Ferndale is a scattered community located northeast of Prince George in central British Columbia. The name, derived from the numerous ferns in the district (or possibly Ferndale, Washington), appeared in the later 1920s. Adopted by the new school in 1931, and included as a settlement in Wrigley’s BC Directory for that year, the first newspaper reference was the following year.Prince George Citizen, 31 Mar 1932 In earlier times, the northern part was considered as Willow River, and the western part as Shelley. Although Ferndale once stretched as far south as Tabor Lake, the 1977 completion of the Blackburn Bypass of Highway 16 effectively created the southern boundary.Prince George Citizen: 3 & 31 Aug 1977 Comprising about 40 residences, it has a good-sized community hall, and the Ferndale-Tabor volunteer fire hall lies between the two localities.
History
Railways & Speculation Initially, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) planned following the Fraser River between Willow River and Hansard. About north of the Willow River confluence, heavy grades exist in the Giscome Rapids country. To find an alternative route, a survey party in the 1906 winter reviewed the possibility of a Prince George-Ferndale alignment, south along the Willow, across the divide, and east to follow the Bear River to its confluence south of Hansard. Subsequently, the surveyors discovered the superior shortcut via Eagle (Eaglet) Lake and Aleza Lake.Prince George Post, 31 Jul 1915
Consequently, the booklet's claim that political pressure caused the GTP to abandon the Ferndale route is false. In fact, the GTP regularly ignored government directives. The chartered CB&WR through the Willow River settlement proposed a line along the Willow River that never eventuated. Consequently, most of the early investors abandoned their properties. Apparently on speculation, Lord Londonderry had equally unwisely acquired a parcel of land . This would be Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry (1852–1915), and Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry (1878–1949).
Misidentified Pioneers Although listed as pioneer settlers, Tom Sullivan, Elmer Cahoun, Mr. Bushell, George Teats, Bob McRorrie, and Ivor and Harry Guest, may have owned speculative properties, but no evidence of residence is apparent. Thomas Sullivan (1873–1951) owned land north of the Fraser River near Salmon River.Prince George Citizen: 9 Aug 1928 & 11 Jan 1951 Marcus Elmer Cahoon (1885–1957), a Public Works Department driver, who no doubt included the locality in his assigned duties,Prince George Citizen: 2 Sep 1926 & 4 Apr 1957 married Mary Isabella Stewart (1890–1969) in 1915.Prince George Citizen: 20 May 1965, 23 May 1969 & 1 Jun 1985
Ivor B. Guest (1886–1980), and his brother Harry (1882–1973), arrived in South Fort George in 1911. During the 1912 summer, Ivor worked for the forestry service as a fire warden along the Crooked River. The following winter he broke trail for Kidd's Emmet Baxter (Shorty) Haynes' dog team taking mail, food, and whisky, to the GTP construction camps. Ivor operated a trading post at McLeod Lake 1914–20, interrupted by almost three years army service. A keen amateur photographer, he ran a photography supply, fishing tackle and stationery store in Prince George 1922–75.Fort George Herald, 5 Oct 1912Prince George Leader,18 Aug 1922Prince George Citizen: 27 Aug 1919, 9 Sep 1921, 6 Aug 1959, 5 Mar 1975, 15 Sep 1978, 8 Mar 1979 & 18 Dec 1980 He married Mary Elizabeth Howes (1895–1979 in 1923.Prince George Citizen: 13 Feb 1923, 12 May 1965 & 24 Jul 1979 Harry B. Guest married Augusta Freida Grossman (c.1892–?) in 1915. He was connected with the pharmaceutical trade,Prince George Post, 5 Jun 1915 and became a partner in the Prince George Drug Co. 1917–31.Prince George Citizen, 28 Sep 1939 As coroner for the region throughout the 1920s,Prince George Leader, 15 Apr 1921Prince George Citizen: 31 Dec 1925 & 10 Jan 1929 he no doubt examined cases in the vicinity. Harry's family relocated to Vancouver in the early 1930s.Prince George Citizen, 16 Nov 1933
Pioneer Forestry, Farming & Mining Arden Pickering, E.C. Perry and Fritz Bertschi appear to be the only bona fide Ferndale pioneers on the list. Leaving his family at Wardner, George Pickering took up a quarter section preemption in 1910, but died in 1913.Fort George Herald, 19 Apr 1913image: https://cnc.bc.ca/services/library/cnc-press/chamberland/contents Chapter 22: Willow River Area, 1st, 2nd and 3rd slides left of centre The following year, Arden (1889–1979), his son, moved onto the farm. In 1921, he married Ettie Muma (1899–1974). Their children were Cecil (1922–74), William (Bill) (1924–84), George (1926–27),Prince George Citizen, 10 Nov 1927 Earl, Len (probably 1929–2004), Clara, Dorothy , L. Gordon (Gordie) (1936–2012),Prince George Citizen, 3 Jul 2012 Nina (probably 1937–2004), Howard (1939–64), and Shirley. The absence of nearby schooling for the older children prompted the move to Mud River around 1929,Prince George Citizen: 27 Jun 1940, 15 Jun 1944 & 3 Jul 2012 but the family relocated to Prince George in 1950.Prince George Citizen, 21 Apr 1960
