14

Approaching Midway - the last stop along the line
Circa 1900
The Boundary

Credits:
Kettle River Museum
William C. Mitchell collection

15

"The carpenters, who for the past six weeks have been engaged in erecting the railway buildings at the Midway terminus of the Columbia and Western line (later the Canadian Pacific Railway), completed their work last week and had their tools and camp outfit taken back to Greenwood.

Whilst here they put up a station including office and residence quarter for the agent, freight shed with a 300-foot platform, 3 stall round house, section house, 40,000 gallon circular tank, and a small building for section men's car and tools. A well has been excavated too, and cribbed up and steam pump put in place for pumping purposes.

Painting and plastering, where requisite, will be undertaken as soon as the weather conditions will permit... the next thing to be done is to ballast the road from Anaconda to Midway."

- The Advance, Midway, March 13, 1900.

16

Approaching Midway Station from the east
Circa 1900
Midway, BC

Credits:
Kettle River Museum
Courtesy of Canadian Pacific Railway

17

"Midway is on the Map to Stay"
29 August 1903
Midway, BC

Credits:
Kettle River Museum

18

Midway Becoming a Railway Centre

"...Jas. Dallas has about completed his hotel, and yesterday the foundation was laid for another commodious hostelry for L.A. Manly, formerly of Grand Forks. Wellwood & McPherson are fitting up a building on Seventh Street for a similar purpose.

The Eholt Trading Company has opened a general store and several sites have been sold to outside parties who, as soon as building can be erected, will engage in the same business...

Black Bros. who recently purchased the Oakland Hotel, are putting up an addition. G.D. Cunningham has let the contract for a large store building on Fifth Street; and the Thomas Drug Co. Ltd. Which has been in business for a long time here, is contemplating building a new store to accommodate its increased stock.

G.A. Evans of Grand Forks, with enterprising zeal, has brought in a newspaper plant, and will today issue the first number of the Midway Star.

J.F. Roger, the hustling stage man, is running stages between here and Phoenix and on to the Similkameen, and will in a few days have a line between here and Curlew."

- The Province, August 8, 1905

19

Looking south over the Columbia & Western Station
Circa 1908
Midway, BC

Credits:
Kettle River Museum

20

The sound of the train whistle brought new prosperity to towns like Midway and others in the Boundary region. Permanent residents built businesses for the miners, and homes for themselves and their families. Schools opened through the valley and a sense of community grew. Ore was transported by rail, as were goods and people.

21

Midway Public School
1904
Midway, BC

Credits:
Kettle River Museum

22

May Day celebrations at the fairgrounds
Circa 1910
Midway, BC

Credits:
Kettle River Museum

23

First aeroplane to fly into Midway
1912
Midway, BC

Credits:
Kettle River Museum

24

The Columbia and Western Railway greatly reduced travel and transport time from the Boundary to Canada's population centres. The quickest route began by travelling east to Robson by rail. Eastbound traffic could carry on to the new route through Crow's Nest Pass to the junction with the Canadian Pacific mainline at Medicine Hat. Traffic to the west would be ferried from Robson up the Arrow Lakes to the Canadian Pacific mainline at Revelstoke.

25

CPR steamers on the Arrow Lakes connect with the railway
1899-
Arrowhead, BC

Credits:
Revelstoke Museum & Archives

26

Travel and transport westward from the end of the Columbia and Western Railway line at Midway continued as before, slowly by road and trail.

"The end of steel was at Midway, where coaches took over for passengers traveling to distant points. One stagecoach was from Midway to Rock Creek, and then up the steep winding road, which led to the top of the hill. The passengers were obliged to walk up the steep grade out of Rock creek to give the horses a break before going on to Camp McKinney. The road which was nothing more than a trail led over the summit to the mining town of Fairview, situated near what is now Oliver..."

- from "Harvest of Memories: Reminiscences of Bill Hatton"

27

The Midway Stage
1900-
The Boundary

Credits:
BC Archives A-06408