Trail Historical Society: Displays and Programs

The most prominent men of Trail in 1902 on the front steps of William Devitt's house on the corner of Cedar Avenue and Helena Street. Front L-R: Ald. James Dawson, Mayor E.S. Topping, D.J. Jelly, Ald. Noble Binns, City Treasurer F.W. Warren. Middle: J.H. Schofield. Third row sitting: Ald. Alexander Steele, R.H. Coleman, W.J. Devitt, Rev. Irvine, T.W. Coleman, R. E. Strong. Back row: Ald. Jim Byers, Dr. R. M. Perdue, Ald. Bill Furnell.

S.S. Nakusp at Trail Creek. The "Nakusp" was one of several sternwheelers that plied the waters of the Columbia River, and regularly stopped at the Trail Creek Landing with supplies and miners.

A view of downtown Trail from the end of Cedar Avenue, showing the Hanna Opera House at front right.

Sports trophies and shields won by Trail athletes 1913/14

Sports Hall of Memories

The Smokies on
Hockey Day in Canada

Museum

Archives

	Music has always played a large part in the social activities of Trail citizens. This display case showcases programmes and memorabilia from the Kootenay Music Festival held every second year in Trail, and the Mitchell Trio, a popular folk group of the 60's and 70's. Mike Kobluk, a founding member of the trio, was a Trail native.

	Letters from the "front", a German ceremonial helmet from WWI, WWII medals, a WWI British army field signalling kit, WWII soldier's jacket and gas mask, and a WWI army telescope are displayed in the "War" display.
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	The wood grave marker of Frank Hanna Jr. who died of typhoid on Nov. 15, 1895 aged 16 years. Frank was the eldest child of Frank and Jane Hanna, Trail's first family. Frank Hanna Sr., as the partner of Col. E. S. Topping, was one of the founders of Trail.
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	Display in the Trail Museum showcasing some artifacts from early Trail businesses.
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	A view of the interior of the Trail Museum. To the left is a pair of CM&S overalls worn by Cora Stickley. During WWII when many men were away fighting, CM&S hired women to fill the men's positions, in order to maintain the output of lead that was valuable to the war effort. When the men returned from war, the women lost their jobs and resumed their former lives.
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	A small display of Cominco (formerly CM&S) artifacts and memorabilia. The tall tower in the photo in the centre of the case represents Cominco's contribution to the atomic bomb. This tower was used to make heavy water during WWII for the Manhattan Project and was so top secret that not even the Chief Design Engineer at the tower knew what it was being used for at that time. The tower is still standing on the grounds of Cominco's Warfield fertilizer plants.
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	Some Trail sports jerseys and sweaters.
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	A display showing the history of the Mine, Mill and Smeltermen Union in Trail. Ginger Goodwin, famous union organizer, led the first strike in Cominco's history on November 15, 1917 demanding enforcement of the eight hour day. It was broken on Dec. 20th, 1917 after only 5 weeks after the company fired all 1200 striking workers. In 1918, the union folded and was replaced by a company union, the Workmen's Committee, controlled by the General Manager of CM&S, S. G. Blaylock.
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	An interior view of the Trail Museum.
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	A closeup view of some of the artifacts in the "Trail Businesses" case. The pop bottles are from the Gassosa Pop Company which started production in 1923.
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	Another closeup view of some of the artifacts in the "Trail Businesses" case. These artifacts are largely from the Trail Mercantile store and The Company Store, established in 1917 by CM&S to afford the citizens of Trail protection from the spiraling inflation of World War I prices on goods.
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	Archibald Broderick's surveryors transit. "Archie" Broderick designed and built many of Trail's distinctive red brick buildings during the 1920s, a time of growth and prosperity in Trail. Some of these buildings include the Colombo Lodge on Rossland Avenue, the Legion Hall (demolished in 2000), the Union Hotel on Victoria Avenue, the Fire Hall on Pine Avenue (in 1928 the new City Hall was attached), and the Knights of Pythias building on Cedar Avenue (now Shoppers Drugmart).
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	This embroidered postcard was sent to James Schofield MLA from Staff Lieut. G. K. Ashby, Canadian Section, 3rd Echelon, British Expeditionary Force. Embroidered postcards were made principally in France to sell to Allied soldiers, and reached their popularity during World War I.
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	A scale model of the SS Trail, made by Bert Learmonth. The SS Trail was one of the sternwheelers that plied the Columbia River waters, bringing men and supplies to the mines and towns along the mighty Columbia. SS Trail was mostly used as a work horse, taking the ores from the Rossland mines to the United States.
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	14K gold presentation pocket watch given to O. G. Gustafson on behalf of the citizens of Trail. The presentation marked the Trail Hockey Club's first amateur hockey title, earned at the 1926/27 B.C. Amateur Hockey Tournament. A watch was presented to each of the 12 players on the team (which would later become the Trail Smoke Eaters), and the club's coach and executive. Mr. Gustafson was a forward on the team.

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