Today - H is for a Hundred Years - Centennial Celebrations!
Blogging about British Columbia Genealogy Resources
"Princess Margaret at the cutting ceremony for Nanaimo's ten thousand pound centennial birthday cake; BC scenes depicted in the icing", 16 Jul 1958. British Columbia Archives: photographer unknown; Item H-04464. This was labelled as the "World's Biggest Cake" - 10,000 pounds! For a front view of it, see Marilyn Mclellan's Centennial Cake photo on Flickr.
British Columbians celebrated 3 major Centennials in 1958, 1967 and 1971 - dressing up for festivals, building new schools and museums, writing community history and recipe books, organizing pageants, designing coins and tokens, baking giant cakes and ordering souvenir tea cups, plates and clothes, oohing at royal visits, drawing school murals, trying to win treasure hunts, even beard growing - vast numbers of BCers took part in or assisted with centennial events and projects. (Genealogically, of course, there were Centennial babies too - here's a nice 1967 story. )
Centennial records can add colour and new stories to your family history. Researching local centennials (and other important anniversaries) can do the same. And perhaps you can date some family photos by all the big beards.
Newspapers, local archives and family collections will yield more information on these and other centennial celebrations in British Columbia and the names and perhaps photographs of many who participated.
The BC Archives has 'countless' files and documents relating to various Centennials, including 'the big 3' above but I will mention two collections of genealogical interest.
Submissions to BC Centennial Anthology, Series GR-2080. Microfilm; most originals were returned to the authors or sources; 3 manuscripts and 18 transcripts - created 1862-1958. This consists of 11 submissions not accepted for the official British Columbia anthology, but microfilmed as they were deemed to be of historical or family history interest. Note that there may be other BC Archives acquisitions relating to these individuals or their families. No access restrictions. There is an online finding aid - I've added a list of the submitters below in brief, hoping to pique some family interest! https://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/submissions-to-bc-centennial-anthology
British Columbia: A Centennial Anthology, Editor in chief, Reginald Eyre Watters, prepared in cooperation with The British Columbia Centennial Committee (London: McClelland and Stuart Ltd., 1959) is available for loan at the Internet Archive. This was the official anthology.
Pioneer medallion application forms, Series GR-1489. Forms now digitized and available online; originals 4.2 m of documents. Local Centennial committees were responsible for distributing the forms to B.C. residents born in Canada or living in the country before 1 January 1892. Applicants were asked to fill in family details. Two copies of forms were filed - by the name of the community, and by the applicant's name; online finding aids by community and applicant. No access restrictions - created 1966-1967.
As an example, you can look at my Na's (grandmother's) application, Amy Estella Scott. Caution needs to be taken. Na didn't add too much detail to the form but I know she certainly still knew more than given. She mentions her siblings that grew up, not her two baby brothers that died. She says she has a birth certificate which she did but, her birth was registered as in 1884. She changed that herself on her certificate copy in pen. I knew she was sure she was born in 1885; this went with a family story. I remember my dad (her son in law) mentioning it because she'd done herself out of a year's pension! Now I wonder - grandpa was born in 1885; perhaps she didn't want to be older than her husband?: https://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/scott-amy-estella-vancouver
Certainly if you can interview family about Centennial activities and connections, so much the better! I do remember the 1958 Centennial the best - my father, like so many men, grew a beard (to my mother's obvious dismay - it didn't last the year), people suddenly talking about gold panning (maybe that's when Dad and his friend started?), weekend family drives out hunting historic sites from clues in the newspaper - and the best for me - my first research assignment and my first research trip - to the City of Vancouver Archives, then at City Hall. Thank you, Major, sir!
Centennial records can add colour and new stories to your family history. Researching local centennials (and other important anniversaries) can do the same. And perhaps you can date some family photos by all the big beards.
Newspapers, local archives and family collections will yield more information on these and other centennial celebrations in British Columbia and the names and perhaps photographs of many who participated.
The BC Archives has 'countless' files and documents relating to various Centennials, including 'the big 3' above but I will mention two collections of genealogical interest.
Submissions to BC Centennial Anthology, Series GR-2080. Microfilm; most originals were returned to the authors or sources; 3 manuscripts and 18 transcripts - created 1862-1958. This consists of 11 submissions not accepted for the official British Columbia anthology, but microfilmed as they were deemed to be of historical or family history interest. Note that there may be other BC Archives acquisitions relating to these individuals or their families. No access restrictions. There is an online finding aid - I've added a list of the submitters below in brief, hoping to pique some family interest! https://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/submissions-to-bc-centennial-anthology
British Columbia: A Centennial Anthology, Editor in chief, Reginald Eyre Watters, prepared in cooperation with The British Columbia Centennial Committee (London: McClelland and Stuart Ltd., 1959) is available for loan at the Internet Archive. This was the official anthology.
