Ferguson, British Columbia
Ferguson | |
|---|---|
  Ferguson Location of Ferguson in British Columbia | |
| Coordinates: 50°41′00″N 117°29′00″W / 50.68333°N 117.48333°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  British Columbia |
Ferguson is a ghost town located in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. It is located west of the junction of Ferguson and Lardeau Creeks.[1] It came into being with the discovery of gold in the region. In 1897, the Lardeau Hotel opened. By 1899, Ferguson had a main street with hotels, shops and saloons, and a population of 800. It had a newspaper called The Ferguson Eagle. It eventually went into decline and by 1920 was almost deserted. The Lardeau Hotel stood into the 1970s.[2]
The main street is said to have come back to life in the 2000s, when many lots were sold to cabin builders.[3]
Ferguson was founded and named for Dave Ferguson, who came from Grand Bend, Ontario in 1891, and vanished in Saanich in December 1903. His body was found in a bush the next March, a coroner's jury finding he died of "suicide in a fit of despondency".[3]
References
- ^ "Ferguson". BCGNIS. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ^ N.L. Barlee (1973), Gold Creeks and Ghost Towns. Canada West Publications.
- ^ a b "Ferguson founder named town for himself", by Greg Nesteroff, Nelson Star