The outbreak of World War I, and the decreased availability of capital, delayed the development of the high-grade gold, silver and copper ore seams discovered near Ferndale by William Bonner around 1913. A decade later, the Snowshoe partnership, managed by Bonner, drilled exploratory shafts that showed promising results.Prince George Citizen: 15 Nov 1923, 14 Feb 1924 & 10 Apr 1924 A similar exercise at other sites equally encouraged another syndicate and the Bertschi brothers.Prince George Citizen, 17 Jul 1924 In default for his 1927–30 financial contributions, Bonner forfeited his interest in the claim.Prince George Citizen: 5 Jun 1930 to 7 Aug 1930 By 1936, Alexander (Alex) Hutchison (1879–1961)Prince George Citizen, 18 Sep 1961 was also in default.Prince George Citizen: 19 Mar 1936 to 18 Jun 1936 At that time, Alex was in the cordwood business.Prince George Citizen: 4 Jul 1935, 15 Aug 1935, 12 Nov 1936 & 7 Oct 1937
Albert Fredrick Bertschi (1889–1971) was a B.X. riverboat engineer from 1914. He married Emma Bruegger (1896–1959), and settled in 1920Prince George Citizen: 9 Mar 1944, 3 Jun 1959 & 11 Mar 1971 .Prince George Citizen, 24 Jul 1930 He operated the first horse-driven sawmill in the area. The improved section of their 160-acre farm comprised hay and poultry.Prince George Citizen: 9 to 23 Apr 1925; 23 Sep 1926 to 7 Oct 1926; 17 to 31 Mar 1927; & 7 to 21 Mar 1929
Longtime city worker Louis (1882–1951)Prince George Citizen, 8 Feb 1951 & Eveline (1900–88)Prince George Citizen, 23 Mar 1988 Strugala lived in Prince George from about 1919.Prince George Citizen: 9 Feb 1923 & 1 Aug 1929 Their children were Robert (1925–41), who died of pneumonia,Prince George Citizen: 9 & 23 Jan 1941 Dorothy (1927–77),Prince George Citizen, 8 Nov 1977 and Carol (1936–?).Prince George Citizen, 2 Jun 2016 The Strugala farm was on Shelley Road N. about from the Bertschi property. Louis was acquitted at trial for the 1931 shooting at and wounding straying Bertschi horses that ate his oat crop.Prince George Citizen, 19 Nov 1931
The Bertschi children were Rosabelle (Rose) (c.1925–2016),Prince George Citizen, 1 Jun 2016 Arnold Louis (Louie) (1927–2016),Prince George Citizen, 10 Aug 2016 Albert Frederick (1931–2011),Prince George Citizen, 22 Oct 2011 Charles (Charlie) Henry (1934–2015), and Margaret.Prince George Citizen: 29 Jun 1944 & 29 Nov 1956image: https://cnc.bc.ca/services/library/cnc-press/chamberland/contents Chapter 21: Shelley and Ferndale Areas, 2nd to 5th slides left of centre Over time, Louie and Albert Fred assumed more responsibility for the farm, and Albert Fred and Charlie for the logging operation. Louie and Charlie never married.Prince George Citizen: 31 Oct 1946 & 16 Jan 2015 In the early 1940s, the family produced railway ties,Prince George Citizen, 17 Dec 1942 and had a logging camp on the property.Prince George Citizen, 21 Oct 1943 In 1944, A.F. Bertschi Sr. had a severe heart attack,Prince George Citizen, 23 Mar 1944 and Rose left for Vancouver.Prince George Citizen, 14 Dec 1944 Five years later, she married Henry Gray Munro.Prince George Citizen, 7 Jul 1949 By this time, the farm had pigsPrince George Citizen: 13 Oct 1949, 14 Jun 1951 & 17 Dec 1951 and a dairy herd.Prince George Citizen: 22 Jun 1950 & 13 Sep 1951 Emma's butter and cheese were unrivaled.Prince George Citizen, 7 Sep 1950
In 1952, Louie suffered a facial injury at one of the local mills, requiring a short hospital stay.Prince George Citizen, 25 Dec 1952 The next year, Bertschi Sr. advertised the farm for sale.Prince George Citizen: 26 Oct 1953 to 2 Nov 1953 The couple moved to Prince George in 1954.Prince George Citizen, 3 Jun 1959 Louie continued managing the farm at least until the early 1960s.Prince George Citizen: 24 Oct 1958 & 13 Nov 1961 In 1963, Albert Fred married Fern Elizabeth Adams.Prince George Citizen, 21 May 1963 The period of operation of the small Bertschi Bros.' sawmill included the 1950s,Prince George Citizen, 11 Oct 1955 the 1970s (manufacturing cabins),Prince George Citizen: 9 Jan 1973; & 18 Apr 1973 to 31 Aug 1973 and the 1990s (log homes).Prince George Citizen, 6 Feb 1996
Edwin C. (1880–1927)Prince George Citizen, 15 Sep 1927 & Frances A. (1880–1974)Prince George Citizen, 19 Jun 1974 Perry purchased their property Prince George Citizen, 4 Apr 1946image: https://cnc.bc.ca/services/library/cnc-press/chamberland/contents Chapter 22: Willow River Area, 5th and 6th slides left of centre in 1914, but the family initially resided a few years in Prince George,Prince George Citizen, 27 Oct 1965 while Edwin was alone at the homestead. On one occasion during this period, Edwin disappeared for six months while he tracked, but failed to retrieve, an expensive pair of newly obtained horses that had escaped. Their children were Lila (c.1907–?),Prince George Citizen: 5 Jun 1915, 9 Apr 1919, 7 Oct 1921 & 13 Mar 1924 Myles (1914–?), and John (1918–2017). John was the first baby born to Caucasians in the locality. During the Great Depression, the brothers made their living mining gold, and guiding and packing miners up the Willow River. They also had an episode with a newly purchased purebred bull that escaped by plunging into the flooded Willow River. They pursued the animal downstream, and after a long struggle, led it to their parked wagon south of Giscome. In 1936, a cow moose attacked and twice tossed John, who was fencing on the farm. The animal then followed and cornered him in a shed, from which he finally escaped with bruises and scratches.Prince George Citizen, 11 Jun 1936