When Ross Marks stepped foot into 100 Mile House at the age of 21 in May of 1948, he probably never dreamed that he would be the focus of a 40-foot mural in one of the town’s most central locations.
“This has been a labour of a lot of love,” said Kevin, one of Marks’ sons.
The mural, painted by Duane Davis, painted on the front of the community hall was unveiled on July 14.
It was the brainchild of the Marks family and the 100 Mile House Mural Society. The family casually inquired with the society in 2014, which decided the mural would be a fitting end to the society’s activities.
Marks came to 100 Mile House from Toronto for a summer job at Lord Martin Cecil’s Bridge Creek Estate Ranch, when the village had only about 20 people living in the area. There was a general store, a coffee shop, a telephone/telegraph office, the 100 Mile Lodge and the Bridge Creek Estate and not much else.
Ken, another one of his sons, said his father was running sheep at the ranch before cattle became the norm in the area even though he couldn’t imagine his father on horseback. However, his father’s saddle still exists and is with Ken and Kevin’s sister, Barbara.
According to Kevin, his father fell in love with the community and decided to stay and through the ranch started to work on the development of utility infrastructure for what was becoming a quickly growing community. Other projects such as roads, power lines and poles, and building a structure for a generator with enough power to run the young budding town were in play.
“Dad, through Bridge Creek, helped facilitate all that through Martin [Cecil]. They spent a lot of nights with their heads together designing and talking,” said Ken. “You had people that stepped up to help because there was no one else to do it and things needed to be done so you did it.
On the left side of the mural is Marks on a tractor in the mid-50s, in the very early days of the town. Behind him is his wife following him.
The middle of the mural is probably the most important segment, in terms of the village’s history. Marks is flanked by three men, who ended up becoming the first mayor and council of the district.
In 1964, residents of the area were brought together in the community hall to nominate someone to take on the role of mayor. It was done essentially by finger pointing according to Ken.
“I think Dave Ainsworth nominated Ross and Ross said ‘I’m too busy, I can’t do that,’” says Ken “Dave didn’t take that and Chuck Shaw-McLaren didn’t take that and then more people nominated Ross so he finally said yes as long as Dave Ainsworth ran as well.”
Because 100 Mile House was not incorporated yet, it could not have a mayor and so had to vote in a group of people called commissionaires, which both Ainsworth and Ross were, who would take on the paperwork and apply to the government to incorporate it.
It took a year for 100 Mile House to be incorporated and the village was able to have it’s first proper vote for mayor and council. The people of the town elected Marks as its first mayor.
“If people like Ross and Lord Martin Cecil and others hadn’t taken the initiative, none of us would be here today,” said Donna Barnett, current MLA and former mayor for two terms (1986 – 1990, 1996-2008). “He [Marks] was truly a builder.
Including having the position of mayor on his resume, Marks was also a director and chairman of the Cariboo Regional District Board, the founder and chief of the 100 Mile House Fire Department, president of the 100 Mile House Chamber of Commerce, and President of the 100 Mile House Flying Club. He is also a recipient of the Centennial Medal, Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Medal, 125th Anniversary of Confederation Medal and more.
From the 100 Mile Free Press