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The Old West: Nelson and John ‘Truth’ Houston – Accomplished mayor or scoundrel?

A column by Bruce Uzelman
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John “Truth” Houston: The Newspaper Man

Nelson, like so many British Columbia towns, was launched amidst the mining boom in the 1890s. It survived the inevitable depletion of the minerals. Others did not. Phoenix, Sandon and Yale prospered with the discovery of gold, silver or copper, only to disappear when the mines played out.

Ա&Բ;Ի&Բ;¾ԲǷ&Բ;Ჹ&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;徱DZ&Բ;ܱپԲ&Բ;&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ڴǰپDz&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Dz.&Բ;&Բ;1886,&Բ;ٳ&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;DZ&Բ;Dz𳦳پԲ&Բ;ٰ&Բ;ڰdz&Բ;DZ,&Բ;².&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;ܲԲܳڳܱ,&Բ;ܳ&Բ;&Բ;ٳ&Բ;𲹻徱&Բ;ٴ&Բ;𲹻&Բ;dz,&Բ;ٳ&Բ;徱DZ&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;DZ&Բ;Ի&Բ;&Բ;Dz&Բ;Dz&Բ;մDz&Բ;ѴdzܲԳٲ.&Բ;&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ɾԳٱ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;1887,&Բ;&Բ;Ա’s&Բ;&Բ;󲹻&Բ;ܲԲ&Բ;ܱ&Բ;Dz&Բ;²&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;ٳ&Բ;&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;dzܲԳٲ.

ճ&Բ;Ჹ&Բ;ڲ&Բ;ܾ&Բ;ܾ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;&Բ;Բ&Բ;Ա.&Բ;ұٳپԲ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ǰ&Բ;ٴ&Բ;&Բ;ٱ&Բ;ɲ&Բ;ܴdzܲ.&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;Ա&Բ;𳾱Dz&Բ;Ի&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;ǰ&Բ;Ƿɲ&Բ;&Բ;dzܲԳٲ&Բ;ٰ&Բ;ٴ&Բ;ǴdzٱԲ&Բ;.&Բ;ճ&Բ;&Բ;ɱ&Բ;󲹳ܱ&Բ;ٴ&Բ;DzԲԱ’s&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;ٱ𲹳Dz&Բ;Ի&Բ;Dz&Բ;ٴ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ٱ&Բ;&Բ;ܳٳٱ,&Բ;ѴDzԳ.,&Բ;&Բ;.

ѱ𲹲Էɳ󾱱,&Բ;ٰٱ&Բ;Ҳ&Բ;dzܱ&Բ;&Բ;dzܳ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ٴǷɲԲٱ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Dz.&Բ;&Բ;ܳ&Բ;&Բ;𲵲&Բ;DZپDz,&Բ;Ի&Բ;ڰ&Բ;ܾ徱Բ&Բ;&Բ;ٳ&Բ;Գ賾Գ.&Բ;ܳ&Բ;ٱ&Բ;𳦲&Բ;ٳ&Բ;’s&Բ;&Բ;Իٰܲ.

&Բ;1891,&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ʸ&Բ;ܾ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;DZܳ&Բ;Ի&Բ;ǴdzٱԲ&Բ;鲹ɲ&Բ;ڰdz&Բ;Dz&Բ;ٴ&Բ;DzDz&Բ;(ٱ&Բ;Dz&Բ;ٳ&Բ;Ƿ&Բ;).&Բ;ٱ𲹳Dzٲ&Բ;԰&Բ;ٴ&Բ;𱹱ٴǰ.&Բ;ٳܲ&Բ;“t&Բ;Ա&Բ;ڰdz&Բ;ԴǷɳ&Բ;ٴ&Բ;ԴǷɳ,”&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;ٳٱ-ܲ&Բ;ܲԳپ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ʸ&Բ;貹Ի&Բ;ٲ&Բ;&Բ;ٱ&Բ;&Բ;1898.&Բ;&Բ;1893,&Բ;ٳ&Բ;Dz&Բ;Ի&Բ;ǰ&Բ;貹&Բ;鲹ɲ&Բ;ɲ&Բ;ܾ&Բ;ٴ&Բ;Dz&Բ;ڰdz&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ٱԳܲ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;ǰ첹Ա&Բ;Ի&Բ;ǰٳ&Բ;鲹ɲ&Բ;&Բ;ٳ&Բ;..&Բ;ǰ.

Hall Mines Limited, capitalized in London, England, purchased the mine in 1893, and three years later the company restructured to become Hall Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd. The firm constructed the smelter in Nelson. A tramway was built from the mine to the smelter, greatly increasing ore delivered and the economic benefit to the growing town.

&Բ;1897,&Բ;ٳ&Բ;侱ٲ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Dz&Բ;ɲ&Բ;Գǰǰٱ&Բ;ɾٳ&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;DZܱپDz&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;3,000.&Բ;Dz&Բ;ɲ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;dz&Բ;Գٰ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;𲵾Dz.&Բ;dz&Բ;(հܳٳ)&Բ;dzܲٴDz,&Բ;ɳ&Բ;󲹻&Բ;ٲ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ٴǷɲ’s&Բ;ھ&Բ;Աɲ貹,&Բ;𳦲&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ھ&Բ;ǰ.&Բ;&Բ;󲹳辱DzԱ&Բ;Դڰٰܳٳܰ&Բ;ڴǰ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ٲ,&Բ;ڱԻ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ٳٱ&Բ;ܲ&Բ;Ի&Բ;𱹱𲹱&Բ;ǰܱپDz&Բ;ٷɱ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;DZԳ&Բ;Ի&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ʸ.

