Nurse's Residence — Atlin, BC
Posted by: 
Dunbar Loop
N 59° 34.408 W 133° 42.198
8V E 573252 N 6604624
Missionary nurses Helen Bone and Elizabeth Mitchell arrived in Atlin in 1899, cared for settlers and miners, and in 1902 residents built a house — the Nurses’ Residence — to honour their dedication.
Waymark Code: WM1CG5C
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/17/2025
Views: 0
NURSES RESIDENCE
Grateful Atlinite's built this house in 1902 for their first missionary nurses.
Helen Bone and Elizabeth Mitchell, who came here in 1899 and lived in a crude shack while valiantly and humanely caring for sick and dying pioneers.
In 1899, Presbyterian missionary nurses Helen Bone and Elizabeth Mitchell arrived in Atlin to care for miners, settlers, and Indigenous families during the town’s gold rush boom. With no medical facilities available, they began their work from a rough shack, offering both skill and compassion to a community often gripped by illness, injury, and isolation.
Their dedication quickly earned the respect and gratitude of local residents, who in 1902 built a proper residence for the nurses. This modest home provided stability and comfort for women who had endured harsh conditions to serve others.
The house became closely tied to the early development of health care in Atlin, supporting the establishment of St. Andrew’s Hospital and the continuing presence of missionary medical work. Today, the Nurses’ Residence stands as a reminder of the resilience and humanity of Bone, Mitchell, and the community that rallied to support them in a remote northern frontier.