surprised to hear what his biggest concern about the afterlife was. On the night before he died, Cataline asked his nurse if she believed that God would let him have a least one "ponee" in Heaven. When she replied that she believed He would, Cataline was satisfied and never spoke another word. He is buried at the Hazelton cemetery.
Willie Manson
William "Willie" Manson came to Canada from the Shetland IslandsShetland Islands
Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
in 1869. In 1871 went to the Omineca
Omineca Country
The Omineca Country, also called the Omineca District or the Omineca, is a historical geographic region of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, roughly defined by the basin of the Omineca River but including areas to the south which allowed access to the region during the Omineca Gold Rush of...
district and staked a claim on a small stream that ran into Babine Lake. His claim was one of the richest ever found in that area at Manson Creek. Wille, like most of the other gold rush miners, would buy his supplies in Hazelton. Besides having one of the richest claim, one other thing set Willie apart, he was careful with his money. Willie worked the claim himself and then sold out to a mining syndicate and returned to the Shetland Islands. Back at home, he couldn't help but notice the poverty of some of his countrymen and he decided to do something about it. Using his gold rush wealth, he purchased large flocks of sheep from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and sold them to his neighbors at cost and on credit. Then he built a wool processing mill and a knitting mill, which employed many more Shetland Islanders.
"Dutch" Sperry Cline
"Dutch" Sperry ClineSperry Cline
Sperry Cline, DCM was a frontier policeman and author in British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:Cline was born near St. Thomas, Ontario in the early 1880s. In his teens, he traveled to England and joined the British South Africa Company's cavalry...
was a decorated Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
veteran, who spent his many years in Hazelton in several different occupations, from mushing the huskies down the frozen Skeena River
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
to deliver the mail, to canoe freightman, mine boss and frontier policeman.
Black Jack MacDonell
Black Jack MacDonell, who owned the Ingenika Hotel in Old Hazelton had been known from San Francisco to Dawson City as the "king of saloon keepers". In September 1911 on the eve of the federal election, Black Jack kept the Ingenika open, even though it was against the law to do so, and served free drinks all night long. Soon he had many happy and talkative customers who were quite willing to tell him who they were going to vote for. Black Jack didn’t want Laurier re-elected because of his stance on Free TradeFree trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
, so every customer that commented he was going to vote Liberal
Liberalism in Canada
Liberalism has been a strong force in Canadian politics since the late 18th Century. While Canada has the same features of other liberal democracies in the Western democratic political tradition, it is, in some respects, an exemplar of liberalism. This article gives an overview of liberalism in...
found themselves sitting in the jail on drunk and disorderly charges the next day, while the others who were voting Conservative were all free men.
Harry Tracy’s horse
There was even a famous horse, Tracy who was named after the Pacific Northwest outlaw Harry TracyHarry Tracy
Harry Tracy was an outlaw in the closing days of the Old West. His real name was Harry Severns.He is said to have run with Butch Cassidy and the Hole in the Wall Gang, and by the time he'd reached adulthood he was actively taking part in acts of robbery and theft...
who had stolen him as a colt. With Oregon lawmen hot on his trail, Harry Tracy was forced to abandon the horse, which was returned to its owners and eventually ended up working on a Pat Burns cattle drive from the Chilcotin country before finally winding up in Hazelton.
Climate
Notable people
Carol HuynhCarol Huynh
Carol Huynh is a Canadian freestyle wrestler. Her parents are ethnic Chinese in Vietnam . Born in British Columbia, her parents were refugees from Vietnam who settled in the town of New Hazelton, British Columbia, after being sponsored by the local United Church...
- 2008 Freestyle Wrestling Olympic gold medalist
Attractions
- 'Ksan Historical Village'KsanKsan is a historical village and living museum of the Gitxsan people in the Skeena Country of northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located near Hazelton at the confluence of the Skeena and Bulkley Rivers.- See also :...
is a world-famous native heritage site located right where the Bulkley and Skeena rivers meet. - Hagwilget Canyon BridgeHagwilget Canyon BridgeHagwilget Canyon Bridge is a suspension bridge over the Hagwilget Canyon on the Bulkley River, at the Wet'suwet'en village of Hagwilget, British Columbia. The current bridge was constructed in 1931, and later reinforced in 1990....
is one of North America's highest suspension bridges. - Steelhead Fishing can be done at the nearby Kispiox River.
Special events
- Kispiox Valley Rodeo is held the first weekend in June,
- Kispiox Valley Music Festival is held the last weekend of July.
- Pioneer Day takes place on the second Saturday of August.
Book references
- The Far Land, Eva MacLean ISBN 0-920576-41-91
- The Skeena River of Destiny, Dr. RG Large ISBN 1-895811-19-8
- Pioneer Legacy Chronicles of the Lower Skeena River, Norma Bennet ISBN 0-9683026-0-2
- A Thousand Blunders, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and Northern British Columbia, Frank Leonard ISBN 0-7748-0532-3