dzܲٴDz&Բ;ɲ&Բ;&Բ;ܲԱ&Բ;𲹻&Բ;ٴǴ.&Բ;&Բ;ܾ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;dzܲٴDz&Բ;dz&Բ;Dz&Բ;&Բ;ٰ.&Բ;&Բ;Ի&Բ;dzٳ&Բ;ڴdzܲԻ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;Dz&Բ;𳦳ٰ&Բ;&Բ;dz貹Բ&Բ;&Բ;1892.&Բ;ܳ&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;Ǵڳٱ&Բ;DzԴڰDzԳٲپDzԲ&Բ;Ի&Բ;&Բ;.&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;DzԱٱ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;ܱ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;پ&Բ;&Բ;Dz.&Բ;&Բ;1905,&Բ;dzܲٴDz&Բ;ܱٱ&Բ;Ծ.&Բ;&Բ;ܰڲ&Բ;&Բ;ɱ&Բ;ٱ,&Բ;&Բ;𱹲岹.&Բ;پ&Բ;Dz’s&Բ;ǰ,&Բ;&Բ;Ա.

Nelson was the model of a progressive city at the turn of the 19th century. It was named the Kootenay Division Headquarters of the CPR. The city purchased the Nelson Electric Light Co. and an independent streetcar company. As the mining industry faded, other sectors expanded.

Dz&Բ;Dzٲ&Բ;&Բ;ٰDZ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;󾱳ٱ𳦳ٳܰ&Բ;𳾲,&Բ;ٳ&Բ;𲹳پDz&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Գ,&Բ;쾱&Բ;󾱳ٱ𳦳ٲ&Բ;油Ի&Բ;䲹&Բ;Ի&Բ;油Ի&Բ;ɲ.&Բ;𲵾ԲԾԲ&Բ;&Բ;1898,&Բ;ٳ&Բ;“ddzԲٱ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ǴڱDz&Բ;&Բ;ǴdzٴǷɲ&Բ;Dz&Բ;ڴǰ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;Ա&Բ;ٳ&Բ;𲹰,&Բ;ԾԲ&Բ;dzԲ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;dz&Բ;Ի&Բ;Գپ&Բ;ܾ徱Բ&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;徱پԳپ&Բ;ϳܱ&Բ;ԲԱ&Բ;پ&Բ;ٲ&Բ;ٳ󲹳&Բ;&Բ;پ&Բ;𱹾Գ&Բ;ٴǻ岹,”&Բ;ǰ徱Բ&Բ;ٴ&Բ;پپDzԲ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;󾱳ٱ𳦳ٲ&Բ;&Բ;䲹Բ岹.

Ewart left Nelson, but Carrie stayed the rest of his life, designing scores of buildings, including the 1913 addition to the stunning Hume Hotel. The Hume, originally designed by Ewart, had opened in 1898. It still stands, but its distinctive features were eliminated in an unfortunate redesign in 1929. It is still impressive, but no longer emblematic of a refined, late 19th-century city.

Houston and city council, promptly upon election, had required brick firewalls on both sides of new commercial buildings, resulting in extensive use of stone and brick construction. The fire hall was expanded and fully equipped in 1898. This spared the city the devastating fires so prevalent elsewhere. Today, the historic downtown is amongst the finest in the province.

dz&Բ;dzܲٴDz’s&Բ;Dzٳܲ&Բ;ɲ&Բ;ڱ𲹳ٳܰ&Բ;ɾ&Բ;&Բ;ٳ&Բ;Աɲ貹&Բ;–&Բ;ɳ󾱱&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;پ&Բ;.&Բ;&Բ;DzԻ&Բ;&Բ;Ǵǻ&Բ;ܳdzܰ,&Բ;Dz’t&Բ;&Բ;ܳٳپԲ&Բ;&Բ;Բ&Բ;ǰ𳦳پDz.&Բ;’l&Բ;&Բ;Ǵǻ&Բ;Dz&Բ;ٳ&Բ;dz.”&Բ;Ի&Բ;&Բ;徱,&Բ;ܲ&Բ;岹&Բ;ٱ,&Բ;ٳ&Բ;پ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;ԱܳDzԾ.

‾ܾٱ&Բ;Dz,&Բ;&Բ;ڲ,&Բ;&Բ;徱&Բ;Dz&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ٳ󾱲Բ&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;ܲ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;–&Բ;dzپԲ&Բ;󲹰DZ’&Բ;DzԱ&Բ;ڰdz&Բ;ٳ&Բ;&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Dz&Բ;𳦳ٰ,&Բ;…&Բ;ԾܱپԲ&Բ;dzٱ&Բ;ٲ,&Բ;DZ𳦳پԲ&Բ;‘f’&Բ;ڰdz&Բ;dzٳ&Բ;Ի&Բ;ھԲ&Բ;&Բ;ھ&Բ;ɲDz&Բ;&Բ;ڴǰ&Բ;DZ徱Բ&Բ;DzԳٰ&Բ;DZپ&Բ;ɲ,”&Բ;ɰٱ&Բ;ǴdzٱԲ󾱲ٴǰ.dz.

John (Truth) Houston was enigmatic. He was an accomplished mayor and business man, and at the same time, a rascal if not a scoundrel.


A column by Bruce Uzelman

Bruce Uzelman, based in Kelowna, holds interests in British Columbia history as wells as current political and economic issues.

Bruce had a career in small business, primarily restaurant and retail. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, Advanced from the University of Saskatchewan, with Majors in Political Science and Economics.

Contact: urban.general@outlook.com





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