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Page 9 West Vancouver Historical Society March 2005 Old Growth Trees in West Vancouver (Cont) Point Atkinson’s Lighthouse Park is home to some of the last standing old growth trees on the North Shore. Within 185 acres of natural forest there are many trails within and around the park. Robert Laird will share his love of trees and wide knowledge of ecology, while taking you to view old growth Douglas fir, hemlock and western red cedar trees. The walk begins from the parking lot in Lighthouse Park off Marine Drive via Beacon Lane, just east of Eagle Harbour. Advance registration is highly recommended, as it is limited to 15 participants. Please wear good walking shoes or hiking shoes and bring a bottle of water. The Hodgson House w as built in 1913 by architect Hugh Hodgson in the original Craftsman style Until November of 2004, the house was located at 2355 Marine Drive in West Vancouver. At that time, it was purchased by a private family and moved to Vancouver Island. Much of the house’s contents were donated to The West Vancouver Museum & Archives, including 300 sheets of architectural plans, 800 photographs, albums, letters, postcards, drawings and other archival materials; and numerous artifacts, including gramophones, early surveying equipment, the first electric-powered washing machine and a pre-War II, tabletop dishwasher, as well as century-old toys, costumes and kitchen and house wares. The Hodgson House has now become available a second time and is being resold by the original purchasers after a change of plans. The West Vancouver heritage community is interested in bringing back the house and restoring it as a public building, for use as a “working museum” that would house artifacts and provide a community space for recitals, art and cultural programs, photo shoots and wedding rental. Our feeling is, “we have the contents, now let’s save the house!” The Hodgson House is very unique in that it was built by a local and noted architect; it is an original Craftsman house built of local materials; and it was only owned by one family, whose entire story and life is documented in the materials donated to the WV Museum & Archives. It represents a complete slice of life, from early West Van through the Wars and onwards. Although the District of West Vancouver may be able to provide a site, it cannot afford the cost of moving the house back, or of the renovations needed. -Lois Enns Dr. Tom Calder’s Talk at the January General Meeting The most intriguing part of Dr. Tom Calder’s talk on January 26th was the prospect that he might publish memoirs of his experience practising medicine in West Vancouver from the early ‘fifties. His personal and professional ministrations touched many families, who remember him with affection and respect. A chronicle of his experiences in Dundarave in its “middle years”, moreover, would hold interest of broad appeal for longtime West Vancouverites, whether or not they were patients of Dr. Calder. Early Days 1918 - 1932 By Barbara Johnson When Fred Hadwin, recently from Winnipeg, came to claim his land at IT*’ and Mathers, he had a daunting task. He and Duncan MacDonald bought the property, almost a whole block, from 10'*’ to IL^ and from Mathers to Kings Avenue. All this area was heavily treed. Fred brought his axe, saw, son Tom, 9, and daughter Barbara, 3, with him. Every weekend he sawed and chopped, built huge bonfires, while Tom worked too, and Barbara swung in the maple trees and toasted bread over the coals of the fire. The Had wins soon moved from Vancouver to 11‘^ and Inglewood Avenue, to an old house which stood where St. Christopher s Church now stands, to be nearer the property. Next Fred bought a small house at 1046 Mathers (which still stands) to which he moved his family. Slowly the trees were felled and only stumps remained. Over the next ten years areas were cleared with great difficulty. No stump puller was obtained. The stumps were mostly burned out. Soon an area was fenced, and two pigs, Samuel and Alana, rooted enough ground for later planting. Fred bought a cow, Klondike Olive by name, and Fred’s wife Janet milked her and cared for the milk. Tom and Barbara and little sister Betty delivered milk to the neighbors. Chickens and eggs added to the menu and the garden produced delicious vegetables and fruits of all kinds. Fred kept his job in Vancouver and eventually started a lumber business on Hastings East. Janet, with help from Tom, farmed the place. Police Commissioner Mr. Bell lived across Mathers from the little home. The Hardy’s were in the 1100 block, the Knowles on Kings. Ted Meglaughlin’s family and the Pearsons lived further east near what would become Taylor Way. Two mill sites were still evident at 9'^ and Mathers. Mathers and Inglewood were plank covered and dangerously rotting by 1920. An old trail led up from Mathers at Taylor Way and the family hiked and picnicked at the old Haddon home in the woods where it sat in a gorgeous garden on the spot where the Capilano Golf clubhouse now stands. Haddon, from England, had built this home for his bride and hoped she would love the wooded home. His wife did not and rushed straight back to England. The house was deserted and the beautiful gardens returned to nature. Finally the house was burned down by a careless picnicker. Such wonderful memories were created. Those early days are not forgotten. The 2100-Block Argyle Avenue I had a fascinating chat with Carmen (Johnston) Anderson sev- eral weeks ago. Her family settled at 2110 Argyle in 1923. I urged her to make a few notes of her experiences growing up there-an area considered by some as the cultural and intellec- tual centre of the community. (They may be right) TT