Here's how the 108 Mile House Heritage Site came to be.
The beginning was 1969 and we were called the 108 Mile ‘Recreational’ Ranch. The developer, Block Brothers Realty, had a vision to create an ‘outdoor playground’, a five stage 26,800 acre seasonal recreational resort. The Agricultural Land Reserve prevented the last four stages from proceeding, but luckily much of the recreational infrastructure had been put in place first. We are now 1,140 permanent homes at the 108, with a population of approx 2,900. The treasure of it is that we have recreational facilities for a development of about 7,000 homes. The developers are gone and we now control our own destiny through our 108 Mile Ranch Community Association.
[In 1979 the Block Brothers sold the seven acre site to the 100 Mile & District Historical Society for $1, it took over the 108 Mile House Heritage Site and continues to operate it today.]
From 108 Ranch
The oldest buildings on the site are the 1867
Post House and the 1867 log shed, both built on the north side of the highway in 1867 and moved to their present sites in 1892 and 1880, respectively, the log shed becoming the
Store & Telegraph office. From 1875 until June of 1885 the
Post House was operated as the "108 Hotel" by Agnus MacVee, Jim MacVee, and her brother-in-law Al Riley. Further additions in 1880 were the
Ice House and a Blacksmith Shop. The
Small Log Barn was added in 1892, as was the wood framed
Blacksmith Shop and the
Bunkhouse. In 1903 the site was bought by Captain Geoffrey Lancelot Watson and in 1904 this ceased to be a Roadhouse and stopping place when Captain Watson turned it into a ranch, raising purebred Clydesdale horses and Highland Cattle. In 1908 the large
Clydesdale Barn was erected. This log barn is valued as the
largest log barn left in Canada.
Since becoming a Heritage Site in 1979 more heritage buildings have been added to the site including:
The
105 Mile McNeil Roadhouse, built in 1905, moved to the site in 1979, once another roadhouse, now the 105 Mile Ranch Museum, filled with artefacts, photos and documents from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s
The
133 Mile Schoolhouse, built in 1938 and donated to the site about 2003
The
Game Warden's Cabin, built Sept. 25, 1941, officially opened on site August 1, 1916
The
Trapper's Cabin, built in the 1930s and moved onto the heritage site.
The 12 X 14 foot log Trapper's Cabin was built around 1930 by Everett Lee Greenlee, rancher by summer, trapper by winter, on Hendrix Creek near Canim Lake, about 50 kilometres to the northeast of its present location. In 1999 the cabin was dismantled and moved to the 108 Mile House Heritage Site. Some rotted logs were replaced, as was part of the sod roof, but otherwise it is much as it was when it stood in the wilderness along Hendrix Creek Road, AKA 6000 Road, north of Canim Lake. Following is a bit of the cabin's life story.
The Trapper's Cabin
Everett Lee Greenlee, born Dec. 18, 1895, built the 12-by- 14 foot cabin in the 1930’s out of cedar logs, a slit log and sod roof, and rough two-by- four floor boards.
Greenlee and his wife Edna Marie made the cabin their home during the winter months, November to February, while they set and checked trap lines.
They would travel the trap line which extended from Canim Lake, to Bosk Lake to Big Timothy Mountain using several leg hold traps. His daughter Toody Shirran, now 79, recalled that it took two days to walk the trap line.
Furnishings in the cabin included a hand-made log bunk, a stove, an apple box nailed to the wall for cupboards and a bench to store things.
Vice President of the 100 Mile District Historical Society is thrilled to see another building come to the 108 Historical Site. He is also impressed by the size and construction of the old trapper’s cabin built in the mid 1930’s by Everett Greenlee.
Fashioned with cedar logs and on a stone foundation, the structure was moved from its original site near Hendrix Creek Aug. 10 and 11. The bottom logs had started to rot out. They will be replaced when the cabin is resurrected at its new location adjacent to the Clydesdale Barn. The front door and the side windows will both have views of the lake.
As for inside furnishings, Babcock was particularly impressed with sleeping arrangements. A whole log lined the end of the outside of the bed.
“It was shaped so to fit the edge of the bed,” he added. “It’s unusual in a way.” The 12-by- 14 foot cabin, according to Babcock, is on the large side for those days also. “Most were eight-by- 10,” he added.
A bought iron stove, used for both cooking and heating, sat to one side of the cabin. “It’s also different than lots of them I’ve seen,” he explained. “It sits on a pedestal with one big door on the front that latches and extends out.”
Because of numerous initials carved in the logs, Babcock feels that the cabin has been well used over the years. Dates go back as far as the 1940’s and continue to just recently.
Plans are to have the cabin up and ready within a few months. The 108 Historic Site first started taking shape in 1977 and has expanded throughout the years. There are hopes of obtaining a hunter’s cabin from the 111 Mile area. As well, the group is hoping to see a chapel and a school house on the site.
From the 108 Mile House Heritage Site