Bits and Pieces . . .
- In 1923 these are the teachers listed in some of the area schools:
Christina Smith Anderson at Alexander Manson school Ootsa Lake
Ruth Stewart at North Bulkley
Frank Rendle at South Bulkley
W.W.C. O'Neill at Burns Lake
G. Atkinson at Decker Lake
Redmond Johnson at Francois Lake South
Margarette Johnson at Grassy Plains
Charles Drennan at South Bank
Lorna G Libby at Wistaria
A similar list for 1928 shows the following:
Eileen M Lynn at South Bulkley
Robert Gowan at Burns Lake
Janet Clark at Decker Lake
Alice W Pillsbury at Francois Lake
Clarence W Michiel at Francois Lake South
Lydia Saunders at Grassy Plains
Janet Warnock at Houston
Mildred McDonald at Rose Lake
Daisy M King at Sheraton
Eleanor B McLeod at Streatham
Perry C Richards at Tatalrose
Loretta Chisholm at Tatalrose
Edith A David at Tchesinkut Lake
Harriet L Stone at Tintagel
S Muraro at Topley
Eleanor O Ormrod at Uncha Valley
William Penderleith at Uncha Valley
Thomas D Herd at Wistaria
(Thanks to Leah Tourond)
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- Early Days Along Francois Lake:
LaCroix, Gabriel - 1855 - The LaCroixs lived in the Francois Lake Country in the 1880's after their marriage but had returned to the Hatzic/Mission area on the Fraser River where his father Michel had land below St. Mary's Mission. Gabriel LaCroix was born at Fort Babine 13 June 1855, a son of Michel LaCroix, a HBC employee and his Babine wife Catherine Pookrvietak. The LaCroix's returned to the Telkwa area in 1898. There Gabriel had the first dairy cows in the Bulkley Valley.
There is a marriage record for Gabriel Lacroix married to Sarah Jane Wells on April 12th 1879 in the New Westminster District...the Houston history does mention that his wife was named Sarah. The death index shows Gabriel Lacroix died May 11 1933 aged 77 at Telkwa BC. Sarah Jane Lacroix died February 4th 1949 at Matsqui aged 85. Michel Lacroix died June 26 1873 in the New Westminster District aged 56 ...
From the BC Vital Statistics Death Registration Index.
1901 census - birthdate for Gabriel LaCroix's wife of Feb 17 1863. with them in 1901 was a 4 year old neice Emily. Chas Barrett lives "close" by born Aug 30 1866.
- Jim & Christine Holland:
"Many years ago Mr. Jim and Mrs. Christine Holland came to Houston from the Alexander Indian Reserve at the western end of Francois Lake. Christine Holland, the daughter of Smokey McKenzie and Mary Zenie, had been born in Hagwilget sometime around 1870, although no one is exactly sure of her birthdate. Jim and Christine Holland first lived near the Nadina River, and made their living by trapping together. They had ten children, five of whom they buried near Owen Lake, a silent testimony to the harshness of the times. The Hollands eventually made their home in Houston, where they continued trapping up and down the Morice River, making their rounds on foot, by snowshoe, or with a dog-team for the pelts of beaver, marten, fox, and lynx. In the spring of 1952, Jim Holland, already in failing health, did not return from his rounds along the trapline. He had died along the trail. "Grandma" Holland, as his widow became affectionately known, continued trapping, but devoted most of her time to the raising of the five Seymour."
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