Taggart Fonds
Dublin Core
Title
Taggart Fonds
Subject
McBride, British Columbia
Description
Photos of the Taggart Family, loaned by Linda (Taggart) McCarty.
Growing up on the Isle of Man, Edward Henry Taggart dreamed of leaving the British Isle for Canada and striking out on his own. In 1911, with lmited funds, a Prayer Book and a new gold-fob watch (a gift from his fellow church members), he left for the adventure of a lifetime. Taggart travelled directly to McBride, settled in and found work in the lumber business.
At this point, McBride had been labled a divisional point of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, so jobs in the lumber industry were plentiful, and given the valley, raw resources were not in short supply either. With the construction of the large railway station, Roundhouse, and supporting buildings and businesses, McBride boasted as many as 2,000 men during its hey day. Taggart purchased land outside of McBride and began to farm it. Seeing the future of the town and lumber in particular, Ed found a partner and formed the Wade and Taggart Lumber Company and also built and operated a Hotel - the first in McBride. In another partnership with Wade and Barker in 1913, they built the first school in town (on First Avenue east of the Park) and the original Anglican Church (on Fourth Avenue and Queen Street).
By the beginning of 1914, only three years after arriving in McBride, Taggart was able to return to the Isle of Man for his sweetheart, Elizabeth Connor, who he married in the church they both attended. Following their wedding, the couple returned to McBride where Elizabeth took over the management of the Hotel (The Yale Rooms) and Ed continued to run his lumber company and farm.
With the completion of the Roundhouse and the outbreak of World War I, the population of McBride shrank drastically. Construction ended quickly and corporate jobs dissapeared which encouraged young men to join the army and families to move away. Taggart’s were also hit hard with the turn in the economy and in 1915, Edward and Elizabeth Taggart closed their hotel and moved it in two pieces to their farm.
In 1925, The Taggarts, with their first three children moved to Jasper when Ed was transferred within CN. While living in Jasper, Ed kept the farm going in McBride on weekends, hoping that the boys would want the farm when they grew old enough to run it. In 1931, after a weekend in McBride Ed missed his train returning to Jasper and found that his job had been given away. The family moved en masse back to the farm, but the loss of his job broke Ed’s spirit and he died shortly after.
Elizabeth and her four children (Fraser, Doug, Muriel and Fran) worked the farm together for many years. While his siblings left to explore other interests, Doug stayed on the farm and kept the family and farm together. Fraser and his wife Marcia opened and operated the original movie theatre on Main Street. Muriel moved away, married and raised her family outside of the valley. Doug married and raised his family of five children on Sunnybank farm, with his mother staying in the original house.In addition to farming, Doug opened a grocery store and butcher shop and was the mayor of McBride for several years. Fran, became a teacher and taught for a while at the Beaver River School.
At this point, McBride had been labled a divisional point of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, so jobs in the lumber industry were plentiful, and given the valley, raw resources were not in short supply either. With the construction of the large railway station, Roundhouse, and supporting buildings and businesses, McBride boasted as many as 2,000 men during its hey day. Taggart purchased land outside of McBride and began to farm it. Seeing the future of the town and lumber in particular, Ed found a partner and formed the Wade and Taggart Lumber Company and also built and operated a Hotel - the first in McBride. In another partnership with Wade and Barker in 1913, they built the first school in town (on First Avenue east of the Park) and the original Anglican Church (on Fourth Avenue and Queen Street).
By the beginning of 1914, only three years after arriving in McBride, Taggart was able to return to the Isle of Man for his sweetheart, Elizabeth Connor, who he married in the church they both attended. Following their wedding, the couple returned to McBride where Elizabeth took over the management of the Hotel (The Yale Rooms) and Ed continued to run his lumber company and farm.
With the completion of the Roundhouse and the outbreak of World War I, the population of McBride shrank drastically. Construction ended quickly and corporate jobs dissapeared which encouraged young men to join the army and families to move away. Taggart’s were also hit hard with the turn in the economy and in 1915, Edward and Elizabeth Taggart closed their hotel and moved it in two pieces to their farm.
In 1925, The Taggarts, with their first three children moved to Jasper when Ed was transferred within CN. While living in Jasper, Ed kept the farm going in McBride on weekends, hoping that the boys would want the farm when they grew old enough to run it. In 1931, after a weekend in McBride Ed missed his train returning to Jasper and found that his job had been given away. The family moved en masse back to the farm, but the loss of his job broke Ed’s spirit and he died shortly after.
Elizabeth and her four children (Fraser, Doug, Muriel and Fran) worked the farm together for many years. While his siblings left to explore other interests, Doug stayed on the farm and kept the family and farm together. Fraser and his wife Marcia opened and operated the original movie theatre on Main Street. Muriel moved away, married and raised her family outside of the valley. Doug married and raised his family of five children on Sunnybank farm, with his mother staying in the original house.In addition to farming, Doug opened a grocery store and butcher shop and was the mayor of McBride for several years. Fran, became a teacher and taught for a while at the Beaver River School.
Creator
Linda (Taggart) McCarty
Rights
Valley Museum and Archives
Linda (Taggart) McCarty
Format
Digital Copies (returned to owner)
Type
Still Image
Identifier
2018.21
Items in the Taggart Fonds Collection
Taggart Family Farm
A photo of the Taggart Farm. Access is now the first drive on the right on Sansom Road after the underpass. Some of these buildings were still standing in 2018.
Taggart Hotel (Yale House), 1914
A photo of the Taggart Hotel (Yale House) in 1914. "Aunty Fanny", Edward and Elizabeth Taggart.
The Taggarts closed the Yale House in 1915 with the downturn of the economy, and moved it to their property.
The Taggarts closed the Yale House in 1915 with the downturn of the economy, and moved it to their property.
Flying High on a visiting plane.
A photo of Elizabeth and Doug Taggart standing in front of an aircraft with his two daughters. The plane was one of the first to fly in to the valley, and as such there are many different family pictures in front of the plane.
Tea Time with Elizabeth Taggart
A photo of multiple ladies enjoying afternoon tea with Elizabeth Taggart on the far right. Mrs. Holdway is sitting beside Mrs Taggart.