The Place:
Built in 1920 by James Arthur Gilker, this building is somewhat of a latecomer on this block, as many of its neighbors date from as early as 1897. The building is on the west side of one of the better known buildings on Baker Street, the Burns Building, built in 1899 by Bat Burns, the Alberta Beef Baron. The Gilker Building uses the same brick as the Burns Building and sports decorative brickwork, a prominent dentiled cornice and rusticated granite pillars at each front corner. It is presently occupied by the KC Restaurant and offices.
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James Gilker, Bob Elliott, Dandy Kelly and Harry Ward |
The Person:
James Gilker was one of the first businessmen in the Nelson area to set up shop and was Nelson's first postmaster. About 1888 he opened a general store in a tent alongside the only building in town at the time, the government shack. At that time, there were possibly 3 other tents which comprised the entire community, one the General store of Bob Lemon and J.F. Hume, another a primitive hotel run by John Ward.
It is known that in 1903 Gilker was operating a clothing store. On April 23, 1892 the Nelson Electric Light Co. was incorporated with the goal of erecting and maintaining electric lights for the city, with James Gilker as one of the directors.
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