A Montage of
Ymir provides a glimpse into the the first years of Ymir's history, when it was a rowdy mining town.
In the early 1890s, the Hall brothers from Colville, Washington, came into the area to search for lode mines. They discovered outcroppings of what eventually became the Ymir Mine.
In the summer of 1895, Jerome and Joseph Pitre and Oliver Blair staked claims that were to become the famous Ymir Gold Mine. Featured in the mural is a prospector arriving in town to seek his fortune.
D. C. Corbin, the American railroad magnate, commenced to prepare for construction of a railroad from Northport, WA to Nelson. This railroad became known as the
Nelson Fort Sheppard line.
D.C. Corbin constructed Ymir's railway station a short distance north of Quartz Creek and renamed it Ymir, after the Earth God of Norse mythology.
The Ymir Depot no longer exits, though at one time, the steam trains used to come through Ymir with freight and passenger service and there was a water tank on the mouth of Quartz Creek. In the wintertime when it was cold and there would be heavy snows, the trains would be late getting in at night. When they did arrive, they would whistle for the operator to come to the station. They not only woke him up but also the whole town! The Ymir depot was large and impressive and there was also a warehouse.
By 1899, Ymir had eleven hotels, a bank, post office, one church, P. Burns & Co., butchers, a newspaper, school grades I to 10, police station, three jails, blacksmith shop, mine recording office, physician and surgeon, plumber, barber, mining engineer and assayer, undertaker, two hardware stores, justice of the peace, notary public, mining broker and others. The Ymir Water Works was formed and constructed in 1897. It serviced the whole town and was the envy of all the smaller mining towns in this area. The population of Ymir in 1899 was 800. In addition, the surrounding areas contained another 400 souls, most coming to Ymir on payday, to drink, gamble and have a pretty lady as company.
The
Palace Inn (formally The Grand Silver Palace Inn) was restored and is now a Historic B & B, owned and operated by Ross and Belinda White. It was built in 1898.
The Ymir Hotel was built in 1896, during the mining boom years of the Salmo River Valley region. Hotel Ymir is one of the oldest remaining buildings in the region.
Completely restored in '06, now known as the
Hotel Ymir Country Resort, it is now family owned and features the Pau Hana Dining Room and the Cowichan Lounge. Both offer great food, friendly service and an amazing art collection consisting of carvings and paintings from all over the world.
The Cosmopolitan Hotel, still standing in 1948(picture included), has since been destroyed by fire.
The Ymir Hospital was built in the very early 1900s: Mr. Perry Anderson, featured in the mural, was born in this hospital in 1908. Up until 1925 Ymir had one of the best hospitals in the Kootenays. It burned down in 1933. There was an aura of mystery around the fire's origin as many thought it was burned down purposely.
Mrs. Evelyn Murray was also born in the Ymir Hospital about 1910; she now lives in Salmo and is about 103.
A portion of the mural is dedicated to the memory of Ymir artist Joyce Woods.
The artist who painted this marvelous mural is Harvey Penny, who completed it in 2008.