Glen Mofford鈥檚 new book, Along the E&N, captures the history of Vancouver Island through the lens of its various hotels and saloons that lined the now-dormant rail line.

Along the E&N tells the story of 32 establishments from Esquimalt to Campbell River. Of all the establishments detailed in the book, only nine remain today.

鈥淚t was actually going to be a book about 100 hotels on Vancouver Island, and then I realized rather quickly as I was doing my research that it鈥檚 a lot of work,鈥� Mofford said. 鈥淚 boiled it down to 32 and I tied it together with the E&N, because they鈥檙e both nostalgic鈥� When you pick this book up, that鈥檚 your ticket on to the E&N train 140 to 160 years ago, on a steam train from Esquimalt to Campbell River with 32 stops along the way.鈥�

While the book does a lot to detail the various establishments along the E&N, Mofford also weaves interesting anecdotes and the history of the communities where the hotels existed. Chapters detail a murder suicide on Mount Sicker, a bartending dog in Bowser, and visits from John D. Rockefeller to a Chemainus hotel.

One chapter details the history of the Abbotsford Hotel that stood in Ladysmith from 1900 - 1935. The hotel was originally built by Andrew J. McMurtrie in the town of Wellington, which was once a booming coal town between Nanaimo and Ladysmith. When James Dunsmuir founded Ladysmith in 1900, the hotel was deconstructed and transported on the E&N to Ladysmith where it was reconstructed.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of neat in itself, especially if you鈥檙e not from around here, or even if you are and you鈥檙e not familiar with that story,鈥� Mofford said. 鈥淭hey took the whole hotel and put it on flat cars of the E&N, which was really appropriate for this book, then they put it all back together again, and it did fairly well for awhile.鈥�

Along the E&N is Mofford鈥檚 second book. His first book, Aqua Vitae, follows the history of drinking establishments in Victoria. Both were published by Touchwood Editions. Mofford is currently travelling Vancouver Island doing readings and presentations. He鈥檚 currently deciding whether to write his next book on drinking establishments of Nanaimo, Vancouver, or BC as a whole.

Outside of his books, Mofford writes for his blog, , and contributes regularly to his Facebook page, as well as the Facebook group Historic Hotels & Pubs of British Columbia.