Male Archives | British Columbia’s Black Pioneers

On British soil he was free. The Case of Fugitive Slave Charles Mitchell

John Adams is an author, historian, and he owns and operates a walking tour company “Discover The Past” that offers walking tours of Victoria. Location: Bastion Square marks […]

Sir James Douglas, 1863. Governor of Vancouver Island (1851–64) and British Columbia (1858–64)

Since 1851 James Douglas held 2 jobs, Chief Factor for the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), operating from Fort Victoria and Governor of the Crown Colony of Vancouver Island. […]

Willis and John Stark (1890)

Willis Otis Stark and his brother John Edmond Stark, in a professional portrait taken at the Elite Studio in Nanaimo, B.C. John Edmond made his living by prospecting […]

Willis Stark and the cougar (1900)

Willis Stark, known for his cougar hunting expertise, pictured here with one of his dogs, a gun and the cougar that he has shot on Salt Spring Island, […]

Willis Otis Stark as a young man (circa 1870, age about 18)

When his father, Louis, moved the family to another farm near Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Willis Stark stayed on Salt Spring Island and kept the farm. His mother, […]

Mystery surrounds the death of Louis Stark

A rich coal seam was discovered under Louis’s Vancouver Island property; several interested buyers, including his neighbour Ed Hodgson, offered to purchase the land. Louis was happy farming […]

John Craven Jones, Schoolteacher, immortalized in 1972 mural

In 1972 Alfred Temmel, local artist created a series of 4 wall murals, painted in the Bavarian tradition on a wall at the Harbour House Hotel, Salt Spring […]

Richard Stokes: Owner and operator of livery stables

He also served with the Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps.

John Thomas Pierre: Tailor

John Thomas’ father, Thomas Whiting Pierre, started the tailoring and dyeing business in 1858. A notice about the partnership is published in the British Colonist announcing the partnership […]

Peter Lester: partner in the firm Lester&Gibbs

In San Francisco Lester was a partner with Gibbs in the Pioneer Boot and Shoe Emporium on Clay Street in San Francisco. It was in this store that […]

Robert Clanton: store owner, bookkeeper

Robert had been in Victoria for 56 years when he died on December 31, 1914. He was survived by his wife, Victoria, 1 daughter living in Portland, Oregon, […]

James Barnswell: “he built some of Victoria’s most elegant homes”

James Barnswell was 30 when he arrived in Victoria. At age 42 he married Mary Lowe who had also come to Victoria. They had 7 children. He died […]