On Fruitvale's main street, actually Highway 3B, a half block southwest of Columbia Gardens Road, one will spy this historical marker mounted on the front of the Fruitvale Hotel, immediately to the left of the "Burgervale" entrance to the building.
Burgervale, as the name would suggest, is a fast food purveyor which "
uses the finest Canadian beef. The beef is cut, ground and pressed into patties by hand daily. We use all natural ingredients, that’s no hormones & no antibiotics. The produce we use is hand selected for premium quality. Our ice cream is hand spun every day."
Fruitvale Hotel
Three owners operated the Fruitvale Hotel before the disastrous fire of 1915 - Mrs. Kidd, Mrs. Beamer, and William and Mabel Mellard.
The Fruitvale Hotel proved to be a vital enterprise of Fruitvale's original business core. The Mellards served meals, sold groceries, and operated a land sales agency and post office. Born in 1908, the Mellard's daughter, Mabel, was Fruitvale's first baby. She's the little girl in this photograph. (
See the photograph below)
After being rebuilt the hotel changed ownership many times. Brothers 'Mosey' Agostonelli and Tony Tonelli ran the hotel from the early 1940s into the 1970s.
The Beaver Valley and Pend d'Oreille Historical Society
From the Fruitvale Hotel historical marker
Fruitvale Hotel
Fruitvale Hotel — 1938 Main Street, Fruitvale — Owner: Murray Marten
The Fruitvale Hotel was built around 1937 or 1938 for Tony Tonelli and Lou (Mosey) Agostinelli. Mr. Tonelli was from The Gulch in Trail, and operated a grocery store there. Ken Olsen says his dad worked on the construction of the hotel along with carpenters Dick Rudd, a Mr. Guillan, Andy Nelson, and Mr. Watson.
Mr. Rudd and Mr. Guillan constructed the basement, and Mr. Nelson and Mr. Watson built the ground and second floors.
Mr. Watson, who was the Fruitvale postmaster at the time, also became involved in the hotel. The first bartender was Jack Kenyon.
Sid Quattrin remembers that Mickey MacKay, a former member of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, was also a bartender at the Fruitvale Hotel. During the winter, the road in front of the hotel would freeze over, and Mickey would come to play a game of hockey with Sid and his chums. Sid recalls how annoyed he was when a car came by and interrupted the game, even though it was a novelty to see a car at that time. Mickey MacKay's daughter married Alec Webster. Duncan Mickey MacKay was inducted into the Inter-national Hockey Hall of Fame, August 1952.
Sid and Esther Quattrin remembered that later Jim Hanson of Rossland, followed by his son-in-law, Charlie Lilydale, operated the hotel. Next it was operated by George Ruddell, whose wife ran the adjoining restaurant. The present owner is Sid and Esther's son-in-law, Murray Marten.
Fruitvale Hotel
In April 1937, Julius Olson 'Jules' arrived in Fruitvale with his wife, Elizabeth and their three sons, Elburn -Ole-, Austin and Ken (Kenny). Mr. Olson worked for Dick Rudd a contractor who built the Fruitvale Hotel in 1938. The first proprietor was Jack Kenyon. Other owners were Tony Tonelli, John Watson, George Riddell and Lou (Mosey) AP, Rostonelli. In 1939, "Jules" Olson built a pool hall and combination barber and beauty shop. The shop, which was located in front of the pool hall, also sold cigarettes, magazines and comic books, pop, candies, ice cream, and milk shakes. The weekly Toronto Star newspaper could be purchased there as well.
Excerpts from: Tracks of the Beaver Valley and the Pend'Oreille
Author: Anna Reeves
Nestled in the mountains of the beautiful West Kootenays you’ll find the "Heart of the Beaver Valley” — Fruitvale
Fruitvale was voted the #1 Sports Community in British Columbia.
Fruitvale is the hometown of:
2003 NHL Rookie of the Year Barrett Jackman
1996 NHL Stanley Cup winner Adam Deadmarsh
World Cup Skier Diana Haight
Thee inventor of the “Flying Car” Paul Moller
Fruitvale was originally named Beaver Siding because it was a railway stop for the great Northern Railroad.
In 1906, Fruitvale Limited purchased a great deal of land on both sides of this stop and changed the name to Fruitvale. This name played an important part in the company’s propaganda scheme which depicted Fruitvale as the best fruit growing area in the West Kootenays.
Fruitvale was incorporated as a Village on November 4, 1952.
Today, Fruitvale is mainly a residential area for the employees working in the industries located in and around the area.