This photo captures Sourdough Alley around 1895, a glimpse into the early, makeshift development of Rossland.
Like much of the young city, Sourdough Alley emerged in a patchwork fashion.
It was located north of Columbia Avenue, snaking from the Esling Park area and across Washington Street, just beyond the bounds of the original townsite pre-empted by Ross Thompson.
In 1897, Harold Kingsmill wrote about the area: “In the afterwards somewhat classic regions of the famous Sourdough, perhaps twenty or thirty prospectors and miners, either unable or unwilling to purchase lots on the townsite, had reared their humble homes.”
The street became known for its rough charm and as a haven for early settlers who didn’t quite fit into the formal structure of the booming town.
As the 1890s progressed, Rossland saw significant growth and modernization.
Columbia Avenue became lined with more permanent structures, banks, hotels, and a post office.
The city graded Columbia Avenue in mid-1896, and following Rossland’s incorporation in 1897, Kingsmill noted that “the historic and at the same time picturesque Sour Dough alley was quite literally wiped off the map.”
To learn more about the businesses that once operated in Sourdough Alley, visit rosslandmuseum.ca/vices-brothels.
Do you have original photos capturing Rossland’s rich past?
The museum welcomes contributions.
Photos can be digitized for preservation and originals retained.
