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Invermere (B.C.) Land speculation--British Columbia
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Effie Turnor interview

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-07 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Miss Effie L. Turnor describes early settlement at Wilmer: how she came from England with her family in 1911; her father was lured out by R.R. Bruce's pamphlet; her father bought ten acres just above Wilmer; grew strawberries and apples; in 1916 she moved to Invermere; there were few farms near Wilmer in the early days; it was mainly a mining town; Bruce's charming personality is described; she mentions several characters around Wilmer. [TRACK 2: blank.]

Mrs. H. Williams interview

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-05 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. H. Williams describes her trials as a woman homesteader at Wilmer: she came from Scotland in 1914 and really wanted to go back as she was very homesick for a year; settled outside of Wilmer; their house was built in ten days; her husband was a carpenter; and had worked in Wilmer for three years before he brought his wife out; Sir Robert Randolph Bruce is described as not being an hon;est man; misleading advertisements about Invermere; a description of Bruce's wife and her death; loggers and miners described as real gentlemen; originally Wilmer was more prominent than Athalmer and Windermere, but then Bruce pulled out; a big flood in 1916. [TRACK 2: blank.]

Mrs. L.B. Lake interview

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-05 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. L.B. Lake came from Wisconsin to Wilmer in 1911. She discusses R.R. Bruce at Invermere and James L. McKay at Athalmer. Mrs. Lake's father-in-law, J.J. Lake, ran the first store in Athalmer. Mrs. Lake describes Bruce's fruit farming plans; the 'demo-cart' and the route from Cranbrook to Windermere; Athalmer as a pioneer logging town. TRACK 2: Mrs. Lake continues by describing the boats running along the Columbia River and on Lake Windermere.

Vera Bennett interview

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-05-27 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. Vera Bennett describes early days in Field, Cranbrook and Creston: Vera's father was from Sweden and worked for the CPR and eventually became road master at Field; her mother was English and was born in India; Vera was the first white baby born in Field, and was born in a box car; VIP's at Field; the family moved to Cranbrook in 1898; in 1899 nearly everything in Fort Steele went to; Cranbrook which was just a tent town during its construction; Vera married in 1913; the stage to Windermere was always uncomfortable; describes the route and stopping house; the smallpox epidemic in ;the spring of 1899; hundreds of workers died. TRACK 2: Bennett continues by describing a movie company and promotion of Invermere as a fruit growing area in 1909 and 1910; apples tied to poplars; reservists from England were totally unprepared for the actual conditions; she and her husband moved to Creston in 1914; there were reservists there also; Radium Hot Springs; ceremonies for the opening ;of the David Thompson memorial in 1922; she went to All Hallows School in Yale for two years; Indian and white girls were kept very separate.