| Ladysmith
& District Historical Society |
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History of Town of Ladysmith
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Before coming to the history of Ladysmith, we must go back a few years to that of Nanaimo, just to the north. The prosperity of that city came from coal in and around the area, especially Wellington actually just north of Nanaimo. That was shipped through the city’s extensive wharves at Departure Bay.
In the 1890’s these coal seams were nearly played out; so a new mine at Extension, just south of Nanaimo was started. It's existence was due mainly to Dunsmuir's independent prospecting, and he now had a position of considerable power in the industry. It was called Extension as it was an extension of the coal seams at Nanaimo. The intention was to ship the coal through the existing wharves, but Dunsmuir had previously had a dispute with the Western Fuel Company, over whose land the railway would have to go, and access was denied.
During all this activity, the Boer War in South Africa was being waged, with the town of Ladysmith, South Africa, being besieged for 118 days. It was in 1900 that Dunsmuir heard of the relief of Ladysmith and renamed the town Ladysmith in honour of the event (ten streets are named after generals of that war). The population now about 1,000 continued to grow and the town prospered, largely due to ships’ crews looking for provisions and entertainment. Trains carried miners to Extension and brought coal back.
About 1898, copper was found on Mount Sicker some 14 miles to the south. Ore was brought via the E&N to the smelter at Ladysmith which was up and running in 1902, however, this only lasted until 1912.
Over the next few years the population rose to almost 5,000, but miners began a strike which lasted over a year; it was a bitter one with much damage to machinery and houses, and much animosity between strikers and non-strikers. Many people left to look for better opportunities. The strike was eventually settled but the wounds remained.
In the 1930’s the demand for coal was falling off, partly due to coal being replaced by fuel oil in ships, and because of the general countrywide depression. These issues and the fact that the Extension seam was running out, caused the closure of the mine in 1931. Ladysmith fell into it's own depression. People left town and the houses defaulted to the city for unpaid taxes.
In 1933, a violent windstorm blew down thousands of trees in the hills behind Ladysmith. The forest at that time was owned by the Rockefeller Foundation who refused to sell. The windstorm convinced them to sell the forest. Three years later the Comox Logging and Railway Company started logging and shipping logs through the harbour. Instead of digging coal, now we cut trees. This was Ladysmith’s mainstay until about 1986. Today, there are still two sawmills. Logs are exported through the harbour to sawmills and ships all over the west coast.
Much work has been done to preserve the heritage of the town. Ladysmith actually won a significant award for its initiative to make us the “Heritage By The Sea”. An artifacts heritage walk, the revitalized downtown and the construction of an amphitheatre have all contributed to making Ladysmith the award-winning town it is today. Ladysmith is a vital community and an ideal place to live, play and raise a family. A lot of folks retire here and most of the descendants of the original families are still here, keeping our history and heritage alive.
Kit Wilmot, the original writer of Ladysmith’s History is credited with a valuable contribution to documenting this history of Ladysmith. Additional credit has to be given to others such as Viola Cull who have published our rich past. ---------------------------------------------------- How Ladysmith streets were named We have compiled a short article about how Ladysmith streets were named. There are 10 major individuals remembered in the streets of Ladysmith. Here is a brief biography of them . ---------------------------------------------------- Historical Buildings & Artifacts The "Heritage By The Sea" theme has been retained in the historical preservation of the buildings. When the mines in the Nanaimo area closed buildings were either disassembled and moved or put on the train and and eventually relocated in Ladysmith. A good number of these buildings have remained. Kit Willmot has worked very hard on a "Heritage Walk" to introduce people to the buildings. The chronicle of Ladysmith is an ongoing project of the Historical Society. Most of the buildings below 6th date back to the very early history. If you know anything about the past history of your building you are encouraged to pass it on to us. This could eventually lead to an actual historical classification system for the town. As well we would really like to have a "then and now" photo gallery of buildings. Check out our Heritage Buildings section for more details. Most folk are aware that there are a number of significant artifacts in various locations of the town. Be sure to take our Virtual Artifact Tour in the directory at left. Gold is discovered in Ladysmith
