A 1924 news article reveals a Squamish mystery.
The piece headlined 鈥淪keleton of man found in Squamish: Condition of remains indicated that man died years ago鈥� appeared in The Daily Province on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1924.
The piece on page 20 of the paper was recently discovered by veteran investigative reporter Bob Mackin, who stumbled on it while doing research for a different story. He forwarded it to The 小蓝视频.
The text of the article reveals interesting tidbits of local history.
"While driving logs on the Squamish River, about two miles from the mouth, Chas Schoonover made a gruesome discovery on the river bank when the crew stopped to make a fire for lunch," the story reads.
"While hunting firewood, the party came across the skeleton of a man lying in the brush above the water line. The state of the remains indicated that they had been there for about three years," the story continues.
It seems likely there is an error in the first name and that the correct name was Charles Schoonover, who was known in Squamish at the time.
A photo of Schoonover in the Squamish Public Library archives shows Schoonover building his home at 417477 Government Rd, in 1932.
The library image says he worked as a hunter, trapper, and logger.
An entry in the book 鈥淭he Judds of Squamish Valley: Volume Three鈥� notes that Schoonover鈥檚 home was in the line of the Squamish River, and that after the floods of 1921鈥攖here had also been a flood in the spring鈥� 鈥渉e was afraid that the next flood would wash his home away. He spent the next few years鈥� hauling rocks in his wagon鈥� to build a large bank of rock along the shore of the river, saving his home for many years thereafter.
The 1921 flood
The Daily Province article suggests what locals thought about the mysterious deceased man.
"The theory is being advanced that the skeleton is that of a man named Wilson who lost his life in the big flood of October 29, 1921, when thirty-five were drowned at Britannia. Wilson was a settler who located shortly before the flood at some distance above Squamish."
A social media post notes that the Oct. 28, 1921 flood was "the deadliest recorded natural disaster" and "one of the worst in Canadian history."
The deadly flood even made
According to the museum, a total of 36 people were killed, with 15 seriously injured.
It notes that more would have died if locals had not rushed to help.
A recent by master鈥檚 degree grad Emi Celeste Schreyer Kingan notes the severity of the flood.
"Heavy cloudburst rains caused severe flooding along at least the Squamish and Mamquam Rivers, flooding the valley floor from Squamish to Brackendale and submerging the PGE rail lines. Water 'reached halfway up the walls of houses.' Flooding was more disastrous south of the community in Britannia Beach," Kingan writes.
The Daily Province article goes on to describe more about what was known about Wilson.
"When last seen, he was wearing rubber boots. His small house was carried away by the water. Many of those who met a similar fate at Britannia were badly mauled, and the debris in the river might have caused the fractured skull, it is argued," the story continues.
"Constable Renner of the provincial police was notified and proceeded to the place, at the same time advising Dr. McLean of Woodfibre, the coroner for the district."
The British Columbia Provincial Police (小蓝视频PP) force was created in 1858 in New Westminster, which was then the capital of the mainland colony and operated until 1950, when it joined with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), according to the
The site of present-day Woodfibre LNG was previously a mill and town site. According to the Squamish Public Library archives, the area was established in 1921 under the name Woodfibre as the result of a contest. "The previous was Mill Creek and had to be changed because there was another post office of the same name. The winner of the contest and $50 prize was Cathy Haar,"
Gruesome telling
The Daily Province 1924 article shows how much more raw news telling was at the time, with blunt descriptions of the body that would not be published today.
"The remains were brought down to the Courthouse and on examination, proved to be those of a man of about five feet four Inches in height, medium weight, aged about 30 or 35. Three teeth were missing in the upper jaw, and about the same number in the lower jaw, the rest being In a good state of preservation," it reads.
"The man's clothes had rotted away, just fragments of the underclothes adhered to some of the bones. It was noticed that there was a fracture on one side of the head, probably caused by a fall or by frost. At some time, the man had broken his right leg above the ankle," it continues.
"There was a pair of logger's low rubber boots, size five, lying a few feet away from the remains, also the sum of $1.35 in coins, the newest coin being dated 1915."
According to the , that would be $23.85 Canadian today.
If locals know more about this man, Wilson, get in touch by emailing [email protected].
