River of Mists People of the Upper Skeena, 1821-1930

A collection of extraordinary stories about ordinary people from BC’s wild frontier.

In River of Mists, best-selling author and award-winning historian Geoff Mynett returns to the Skeena River community of Hazelton to shed new light on the wide spectrum of characters who left their mark on the area. Delving as far back in time as the early 1820s, Mynett covers over a century of change in the small community which, due to its location at the forks of the Skeena and Bulkley rivers and proximity to mountain ranges, seems destined to be a hub of activity—always industrious, often prosperous, and occasionally scandalous—while maintaining the charming nature of small town. Here are the stories of those whose lives left some mark on the community—visitors like Hudson’s Bay Company trader Simon McGillivray and famed painter Emily Carr; and the lesser known pioneers, prospectors, and residents like HBC agent turned local business owner Thomas Hankin, and Bishop William Ridley and Jane Ridley, founders of the Hazelton Queek, named after the whistling mountain marmot. Combining folksy, small-town charm and meticulous research, Mynett’s River of Mists: People of the Upper Skeena, 1821-1930 is a whimsical and informative chronicle of a century in the heart of Northern BC.

Geoff Mynett was born in England where he qualified as a Barrister. After emigrating to British Columbia in 1973, he became a Canadian citizen, requalified as a lawyer and practiced law until his retirement. His first book, Service on the Skeena (Ronsdale Press, 2019), received a Jeanne Clarke Memorial Award. His second book, Pinkerton’s and the Hunt for Simon Gunanoot, and his third book, Murders on the Skeena, were both published by Caitlin Press. All three books were bestsellers in BC. Geoff and his wife Alice live in Vancouver and have two sons.

Contents Preface 1. Simon McGillivray and What He Did on June 21, 1833 2. George Chismore and the Western Union Russian-American Telegraph 3. Thomas Hankin and the Founding of Hazelton 4. Edgar Dewdney, Charles Horetzky and Passers-By 5. Jim May and the Miners of the Omineca Gold Rush 6. Jack Gillis and his Helpful Grave 7. Thomas Riley, Barney Devine and Their Dead Ends 8. Bishop William Ridley, his wife Jane and the Hazelton Queek 9. Richard Loring and the Mystery of the Swedish Balloon 10. Father Morice and His Trembling Knees 11. James Kirby and Mexican Tom, the Hazelton Bully 12. Horace and Alice Wrinch and Their Arrival in Kispiox 13. Sperry Cline and the Suspended Corpse 14. Mr. Sargent, Mr. Loring and Their Bitter Feud 15. George MacKenzie, The Missing Medicine Chest and Runaway Dogs 16. Sperry Cline and the Winter Mail 17. Constance Cox and the Nurses of Hazelton Hospital 18. James Maitland-Dougall and the Policing of Hazelton 19. The People of Hazelton and their Shocking Morals 20. Grace Morley and the Soiled Doves of Two Mile 21. Emily Carr and the Totem Poles of the Skeena 22. Rene D’Egville and the Men from Hazelton Who Went to War 23. May Hogan, the Woman from Hazelton Who Went to War 24. The Hudson’s Bay Company and the 250th Birthday Celebrations 25. Captain Streett and the First Aeroplane to Reach Hazelton 26. Premier Tolmie and his Famous Caravan Visit Hazelton Appendix 1 Edgar Dewdney’s Letter About the Founding of Hazelton Appendix 2 Those Who Served Appendix 3 World War 1 Casualties Notes and Sources Acknowledgement Index About the Author