Niagara, British Columbia

Niagara is on the west side of the Granby River, near the junction with Fisherman Creek, in the Boundary Country region of south central British Columbia.[1] The small community is about 12 kilometres (7 mi) north of Grand Forks on North Fork Rd.

Niagara
Niagara
Location of Niagara in British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°06′00″N 118°28′00″W
Country Canada
Province British Columbia
RegionBoundary Country
Regional districtKootenay Boundary
Area codes250, 778, 236, & 672

Prosperity

In 1898, a Spokane syndicate bought part of the "Gunnysack Jones" ranch, and laid out a townsite, in anticipation of the coming Columbia and Western Railway. The source of the name is unclear, but could either be the Niagara Falls, or the USS Niagara, which served in the Spanish–American War that year.[2][3] The town experienced rapid growth and brief prosperity. Having 12 hotels at its peak,[4] a stage coach ran daily to Grand Forks.[2]

Fading

In 1900, the train station name changed to Fisherman, but the locality faded away after the railway construction workers moved on.[2] By 1918, all permanent residents had left.[5] The flag stop closed in 1955.

The former residential and commercial properties are a ghost town. Several much later residences are concentrated near the river.

Train Timetables (Regular stop or Flag stop)
Year190019071918192919351943194819541955
Ref.[6][7][5][8][9][10][11][12][13]
TypeRegularFlagFlagFlagFlagFlagFlagFlagNone

Virginia City

In 1898, 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) upstream on the Granby, another town seeking to cash in on railway construction and mining prospects was surveyed. Although a hotel was allegedly under construction, the place faded into obscurity.[14]


References
  1. "Niagra (locality)". BC Geographical Names.
  2. "Nelson Star, 9 Apr 2016". www.nelsonstar.com.
  3. Basque Garnet (1982). British Columbia Ghost Town Atlas. Sunfire Publications.
  4. Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of the Boundary Country, p. 147, at Google Books
  5. "1918 BC Directory". www.bccd.vpl.ca.
  6. "1900–01 BC Directory". www.bccd.vpl.ca.
  7. "1907 timetable" (PDF). www.traingeek.ca. p. 44.
  8. "1929 timetable". www.library.ubc.ca. p. 30 (TT114).
  9. "1935 timetable". www.library.ubc.ca. p. 10 (TT 70).
  10. "1943 timetable" (PDF). www.streamlinermemories.info. p. 44 (TT151).
  11. "1948 timetable". www.library.ubc.ca. p. 45 (TT151).
  12. "1954 timetable". www.library.ubc.ca. p. 44 (TT121).
  13. "1955 timetable". www.library.ubc.ca. p. 44 (TT121).
  14. "Trail Times, 27 Oct 2017". www.trailtimes.ca.
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