This week’s Trail Blazers feature harkens back to a time when ladies gathered for tea and treats as a way to fundraise for various causes, churches as an example, and to recognize special holidays like a city milestone.
The elegantly dressed women in this photo, dating back 72 years, was taken at the “Old Timer’s Tea,” in honour of the city’s 50th anniversary of incorporation.
“We are now on the year’s shortest month, it is time to flip your calendar,” Trail archivist Addison Oberg begins. “This week we would like to honor the ladies that grace the Trail Historical Society calendar for February.”
While this particular photo was taken during Trail’s Golden Jubilee in 1951, the city has traditionally hosted “Old Timer’s” celebrations in the Cominco gym every June.
Besides an afternoon tea, at one time these events also included a banquet and sometimes a dance. Though the name of the day was later changed to the “Civic Reception,” these daytime gatherings have always been a way to recognize city pioneers, and hear their stories of life in Trail.
“Many of these ladies photographed likely have known each other for decades,” Oberg adds. “It is a pleasure to have them in our calendar this year.”
Last held in the Trail Legion prior to the 2020 pandemic, the city’s invite noted, “The Civic Reception to honour City of Trail Pioneers, Oldtimers and Native Sons and Daughters: all of our honoured Pioneers, Oldtimers and Native Sons and Daughters are invited to attend the tea. If you are 65 or older, a resident of Trail for at least 40 years and currently residing in Trail, you are invited to attend.”
Read more: Trail salutes the city’s finest
Read more: Trail pioneers enjoy coffee, tea and sandwiches at the Civic Reception (photos)
Read more: Pioneers luncheon celebrates Trail’s long-time residents
Trail history
In 1890 the discovery of gold and copper ore on the face of Red Mountain by Joe Moris and Joe Bourgeois was the single most important event in the history of Trail and the Trail/Rossland area. The five claims staked by Moris and Bourgeois on Red Mountain in July of that year led to the rise of Rossland as the premier mining center in North America and the birth of the settlement, Trail Creek Landing.
Under British Columbia law only four of the five claims could be recorded at the Nelson Mine Recorder’s Office. The deputy mining recorder, Eugene Sayre Topping, agreed to pay the recording fees for the claims in return for ownership of the fifth claim. Topping and his friend, Frank Hanna, then purchased 343 acres at the mouth of Trail Creek on the Columbia River, hoping the claims on the neighbouring Red Mountain would be developed into paying mines, and make them wealthy through the sale of town lots. Their hopes became a reality in 1895. The Rossland mines proved to be very rich in gold and copper ore and the lots in the Trail Creek townsite sold briskly.
In 1895 Topping provided land to F.A. Heinze of Butte, Montana to build a smelter to treat the Rossland ores. The smelter was purchased by the C.P.R. in 1898 and expanded its production to include lead ores. Despite the difficult economic times, the smelter succeeded.
With the success of the smelter, Trail Creek Landing was shortened to simply “Trail,” and the small town grew.
The City of Trail was incorporated on June 14, 1901.
Townspeople celebrated the historic event and what seemed to be a promising future on July 1, called Dominion Day back then.
In 1906 the smelter, the War Eagle, Centre Star, and St. Eugene mines, along with the Rossland Power Company were amalgamated to form the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited (CM&S). Under the direction of Walter H. Aldridge, the CM&S solidified the smelter operations.
To read more visit: trailhistory.com.
- Trail Historical Society files
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