Pioneer medallion application forms, Series GR-1489. Forms now digitized and available online; originals 4.2 m of documents. Local Centennial committees were responsible for distributing the forms to B.C. residents born in Canada or living in the country before 1 January 1892. Applicants were asked to fill in family details. Two copies of forms were filed - by the name of the community, and by the applicant's name; online finding aids by community and applicant. No access restrictions - created 1966-1967.
As an example, you can look at my Na's (grandmother's) application, Amy Estella Scott. Caution needs to be taken. Na didn't add too much detail to the form but I know she certainly still knew more than given. She mentions her siblings that grew up, not her two baby brothers that died. She says she has a birth certificate which she did but, her birth was registered as in 1884. She changed that herself on her certificate copy in pen. I knew she was sure she was born in 1885; this went with a family story. I remember my dad (her son in law) mentioning it because she'd done herself out of a year's pension! Now I wonder - grandpa was born in 1885; perhaps she didn't want to be older than her husband?: https://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/scott-amy-estella-vancouver
Certainly if you can interview family about Centennial activities and connections, so much the better! I do remember the 1958 Centennial the best - my father, like so many men, grew a beard (to my mother's obvious dismay - it didn't last the year), people suddenly talking about gold panning (maybe that's when Dad and his friend started?), weekend family drives out hunting historic sites from clues in the newspaper - and the best for me - my first research assignment and my first research trip - to the City of Vancouver Archives, then at City Hall. Thank you, Major, sir!
1958 - Centennial of the establishment of the Crown Colony of British Columbia (1858-1866) on the mainland. In 1863, the Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands became part of the Colony of British Columbia (the mainland). From 1866, the Colony of British Columbia (1866–1871) added the Colony of Vancouver Island (1849-1866).
1966/1967
- Centennial of 'British Columbia' - Vancouver Island and the mainland Colony merged, 1966
- Centennial of Canadian confederation, 1967.
- Centennial of 'British Columbia' - Vancouver Island and the mainland Colony merged, 1966
- Centennial of Canadian confederation, 1967.
.
1971 - BC's joining Canada.
Learn more about the establishment of the mainland BC Colony at these sites:
British Columbia 1858 (Legislative Library of BC Background Paper, 2007)
The Governor's Letters (The Governor's Letters, Uncovering Colonial British Columbia, Department of History, University of Victoria
And about BC's joining Canada at British Columbia Joins Confederation (Dunn, William and West, Linda. Canada: A Country by Consent. Ottawa: Artistic Productions Limited. 2011).
1967 souvenir teacup - for both the BC and the Canada Centennials.
Made in England for Monarch Specialty-Ad, Vancouver, BC.
Private collection.
If you are interested in learning more about the effect of the 1958/1967/1971 Centennials in BC, do read “BC at its Most Sparkling, Colourful Best”: Post-war Province Building through
Centennial Celebrations
by
Mia Reimers, PhD Dissertation, University of Victoria, BC, 2007: https://dspace.library.uvic.ca/handle/1828/285
The Report of the British Columbia Centennial Committee, (printed by Mitchell Press Ltd., 1959). This includes a chapter on "Projects for Posterity" and one on"Community Achievements" with a list of local Committee Chairs and a timeline of Centennial activities around the province. Shown are the cover and pp. 68-69 - visit of the Nippon-Maru, the Japanese training ship and the Vintage Car Run, from Fernie to Victoria, BC. Read a little about Ella Foster (née Scroggie) who was on the Car Run all the way and the Vancouver Chapter, Vintage Car Club of Canada's participation.
Note:
GR 2080 British Columbia Centennial Anthology submissions - not accepted, but filmed. Please see my note above and follow this BC Archives link for more information.
Mrs. M.E. Hunter - re Catherine Schubert
Elisabeth Winsby - re "The Beaver"
Mrs. H. Marion Dallain - re Victoria; Saanich pioneers
Mrs. Eleanor Z. Bunting - re Hugh McRoberts and James A. Clarke
Sidney Gelsthorpe - re Cariboo district history (Clapperton's Journal)
Roselle Beharrell - re Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Kelleher, Roselle Beharrell
Mrs. Elvie Sisson - re Susan Allison's manuscripts (2 submissions)
Mrs. Florence Acreman - re Sooke pioneers, Muir family (2 submissions)
Marjory M. Thomson - re Mrs. Jennie Bunting (née McRoberts)
Miss Maude Bunting - re Mrs. Jennie Bunting (née McRoberts)
George H. Shepherd - re "War Dog" (ship), ship construction in Vancouver
3 comments:
Great advice to research landmark celebrations and holidays -- which may have featured names of participants, such as event organizers, band members and such.
This kind of research can be quite a lot of fun - peering at old photographs to see who you recognize! Smaller towns are often a 'gold mine' but it's surprising sometimes what you can find in bigger places. Thanks for dropping by, Molly.
Often town or village centennial books will tell about the early settlers and their families. Great reminder!
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