Page 8

THE TRIBUNE, WILLIAWS LAKE, B.C.

Thirsday, January 26, 1936,

OUTLINE OF PLACE IN HISTORY

Early Cariboo

Clergymen

Established Churches, School

( An outline of the religious growth of the Cariboo,
together with stories of individual men of the cloth

who preached in the territ
Historical Society meeting

ory was given at a recent
by president Henry Windt.

Excerps from his speech are given below in the first of
two instalments of this interesing part of our history.

In our history the first white |
Man came to Cariboo in 1793
when Sir Alexander McKenzie,
on a hunt for the mouth of the
Fraser, travelled down the river
to a point 35 miles north of
here, where Fort Alexander was
established.

As the Roman Catholic
Church was the first to bring
Christian teachings to the Cari-
boo, I will start by giving an
outline of their work.

Apparently no definite steps
were taken to bring Christianity
into the country until 1834. In
that year Peter Skene Ogden
(great grandfather of the Og-
dens at Lac ‘La Hache) was ap-
pointed chief factor for the Hud-
son’s Bay Company for the ter-
ritory from the mouth of the
Columbia River to Fort St.
James. Mrs. Ogden made some
effort to teach Christianity
among the indians but in this
year two natives of Oregon who
had had some Christian teach-
ing from missionaries of the
lower Columbia River came

po a
velled as far as Fort George,
holding meetings at the Indian
villages along the route. Their
ceremonies were partly religious
and partly pagan and they did
not create a very favourable im-
Pression on the natives.

FIRST MISSIONARIES

In 1838 two Roman Catholic
missionaries came west to work
on the lower Columbia and the
settlement at Fort Vancouver
at the mouth of the river.

In 1842 the R.C. bishop who
had as his territory all that
country west of Fort Garry and
north of the Columbia, decided
to send a missionary to New
Caledonia, as the area we know
as Cariboo was then called. In
July of that year Father Mo-
deste Demer, a native of Quebec,
born in 1808 and ordained in
1836, was chosen for this un-
dertaking and so became the
first clergyman in the Interior
of British Columbia.

At the time he was ready to
take up his post, Peter Skene|

north to the Cariboo. They tra-

Ogden was leaving Fort Van-

HORSEFLY

Formation of 4H C

lub Discussed

By Meeting of Girls’ Group

The girls club” met at the
home of Mrs. Charlie Simmons
on January 14. Plans of start-
ing a 4H Club were discussed.
Girls elected were, Barbara Mac-
Leod, president; Georgena Hock-
ley, vice-president; Alice Critch-
low, secretary; Phyllis Luff,
treasurer.

A doll was presented to the
girls as a donation from the
Women’s Institute, also patterns
for doll clothes as a project for
them to work on.

HONOR SENIOR CITIZEN

A surprise birthday party was
tendered Mr. Margaret Gruhs,
eur oldest senior citizen, on
January 6, honoring her 86th
birthday. The party was held at
the home of Mrs. Agnes Wil-
liams, daughter of Mrs. Gruhs.
Gifts and birthday wishes were
presented by the guests, Mrs, T
McDougal, Mrs. Alice Stober,
Mrs. Hazel Gibbons, Mrs. Ester
Grubs.

WEDDING. ANNIVERSARY

A large happy crowd gathered
at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Phillip Bourelle on January 16,
this occasion being Mr. and Mrs.
Bourelle’s twenty-fourth wed-
ding anniversary. After a most
delicious and hearty dinner the
evening was spent with games
and music. Guests were Mr. and
Mrs. L. Brigden, Mr. and Mrs.
W. Walker and Beatrice, Mr.
and Mrs. R. Standley and tam-
ily, Mr. and Mrs. C. Simmons
and family and Mrs. T. McDou-
gal.

INSTRUCTORS FETED

It is with sincere regret that

the people of the community bid

Horsefly ratepayers
Inspector D. Chamberlain at the
school. An explanation of facts
and figures regarding the refer-
endum for School District 27
was given to the audience. A
question period followed, and
Mr. Chamberlain’s replies were
courteously given and to the

ple started the Square Darice
classes it has given adults and
children alike, many happy
hours, and a great deal of credit
goes to them as was expressed
by Arbor Otson in a farewell
presentation to them. Many good
wishes go with the Standleys as
they leave to make their home
in Oregon.

A turkey dinner and evening
of square dancing in honor of
Mr. and Mrs. Standley was held
at the home of Mr. and Mrs. L.
Thygasen on January 19. The
ladies of the group joined to-
gether in preparing the sumptu-
ous meal. The children also did
their share for the party by do-
ing all the dishwashing. Present
were Mr. and Mrs. Roy Stand-
ley and boys, Mr. and Mrs. Joe
Fetters and family, Mr. and Mrs.
G. Hockley and family, Mr. and
Mrs. L. Walters, Mrs. C. Sim-
mons, Miss Barbara MacLeod,
Joe and Barrie Thygasen,

THE LADIES of the Horsefiy

Women’s Institute met at the
home of Mrs. H. Gibbons on
Wednesday. Following a quilt-
ing bee, a farewell tea, and pre-
ing bee, a farewell tea, and
presentation was given in honor
of Mrs. Betty Standley.
RATEPAYERS MEET

On the evening of January 18,
met with

Roy and Betty Standley farewell | point.

at the Square Dance practice on
Friday evening. .
Since the popular young cou-

REV. J. COLCLOUGH held

church service at Barretts’ on
January 16.

FOUR DEPARTMENTS

cauver for Fort St. James and
the priest was invited to join
the company Father
Demer went as far as Fort

brigade.

George, organizing native bands
along the route into religious
groups. On the return journey
he stopped off at Fort Alexander
and persuaded the Indians to
build a “chapel. During its con-
struction he came to Williams
Lake where he obtained land
from the. Indians for a mission.
He also built a church at this
point which was the first in B.C.

FIRST MASS

He then returned to Alexan-
der and completed’ the ehurch
there. It is recorded that the
first Holy Mass celebrated in
British Columbia was held at
Fort Alexander, December 4,
1842.

These churches were crude
log buildings with a cross at one
gable and a stone chimney for
the fireplace at the other. Ani-
mal skins were stretched over
openings to serve as windows. It
is a question which building was
first used for Christian worship
but the one at Fort Alexander
seems to be favored.

In 1861, th time of the gold

rush to Cariboo, a Father
Charles Grandeeier went up as

far as Williams Creek (now |

Barkerville). yas vea| ib Ci if d
mane trouve; US@ Tribune Classifeds

itely established the missic

LOW IN Cost’ ~~

SENSATIONAL IN RESULTS

ther Demer started at Will
Lake.

When I first came to the Cari-|
boo in 1901, Father Thomas
who still resides at the Mission,
Was the travelling priest, and 1|
often met him on the road riding |
his gentle saddle horse while |
making the rounds of his large |
Parish. |

The mission at Williams Lake
soon became famous for its}
boarding school
cannot give-the
opened, but 1868 2
boarding school was started
which drew white children from
a far away a Victoria, Barker-
ville and the Okanagan. It w:
referred to as a college.
convent for girls was started
and at the present time it is still
a boarding school for Indian
children.

One of the school’s oldest pu-
pils-is Mrs. Angelique Lyne of
Soda Creek. She attended the
school in 1875. Mrs. Lyne’s hus-|
band, Bill Lyne, is a son of in|
Lyne who was a partner of Wil-
liam Pinchbeck in the ranch that
stood on the present townsite.

(continued next week) |

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