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May 20,201$ West Vancouver Historical Soc vol. 32, No. 2 PIONEER W.C. THOMPSON FAMILY HOUSE 2058 Argyle Avenue by Ken Harrison On page I of the "North Shore Express" for Friday, April 9,1909 is a note stating: "W.C. Thompson, who recently arrived from Inglewood, Ont.., has purchased twenty-two acres of Capilano property, the second lot west of John Lawson's place. The property has an excellent waterfrontage and runs back of Keith road. Mr Thompson is clearing the portion north of Keith road and intends erecting a handsome residence thereon. This is expeditious work for a recent arrival and richly deserves the success it will doubtless attain." This "handsome residence" built by my greatr-grandparents became more grand, and with a grander view than that described by the journalist. The story goes back even further. William Charles (W.C.) Thompson was born in 1855 and raised in Yorkshire, England. On his fourteenth birthday, W C . had been apprenticed as a wheelwright in Yorkshire. After his apprenticeship he worked about 10 years as a carpenter, cabinet maker and church decorator, ending with his own furniture making business. He and his first wife emigrated to Ontario in 1879 where she died in childbirth a year later. The following year he married Grace Lawson. The two of them raised his first son and six of their own while helping establish the town of Inglewood. Here he found employment as a railway labourer and house finisher before setting up several businesses. By the turn of the century W.C. and Grace had built up a collection of small businesses in towm, including a planing mill, machine shop, tinsmith shop, lumber yard and hardware store (shown here with W.C. sitting). During his 30 years in Inglewood, he built several dozen houses and office buildings and at least two water wheel driven mills. According to W.C."s diary (now in the West Van Archives), in 1908 Grace's younger brother, John Lawson, "came to visit us from British Columbia and told us about all the good prospects in B. C. and the lovely home sites by the sea and all the good things that we have here and he thought we could do so much better in B. C." John followed this with a letter which included the phrase "they don't have winter here". W.C. continued that the lure of life on the seashore and with "those long severe winters" worked on them and they quickly sold their home, four businesses and land and came to the North Shore. W.C, age 54, and his 17 year old son, Jim, came first, in a railway settlers' car which they shared with some furniture, "two ponies for John Lawson" four more for themselves, and their cow. The trip took almost 11 days, including a one day pause in Winnipeg, "bitter cold most of the way"..."we milked our cow so we had plenty of milk for our porridge and we supplied a family that was stealing a ride in the next car to save carfare." page 4