Ferguson, British Columbia

Ferguson
Ferguson

Location of Ferguson in British Columbia

Coordinates: 50°41′00″N 117°29′00″W / 50.68333°N 117.48333°W / 50.68333; -117.48333Coordinates: 50°41′00″N 117°29′00″W / 50.68333°N 117.48333°W / 50.68333; -117.48333
Country  Canada
Province  British Columbia

Ferguson is a ghost town located in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. It is located west of the junction of Ferguson and Lardeau Creeks.[1] It came into being with the discovery of gold in the region. In 1897, the Lardeau Hotel opened its doors. By 1899, Ferguson had a main street with hotels, shops and saloons, and a population of 800. It had a newspaper called The Ferguson Eagle. It eventually went into decline and by 1920 was almost deserted. The Lardeau Hotel stood into the 1970s.[2]

The main street is said to have come back to life in the 2000s, when many lots were sold to cabin builders.[3]

Ferguson was founded and named for Dave Ferguson, who came from Grand Bend, Ontario in 1891, and vanished in Saanich in December 1903. His body was found in a bush the next March, a coroner's jury finding he died of "suicide in a fit of despondency".[3]

References

  1. "Ferguson". BCGNIS. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  2. N.L. Barlee (1973), Gold Creeks and Ghost Towns. Canada West Publications.
  3. 1 2 "Ferguson founder named town for himself", by Greg Nesteroff, Nelson Star
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