In the early days of Ladysmith we never had the fancy pavement we now enjoy. Dirt, mud when it rained, and tree stumps everywhere were the order of the day. But, we did have lots of hotels, with bars. The sort of thing that Gold Rush stories are made of. Folks would sit around and talk about the big gold rushes and opportunities that they presented. Usually the more "libation" the better the story would get. One day in 1908 someone going down Gatacre Street noticed something that glittered. The world "Gold" spread through the town. The entire street was excavated looking for the elusive metal. Everyone wanted in on the action. Turns out the owner of the Jones Hotel (now the Black Nugget Museum) had cleaned an old guilded gold edged mirror. The water was just tossed out on the street. It contained the residue of gold that triggered the big gold boom. So much for our Gold Rush. October 5, 1909 The Extension Mine Explosion On October 5, 1909 thirty four miners went to work at the Extension mine. Thirty two of them were never to come home. Two miners and a mule were known to have survived from that shift. The mines in those days were a dangerous place to work. Documentation of all the digging was poor. Often miners digging new shafts ran into old undocumented shafts. Abandoned and usually full of water. The results were disastrous. But by far the biggest danger was Methane Gas. Created when coal mixed with water. Before any shift a supervisor would go down and look for signs of this danger. But his tools were primitive at best and often hidden pockets of gas were never detected. Until it was too late! That was exactly what happened on that fateful date. Mines in those days were referred to as "open flame" mines. Miners used candles for light and were allowed to smoke in the shafts. And methane gas is highly explosive. Exactly the combination needed to set off the largest tragedy that ever happened to Ladysmith. Families lost fathers, brothers, sons and grandfathers. In those days miners were paid for the amount of coal they dug. Often children were brought down to mines to help fathers. If your father or grandfather was a miner, the odds were pretty good you would be one too. An intricate web that resulted in links to just about every family here. Most of the miners who died are buried in the Ladysmith Cemetery and memorials and headstones mark their graves. Over the years time has resulted in erosion of the stone memorials, but the memory lingers on. For a full list of those who were killed (it can be magnified) click here (close the browser to return here)
First Nations in Ladysmith Generally referred to as the Chemainus Tribal Group, it consists of the Chemainus First Nation, Halalt First Nation, Lyackson First Nation, Penelakult Tribe. Very little written history exists, the actually history being passed down by stories. A common language existed which was associated with the Vancouver Island Coast Salish who spoke the Hul'qumi'num dialect. The actual territory included most of the Gulf Islands as well as Vancouver Island. There are 7 known communities on our area. Generally a peaceful society of fishers. The territory they fished extended all the way to the Fraser River on the mainland. But they did plant harvesting and hunting as well. In the 1850's the population was estimated to be between 8,000 and 15,000. Unfortunately Smallpox greatly reduced the population. There were actually two epidemics, the latest being in 1862. Social structure was a family society. Everyone occupied a winter house. Men often had co-wives. Spouses of adult children joined the family group. In summer most families relocated to fishing villages or lived outside. Mind you, slaves were kept. Usually captured on infrequent raids to other tribes. Often these raids were used to get women as wives. Winter houses were usually used from December to February. During that time events and Potlatches were held. Potlatches were an important part of all the coastal nations. The more the tribe could give away the greater the show of wealth. The provincial government of the time actually banned them fearing that all the wealth of tribes was being given away. Potlatches were banned from from 1884 to 1951. An abundance of wood, mainly cedar provided materials for housing and canoes. Maple and alder were used for smoking fish. Tribal herbal remedies were used for disease and infection. A practice that still works to this day. Agriculture provided a good part of the diet, but there was an abundance of game and birds. Hunters had special status within the tribal structure. Seals and porpoises provided a source of oil. In spite if incursions by settlers and enforced relocations the First Nations have maintained a strong bond. Cultural patterns and practices are continued to this day. (source Hul'qumi'num treaty group)
Railroads in Ladysmith
The very first rail line to appear in what was then called Oyster Harbour was built for the coal mines. Unlike Nanaimo, we never had the opportunity to see wooden rails. The first ones in that area were just that. Wood rails, with cars often pulled by oxen. The first locomotives there were small ones from England. By the time our "founder" Robert Dunsmuir was involved mining was at a pretty good clip in the areas North of us. However, nothing lasts forever and the mines in that area started to fall off. Mining was moving constantly South, and along with that was the need to ship as close to the mines as possible. So, railways came South. Ladysmith was founded because of Robert Dunsmuir, but his son James was the actual founder. Without the railway there would be no town here. The fist line brought coal from the Extension Mine (painting above). Dunsmuir used the rails to transport his miners to and from the town. It was the first time that miners lived in towns, not at the mine itself. The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway was built by Dunsmuir for the government to get material to the thriving Royal Naval Base at Esquimalt. It is in fact the second railway after the CPR to be built in British Columbia. It may have been motivated by politics, but it has been politics that have kept it going too! It is one of the very few regularly scheduled passenger services today. All thanks to the citizens (and area politicians) who saw fit to get involved. When mining died off we went through a period of inactivity and depression. Until the logging companies started! The Comox Logging Company grew to be one of the largest and most profitable operators of trains on Vancouver Island. Along with other companies rail lines were extended out to Cowichan Lake (and almost Alberni) and north to Nanaimo and Nanaimo Lakes. Railways were everywhere.
