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Gertrude Lawson House. Chronology of Events Involving West Vancouver Museum and Historical Society - Part One. April 17, 1989 Internal memo from Terry Lester re: background of West Vancouver's interest in purchasing the Gertrude Lawson House. See Paragraph 1 Note of Letter to Gertrude Wilson, June 20, 1987, including possible use of GLH as Museum and Archives. July 11, 1989 Letter and proposal to develop GLH as Museum and Archives from West Vancouver Museum and Historical Society to Mayor and Council. Formally presented to Council on July 17, 1984. (See Summary). July 19, 1989 Letter to WVM & HS from Doug Allen quoting Resolution made by Council at Policy and Planning Committee meeting following our presentation. Excerpt from Resolution as follows: "That the designation of the Gertrude Lawson House as a museum display area, archival storage and workspace, and community meeting place be supported in principle with said facility being operated by the Municipality;. And further, that Staff prepare a report and budget for renovations and yearly operation, including administration, of the facility for Council's further consideration." August 30, 1989 Memo from WVM & HS to Terry outlining a preliminary development plan for the GLH. This confirmed our meeting of August 24‘h at which time T. Lester agreed to hire an architect to prepare a feasibility study for presentation to Council. September 17, 1989 Letter from WVM & HS to Mayor and Council recommending GLH be designated a Heritage Building. Building officially designated in 1990. December 4, 1989 Letter from WVM& HS to West Van Rotary re their interest in supporting GLH project. Chronology will continue in the next issue. John "Navvy Tack"" Thomas - Part One A Research Paper - Part One. 1830-1837 Born in Wales during the reign of William IV. As a young man, he left for North America after a quarrel with his mother. Route unkown, perhaps with the Royal Navy. According to his daughter, Christine, in conversation with Capt. Cates (C. W.) in 1938, he had worked in many locations before arriving in Burrard Inlet. He was described as being about 5ft.9in., 160-170 lbs. Page Six. ^^Navvv lack^"' - cont'd. heavy built, square shouldered, dark curly hair, moustache, very temperate and kind to his family. He apparently came from a good family who repeatedly asked him to return to England. I860 This is the first reference to his presence in B.C. The Cariboo gold rush, in 1858, required immense amounts of freight to supply the goldfields. "Navvy Jack" was said to be in operation of a boat from the end of the wagon road at Soda Creek to Quesnel around this time. 1863 Capt.T. J. Jackman, bartender at the Sunnyside Hotel, Gastown, stated that Navvy Jack had packed on his back a piano, from Quesnel to Barkerville, charging $200 - a dollar a pound! This appears to be only partly true. Barkerville Museum files imply that he was one of a party of five men who picked up the piano for Mary Nathan's Saloon. The piano was bought in France, taken by sailing vessel around Cape Horn, up the Fraser to Hope, hauled by wagon to Quesnel, and then packed to Barkerville. 1866 Early in this year he had a contract to deliver 175 pounds of beef over 35 miles of mountains in Shuswap country. This same year Navvy Jack acquired a 5-ton sloop and began an active unscheduled ferry service on Burrard Inlet. Activity on the Inlet had begun only three years earlier with the building of the Pioneer Sawmill on the North Shore. A trail had been cut from New Westminster to New Brighton and Hastings Mill was under construction. His ferry service, perhaps the first on the inlet, operated until Capt. Van Bramer arrived with his small steamer "Sea Foam" to begin a scheduled service. 1867 John "Navvy Jack" Thomas seems to have had an affinity for the transportation business. When the "Sea Foam" displaced his ferry operation he began hauling clean river-washed gravel from the mouth of the Capilano to the towns developing around the shores of the Inlet. This fine grade of sand-gravel mix, the major component in the making of concrete, carries his name to this day in Vancouver's building trade. The Capilano was not the controlled stream we know today. Its delta was nearly a mile wide with several channels^ which varied with the season. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Thomas had a squatter's shack near the west bank where he stayed prior to acquiring the Hollyburn property from Blake in 1872. '^Navvy Jack" will continue in the next issue.