Return to main Vanishing B.C. page Return to home page
Page last updated May 10, 2023
© Michael Kluckner
Beaton is partially inhabited although its historic settled area was drowned by the raising of the Arrow Lakes in the 1960s following the construction of the Keenleyside Dam above Castlegar. It is best known for the photographs of Mattie Gunterman, who was camp cook and lived in Beaton with her family from 1890 till 1920. Her photographs are available on line as part of the Vancouver Public Library's Special Collection digitization project, at www.vpl.ca/gunterman/overview.html. Comaplix was a mining town on the Incomappleux River near Beaton, on the northeast side of Beaton Arm on Upper Arrow lake. The photos below were sent in by Jon Perrett, showing his grandfather Henery Perrett's photo album from 1907. Henery Perrett went on run the hotel at Brookmere. |
From Michael Kerwick, Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary,
Ireland, 2016: I have nearly completed my family genealogy
and last Wednesday I received a five page 1932 Will for my
Mother's Uncle Richard Butler. In it he leaves one fifth share to
his brother William who was living in Beaton, British Columbia. In
the 1921 Census William was a farmer in Beaton with his wife
Catherine and children John, James, Mary, William and Pauline. He
was buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Revelstoke, B.C. on January
3rd 1943. The youngest Pauline would be 97 years now but I assume
they married and had families. In William's death notice it shows
he was a miner and prospector and even though I cannot pick him
out in the photo could you recognize the mountain and the area? [This postcard was included in the family's effects with a note that William Butler is one of the men] From Joanne Boissy, Montreal, 2016: I have been searching for details regarding my grandmother, Catherine Moran Butler who was born in Roscommon Ireland and married William Butler which is how I happened upon your site. Both of my grandparents passed through Ellis Island. She lived in Boston and worked with William's sister. He had gone to California to seek his fortune in the Gold Rush. My grandmother met him through his sister, and went to San Francisco where they were married. They subsequently moved north to Beaton where my grandfather continued looking for gold, and I believe he built the Beaton Hotel with some money he had made from a profitable claim in the US. I am related to Michael Kerwick who posted the photo on your site. I think my grandfather is third in line next to the cook although I'm not sure. He was a tall man with a moustache, and angular face. I met Mary Lade as she knew my mother, and I grew up with tales of life in Beaton. My mother is still alive, almost 100. ----------------- From Roland Lock, 2023: I was living on a farm a little north of Beaton in the early 50ies. Do you have any information about the Beaton School? I remember a big two-storey white building with 2 classrooms, one for grade 8 to 12 adn the other grades 1 to 7. I think each room had a big wood-burning potbelly stove. I also remember that grade 7 had to take square dance lessons during our lunch break. From James Sanders, 2015: If you want some good stories about Beaton (and the Laredeau) you may want to contact my parents Cathleen (nee Oakey) and Ken Sanders. My mother grew up in Beaton. My father came to Beaton to work at the Sunshine Lardeau. He had worked with my grandfather Bert near Manning Park. Bert invited my father to visit Beaton and the rest is history. My grandfather George “Bert” Oakey was a long-time resident of the area. He worked as a prospector, logger and trapper. He and his brother Archie arrived in Beaton sometime in the early 1900s. My great uncle James Sweeney worked on the tug boat (Proctor) that travelled from Trout Lake to Gerrard around 1907. My grandmother May (Margaret) travelled from Montreal to Trout Lake to visit her brother. While visiting the Laredeau she met and fell in love with my grandfather Bert at a Trout lake dance. They had four children (George, Dorothy, Colleen and Cathleen). The Oakey clan celebrated our centennial ten years ago. My father is 86 and he has been compiling a lot of old slides & photos and making them digital. He has also been writing down a lot of his stories. My aunt Colleen (my mother’s twin sister) has a fantastic memory. My late second cousin Lucille Oakey was a good resource for Beaton history. She spent her early years living in Beaton. Her mother was the school teacher. Lucille’s sister Lois inherited a lot of Lucille’s photos. Lois may be a good contact. We (Oakey/Sanders) still visit Beaton. My older brother George has a cabin that is next door to Henry Gunterman’s house. My sister Mary purchased a house from Don Daem. Her house sits below the old site of the Beaton post office, which was the residence of Fred Lade. Fred’s daughter Vicky and step-son Doug Rawson still visit Beaton. Doug purchased the old Beaton hall and had it moved to the site where the old post office used to sit. Lois and Barbra Oakey are Doug Rawson’s neighbor. From Allan Daem, 2015: I am a relative of the Daem family from Beaton and Sidmouth, I read your Camborne article with interest. I have slept inside the Spider mine up Pool Creek and enjoyed many other adventures. I am a story teller too. Fred Lade was a retired 2nd Class steam Engineer, I am a 3rd. and when I visited their home in Beaton he enjoyed talking shop with me. Both of us were also pranksters and if you ask I will share a true story of Damn it to hell Fred Lade and how he mortified his lovely wife Ina and her female guests. Even shocked me. From Deb Schramm, 2014: I am a great great niece of the founders of Camborne. Stanley
Minhinnick and not Menhinick The spelling was wrong back then. I
have photos of the Trout Lake Hotel Register even with I had the
pleasure of meeting Fred and Ina Lade back in 1973. And have a
picture of him with a wig on acting like a ham. They spent an
afternoon with myselfand my family. He told me many stories of
Stanley as he knew him and his brother first hand. The
Minhinnick creek was named after them. Loved the stories Fred
told that day. Like all things spelling of names get mixed. I
have tracked my family history for years now, and have the proof
and having Fred verify the real spelling was the best. Love your
pictures. I have been to side the canyon. Beaton is so different
now, and Lades’ house is gone. Fred is buried in Nakusp. Not
surewhere Ina is buried. Thank you for your great photos of the
couple and of Beaton. Reply from James McMahon, 2015: Alan Marlow is alive and lives with his nephew Alfie Chilton in Nakusp in the winter and at his home near Trout Lake in the summer. His neighbours are the (John) Hermansons of Staubert Lake. I hope you can let Nigel know. From Dorothy Paul, 2014: I am researching the Gowing and Doig Family who lived in
Beaton BC around 1903. I know that a child from each
family died in Beaton as per the Kootenay Mail newspaper in 1903
and it states that the children were taken to Revel stoke to be
buried.
Edward Doig born 1901 and died 15 May 1903 in Beaton, his
mother was Sarah Bella Paul and father William Smith Doig.
Frederick Gowing was born 9 June 1896 in Copper Cliff,
Nipissing, Ontario and died 17 April 1903 in Beaton.
Mother was Isabella Mary Camelon Paul and father Arthur Gowing.
We were in Revelstoke this August on our way to the Maze
Family reunion at Summit Lake camp ground and talked to Kathy
English at the Museum and to the Funeral home people
and Shannon at the town hall but it seems their
records only go back to 1905, so no luck.
While at the museum I bought the book Circle of Silver by
Milton Parent. In it, it makes several mentions of
Arthur Gowing, pages 149, 180, 181, and 196. On page 196
it also mentions a last name of Paul.
Mr. Daniel Paul from Ross land, BC was the father in law of
Arthur Gowing and William Smith Doig. I am wondering if that
could be him??
As Mr. M Parent is deceased do you know where I might get
more information on the mining and lumbering operations, maybe
the licenses of these men?? And even some pictures of this
town. We were in Beaton several years ago but could not
find anything.
From Gunnar Lundquist, 2014: This card slipped out of a pile of memorabilia from my past travels. I think it would fit into your website better that anywhere else I can think of. My partner and I came to buy land in Camborne (1973/4), And Fred and Ina took us in for a week, when they were the only residents in Beaton. Their Log Cabin Home was disassembled from below lake level and hauled by bulldozer to higher ground.  |