The advent of Truck Logging spelled the end of the logging railways. Tracks were pulled up and the paths they took abandoned. But, the E &N as we refer to it soldiers on. Robert Dunsmuir's railway continues to carry people, both tourists and locals up and down Vancouver Island. Hopefully with the new agreements it will continue to do so for many years to come. It is too bad, but there are now generations of people in our area who have never rode on a train! (Painting by Paul Grignon with permission of the artist. Done from a photo in Nanaimo Museum captioned Extension Mine)
The history of Ladysmith has been rather tame. Other than mine disasters life was fairly quiet. However, along with Brother 12 in the Cedar area we had our own personal villain. Art Williams, the Legendary Wizard of Ladysmith cut quite a path through our area in the early 1970's. Click here for a chronicle of his deeds. ----------------------------------------------------------- The 5 Cent Candy War
Signs were painted, Parker actually decorated his old car, a 1923 McLaughlin. A parade was staged, and it was so successful they actually turned around and went back up the street. In an article in the Ladysmith Chronicle when Parker was 77 he was quoted as saying "folks should protest in a constructive, peaceful manner about things they don't think are right". Unfortunately, the price went up and continues to do so. The candy bars get smaller, but maybe that is because our hands were getting bigger! image is clickable for larger picture ----------------------------------------------------------- Veterans in Ladysmith As of this writing we have just passed November 11, a day to remember the veterans who served our country in all the wars we have suffered through. As part of our Heritage Cookbook we have had a number of families who have generously offered to share their pictures and stories. Naturally there are also pictures of significant importance to put on our website. Ladysmith was named after a part of a war, so remembrance should be significantly important. Click here for a small part of pictures we have already received of people in Ladysmith & District who have served for us. -------------------------------------------------------- Ladysmith Cemetery One of the projects that The Society wants to move on with is a history of the Cemetery. A project aimed at this has been one of the identified priorities of The Society. All the early history of mining, notably the disasters, can be followed by the graves in the cemetery. The legacy of the early pioneers is also reflected here. Mike Armstrong of Malaspina University College has compiled a very nice presentation. That and the listing of graves is all available in our section on the Ladysmith Cemetery. ----------------------------------------------------------- When Ladysmith moved to the old Grand Hotel an apartment for the town constable was built, along with a jail. Up until then there was no official police office. But, due to the size of the town everyone knew the constable on a first name basis. Before the official jail was built the location varied. First one was across the tracks from the Bayview. Second one was near the location of the Pentecostal Church. and then it was in the Grand Hotel, the City Hall. In 1849 Governor Douglas created what would eventually be the British Columbia Provincial Police (BCPP), composed mainly of West Indians in rather colourful uniforms. However with the Gold Rush the Americans refused to comply with non-white law. Police from local communities were eventually absorbed into the BCPP, but it was not until the 1930's when they assumed official duties for municipal law enforcement. On August 15, 1950 the force was disbanded and the RCMP assumed law enforcement for municipalities. Details of the changeover are rather sketchy but a number of BCPP were absorbed into what became Detachment "E", with responsibility for municipal policing.
Centennial 2004 In 2004 Ladysmith celebrated its Centennial. 12 descriptive panels were created showing the various eras that the town went through. We have them here as "pdf" files (Adobe Acrobat). If you wish to view them, click here. -------------------------------------------------------------- Today's News Is Tomorrow's History. Make History Today!
-------------------------------------------------------------- BC Archives The British Columbia Archives contains 464 on line references and photographs about Ladysmith. If you have some time here is a link to them. Close the browser when you are done and you can return here.
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This page was updated March 16, 2009
Ladysmith owes its founding to the coal industry and James Dunsmuir, the son of Robert. Coal was discovered on Vancouver Island and a most unlikely company exploited the commodity. We all think about fur trading when hear Hudson's Bay Company. But in fact Vancouver Island did not have furs, we just had coal. And the Hudson's Bay Company recognized its importance. Miners were hired mainly from Great Britain to work and manage the mines. One of those individuals was a young Scottish fellow named Robert Dunsmuir. He actually got to Vancouver Island by accident as a cousin of his was originally hired. Dunsmuir took his place. He went on to be the “Coal Baron” of Vancouver Island, but that is another whole story.
Dunsmuir decided that Oyster Harbour would be the shipping port, and in 1898, construction of a railway extension to Oyster Harbour began, together with building a coal washer (slack from which forms Slack Point), bunkers and wharves. Miners started moving from Wellington to Extension, but Dunsmuir said he did not want them to live near the mine, but to move to Oyster Harbour. While some did remain, most did move, bringing homes, shops, hotels and churches with them. They were loaded onto rail flat cars, brought to Oyster Harbour and re-assembled. 
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In all of Ladysmith's history, from coal to logging, to where we are now the railways have been the one consistent factor. The trains took the miners and loggers to work. It was here first, and is still here.
The area North of Ladysmith named Diamond was named because the railway tracks crossed there. The large piece of cast metal in the middle of the rail (called a Frog) was shaped like a diamond. Miners used to meet there to board the mine trains, and it was often referred to as "the Diamond". The name has stuck to this day. The levers that operated the track's directions are on display on First Avenue. 
