Christmas 1895

In the issue of December 28th, 1895, the Prospector comments: “Christmas was celebrated in the good old-fashioned way in Fort Steele. What we wanted was turkey and mince pie; what we got was old-time bacon, bread and coffee. And yet we enjoyed it and are contented and happy.” “ The boys at the North Star mine are putting on airs; they had turkey for their Christmas dinner.”

“Last evening several sleigh loads of ladies and gentlemen drove to N. Hanson’s place at Wasa, and arrived in good time to enjoy a sumptuous spread which had been arranged for them. After the banquet the floor was cleared for dancing. H. W. Barnes, who arranged the trip, acted as floor manager. Before leaving, the boys voted Mine Host Hanson many happy returns of the season. Amongst the guests were Mr. and Mrs. Wade, Mr. and Mrs. Durick, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, Mr. and Mrs. Forsyth, Mrs. Levett, Mrs. Broulette, Miss Bailey, Miss Ethel Frizzel, Messrs. Baker, Edwards, Frizzel, Norbury, Olson, Grassick, Dempsey and Willmott.”

The first building on the townsite proper of Cranbrook was the Cranbrook Hotel, erected by James Ryan and Angus Morrison. It was opened for business on December 23rd, 1897, and on the 25th gave the first public Christmas dinner ever served in Cranbrook. There were no people living in town for the simple reason that there was no town at the time, and no buildings except a few shacks used by the C. P. R. construction gangs to store supplies. These shacks were on railway property, not the townsite. A. Leitch had his sawmill running near town, and it was the mill boys that made up the party on that pioneer Christmas Day. At the table were George Leitch, Sam Morrow, H. Parsons, Geo. Wales, Fred Hazen and Arthur Trent.