British Columbia / B.C. Postal History - 19 November 1918 / 2 December 1918 - TELEGRAPH CREEK, B.C. (split ring / broken circle cancel / postmark) to Victoria, B.C. via Atlin, B.C.

TELEGRAPH CREEK is a small community located off Highway 37 in northern British Columbia at the confluence of the Stikine River and Telegraph Creek. The only permanent settlement on the Stikine River, it is home to approximately 250 members of Tahltan First Nation and non-native residents. The town offers basic services, including Anglican and Catholic churches, a general store, a post office, a clinic with several nurses on-call around the clock, two Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers, and a K-9 school. Steep river banks and rocky gorges form the terraced nature of the geography. In 1874, Nellie Cashman, nicknamed "the Angel of Cassiar", opened a boarding house for miners in Telegraph Creek during the Cassiar gold rush. The road between Dease Lake, BC and Telegraph Creek is beautiful but rough, with 113 km (70 mi) of gravel, steep gradients (up to 20%), narrow passages along canyon walls with no guardrails, and sharp-angled switchbacks.

The name came from - The Western Union Telegraph Company's projected line to connect the Old World and the New by way of Behring Strait, in 1866, crossed the Stikine River at this point.

TELEGRAPH CREEK Post Office was opened - 14 June 1899.

LINK to a list of the Postmasters who served at the TELEGRAPH CREEK Post Office - recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record...

The first Postmaster at TELEGRAPH CREEK was John Frank Callbreath - he served from - 1 July 1899 to 1905. LINK to a photo of Mayor John Frank Callbreath and Judge Bob Nyland at Telegraph Creek - search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/mayor-john-frank-ca...

John Frank Callbreath
(b. 1863 in Quesnel, British Columbia - d. 4 February 1930 at age 67 in Telegraph Creek, British Columbia) - LINK to his Find a Grave site - www.findagrave.com/memorial/178948964/john-frank-callbreath

(John Frank Callbreath related) - Commercial Yukon Airways Mail from Telegraph Creek - from: Victoria COVID Times, December 2020 - by Tom Watkins - LINK - www.vicstamps.com/covid_articles/vic_covid_times_dec2020_...

- sent from - / TELEGRAPH • CREEK / NO 19 / 18 / B.C. / - split ring cancel - this split ring hammer (A1-1) was not listed in the Proof Book - it was most likely proofed c. 1899 - (RF B).

- via - / ATLIN / DE 2 / 18 / B.C. / - cds transit backstamp.

Addressed to: Robert Foster Esq / 419 (Bay Street) Esquimalt Road / Victoria, B.C.

Robert Foster
(b. July 1857 in New York, USA - d. 24 February 1933 at age 75 in Victoria, British Columbia) - occupation - marine engineer

(clipped from) - The Victoria Daily Times newspaper - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada • February 25, 1933 - LIVED HERE FOR SIXTY YEARS - Robert Foster, Engineer, of Old Beaver, Died Here Yesterday - Robert Foster, pioneer marine engineer and resident of Victoria since 1872, passed away yesterday evening at his home, 419 Bay Street, in his seventy-sixth year. Mr. Foster was at one time engineer on the old steamship Beaver and on the C.P.N. boat Yosemlte, and In later years was with the Albion Iron Works and Yarrow's Ltd. Born In July 1857, in New York of British parents, Mr, Foster came to Victoria in 1872. His parents came out from England to New York, from which city Mr. Foster Sr. migrated to Australia, then joined his family here in 1872. Young Foster took up marine engineering and for over half a century had been well known on this Coast. In 1883 he married Mary Jane McKinley, who predeceased him In 1918. He is survived by one son, Bertram, managing director of the Motor Boat and Repair Works Limited; also two grandchildren. LINK to the complete article - www.newspapers.com/article/the-victoria-daily-times-obitu...

His wife - Mary Jane (nee McKinley) Foster
(b. 1862 in Fort Erie, Ontario - d. 15 October 1918 at age 56 in Victoria, British Columbia) - LINK to her death certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/6b...

(clipped from) - Times Colonist newspaper - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada • October 15, 1918 - PIONEER RESIDENT DIES - Late Mrs. Mary Jane Foster Had Lived Here Nearly Half a Century. Member of a well-known family of pioneers, and a resident of Victoria for nearly half a century, Mrs. Mary Jane Foster, wife of Robert Foster, of 419 Bay Street, Victoria, passed away at St. Joseph's Hospital this morning at the age of fifty-six years. A daughter of the late John McKinley, Mrs. Foster was born in Fort Erie, Ontario. At the age of ten years she accompanied her parents to Victoria, coming West via the Union Pacific railway to San Francisco and then up to Vancouver Island by boat. Mrs. Foster had for many years been a member of the Reformed Episcopal Church. She leaves to mourn her loss besides her husband, one son, and a sister. Mrs. McNab, of Seattle. LINK - www.newspapers.com/article/times-colonist-obituary-for-ma...

Their son - Bertram Foster (1892-1960) - Heart Attack Claims City Shipyard Owner - Victoria shipyard owner Bertram Foster, 419 Bay, died this morning at 6.40, apparently of a heart attack. He was 68. Police ambulance and an inhalator crew attended at the yard. Mr. Foster produced wooden craft for the government during the Second World War. LINK - www.newspapers.com/article/times-colonist-bertram-foster-...

Taken in: Canada / British Columbia / Telegraph Creek (show map)

Taken on: May 10, 2023

Tags:

Circular Date Stamp

Postal Way Office

post office

British Columbia

postal history

Brit Col.

B.C.

County

split ring

broken circle

split circle

postmark

cancel

cancellation

marking

SON

mail

letter

stamp

Canada

British Columbia Postal History

Canada Post

B.C. Postal History

B.C. split ring

Robert Foster

Telegraph Creek

Bertram Foster

Mary Jane Foster

Mary Jane McKinley « less

Sets appears in: • British Columbia / B.C. / Postal History - Split Ring Cancels / Postmarks Etc.

Groups appears in: • Postmarks • Philatelic Photos more » • Postage Stamps and Postmarks • Post/mail/stamps related postcards • Postal History • Stamps - First Day Covers - Stamps • Stamps from around the world • STAMPS OF THE WORLD AND SPAIN • Postage stamps, world wide « less

Stats: 2,423 views / 1 comment