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Room at the Inn: Historic Hotels of British Columbia’s Southern Interior
A fully illustrated social history
profiling forty historic hotels spread over five regions of the southern
interior of British Columbia, covering the time period of the 1890s to
1950s.
Room at the Inn reveals the long-forgotten histories of
British Columbia’s early hospitality industry, through the riveting
stories of the men and women who built, ran, and frequented hotels,
hostelries, resorts, and roadhouses in the southern Interior. From the
Similkameen town of Keremeos to Spences Bridge at the confluence of the
Thompson and Nicola Rivers, east to the Alberta border along the
Trans-Canada Highway, and south to the Canada–US border, the history of
these hotels mirrors the history of BC’s mining towns and boom-bust
economy of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as waves
of prospectors, settlers, and eventually tourists shaped the culture of
the province that we know today.
Of the forty historic hotels profiled in this book, all contributed
to their communities in various ways. They provided more than just a
roof over the heads of weary travellers; they were often the sites of
live entertainment, places where community members could meet and
socialize. Some even doubled as makeshift hospitals during wildfires and
floods. Through colourful anecdotes, meticulous research, and
fascinating archival photography, Room at the Inn transports
readers to a bygone era and pays tribute to the pioneers, entrepreneurs,
and hard-work men and women who built and operated these historic
accommodations.
profiling forty historic hotels spread over five regions of the southern
interior of British Columbia, covering the time period of the 1890s to
1950s.
Room at the Inn reveals the long-forgotten histories of
British Columbia’s early hospitality industry, through the riveting
stories of the men and women who built, ran, and frequented hotels,
hostelries, resorts, and roadhouses in the southern Interior. From the
Similkameen town of Keremeos to Spences Bridge at the confluence of the
Thompson and Nicola Rivers, east to the Alberta border along the
Trans-Canada Highway, and south to the Canada–US border, the history of
these hotels mirrors the history of BC’s mining towns and boom-bust
economy of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as waves
of prospectors, settlers, and eventually tourists shaped the culture of
the province that we know today.
Of the forty historic hotels profiled in this book, all contributed
to their communities in various ways. They provided more than just a
roof over the heads of weary travellers; they were often the sites of
live entertainment, places where community members could meet and
socialize. Some even doubled as makeshift hospitals during wildfires and
floods. Through colourful anecdotes, meticulous research, and
fascinating archival photography, Room at the Inn transports
readers to a bygone era and pays tribute to the pioneers, entrepreneurs,
and hard-work men and women who built and operated these historic
accommodations.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 31, 2023
1 person want to read
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