The Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce is 115 years old this year and you just have to wonder if its members and their customers grappled with the same issues back in the late 1890s and early years of the 20th century as we do today.
Out-of-town shopping was probably not an issue — trying to get to Vernon (where there wouldn’t yet be a Superstore) would take you days. But prices were probably stiff and the selection of goods available was probably extremely limited compared to today.
Still, the men — and it was all men in those days — who ran the Board of Trade as it was called back then had faith in Revelstoke and its future. The Revelstoke Museum & Archives has many, many photos of life back in the day and some show Board members with displays promoting the town and its products at trade shows and other events.
No doubt they bankrolled the Scouts, the Girl Guides, the Community Band and the many other groups that were mainstays of Revelstoke’s social life.
The Chamber as it is today continues to promote our community and subsidize the groups and organizations that help make ours a vibrant and interesting place to live.
Here’s a peek back in time at the Board of Trade in 1898 and some of the businesses that existed… back in the day:
The Chamber of Commerce is 115 years of age this year. And here's it's great-great grandparent: the Revelstoke Board of Trade in 1898 meeting at the Provincial Court House. Businesspeople still attend lots of Chamber meetings and other functions. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & ArchivesBack in 1909 there was no Modern Bakery. Nor was there a Chalet or La Baguette. But there was Bennison Bakery on Mackenzie Avenue. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & ArchivesJudging by the signs on the front of Frank McCarty's Butcher Shop in 1898 it was the 19th century equivalent of Alpine Mall. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & ArchivesCR Macdonald's Drug Store back 100 years ago or more. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & ArchivesThere was no name attached to this image — even Revelstoke Museum Curator Cathy English doesn't know where it was taken — but it was a men's clothing store back in the late 1890s or early part of the 20th century. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & ArchivesGuy Barber stands in front of his jewellery store on Mackenzie Avenue in 1912. Barber is a well-known figure in city history. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & ArchivesCheck the surface of the road: dirt. No paved roads back in 1918 when this photo was taken of the City Transfer office and yard. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & ArchivesLike a scene from the Waltons, two clients wait as Curley McLaren sharpens their saw blades in his shop back in 1910. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & ArchivesCB Hume was a prosperous and successful businessman who owned a dry goods store, pretty much what we'd call a department store today. This image, which appears to be part of a catalogue or advertising flyer, was taken in 1904. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & ArchivesThis was Burridge's Plumbing and Tinsmithing in the 1950s. Photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & Archives
