History

Passion for local history connects visitors and locals. We have only to look at the popularity of the Boundary Heritage Facebook page with 7.3k+ members! We have thousands of years of Indigenous history of the area, which has not been well documented or understood locally. Then we have the first wave of newcomers who came in the 1850s for the Gold Rush. Following that we have 150+ years of Colonial settlement with the influx of farmers, miners and loggers. The thread that binds our history are the rich stories of people and events. It is our goal to create a new website in the future that will attempt to pull together all the research, the artifacts, the photos and the stories into a search engine that will connect them and make it easier for people to find what they are looking for. We also want to incorporate what is happening now into the historic record.

Museums & Archives

View All

Our museums are a good place for you to start your search into the history of the Boundary. At our museums you will find artifacts, photos and stories organized into displays that will lead you to a better understanding of the people and the times they reflect. You will be guided by professionals whose job it is to engage and educate. They will be able to steer you towards other resources for those who want to delve deeper into the historical records.

Cemeteries

View All

We have four active cemeteries in the West Boundary, which are regulated through Consumer Protection BC. They sell plots and manage internments. We have four inactive, heritage cemeteries, which are not authorized to sell plots or do interments.
This cemetery is actually located in Rural Grand Forks, but we feel like it’s part of our area as well!

Historical publications and where to buy them

Bridesville Country”, and “Harvest of Memories” are authorized be longtime Bridesville pioneer Bill Hatton. That provides accounts of life in the Boundary during early days as well as the individuals and families that comprised the failure of the area.

In order to preserve stories of the Boundary Patricia Henley (Pownall) has written a series of “life stories”.

  • Stitches in Time”, showcases the quiet and yet remarkable life of Westbridge, B.C. resident, Marjorie Thomas.
  • The “Life and Times of Jim Kehoe”, illustrates the journey of a lifetime spent on the family property on Anarchist Mountain: it’s struggles and achievements.
  • A Little Bit About Me” is the story of longtime Bridesville resident Muriel Blaine. Her lasting contributions to the Boundary are many.
  • One man’s Story-Bill Harpur” documents the rhythm of life on the Harpur ranch in Rock Creek, B.C. over generations.Each of these people were highly respected and much-loved members of our communities. Their Contributions of time, energy, and wisdom leaves us richer.

Cowboy Poetry and Wisdom from Boundary Country looks at people and events in Southern British Columbia, Canada. Johnny Eek brings the characters to life with humor and insight.
Being a rancher himself, Johnny Eek knows cows and horses first hand. He applies this knowledge to his poems and enlightens the reader.
Johnny Eek looks at people and their behavior and relates them to nature and his wy of life.
Cowboy Poetry and Wisdom from Boundary Country is the perfect book to raise the desire to go back to the way it used to be-when things were just simple-or different.
Want to know what country life is all about-enjoy this little treasure.

Boundary Historical Society Reports

These books are published by the Boundary Historical Society, which was established in 19xx.
Since its establishment the society has recounted the history of the Boundary in a series of Annual Reports. These are written accounts of events and life in the history of the Boundary area. Some writing is by the people who lived that history and some is by their descendants and interested parties. Over the years we’ve created 18 of these Reports. Some are into their third printing. http://boundaryhistory.com/reports/

These can also be purchased at Riverside Centre in Rock Creek.