Probably more than any other photographer of his generation, Richard Henry Trueman worked tirelessly to record the vast expanses of southern British Columbia. With his heavy glassplate camera in tow, Trueman climbed mountains, forded creeks and endured all manner of hardships to capture the images he wanted, particularly when it came to his two greatest subjects: railroads and steamships. Some of his most stunning photographs focus on the rail and steamship lines that operated in the Slocan at the turn of the century, such as his famous shot of a K&S locomotive stopped at Payne Bluff. Born in Ontario, Trueman travelled extensively through Alberta and British Columbia R.H. Trueman 1856–1911 before settling down, somewhat, to three studios in Vancouver, Sandon and Revelstoke. The booming city of Sandon and the surrounding area with its great concentrator mills, tram lines and spectacular scenery captivated Trueman. His artistry and attention to detail still stand out, nearly a century later. Trueman’s photographs, usually printed as platinotypes, sparkle with clarity and sharpness, and many of the most beautiful photographs in the Sandon Museum collection are his work. By chance, Trueman happened to be in Sandon at the time of the catastrophic May 1900 fire, and his “before and after” shots are striking. He returned repeatedly to Sandon to capture the rebuilding efforts, and it is largely through his dedication and skill that such an excellent photographic record of this period survives to this day. Reco Avenue in Sandon was one of Trueman’s favourite scenes, and the photograph on page one is a fine example of his work. It is worth noting that everyone in the photograph is dressed in their “Sunday best,” right down to the little girl with her pet dog on the steps in the right corner of the photo. As well, all the subjects are obligingly turned to look at the camera. It is apparent that, with his fine eye for composition, Trueman has carefully posed the entire street! This is not the only case of Trueman posing a vast scene for his camera, and most subjects were more than willing, as he was a noted photographer throughout the Canadian west in his day. Trueman’s work in British Columbia spans a little more than 20 years from about 1890 until just before his death in Revelstoke in 1911. He left the province and the country an enduring legacy with his photographs, and our historical record has been vastly enriched by his talent and dedication.
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Like so many aspects of Sandon’s history, conflicting tales and mysteries have grown up around the first discovery of the vast wealth hidden high in the Slocan mountains. Stories have been told of double-crossing and deceit, but as with most legends, this one has a simple beginning, and certain facts are a matter of record. I n t h e s u m m e r o f 1891 two prospectors, a French-Canadian former tightrope-walker named Eli Carpenter, and an Irishman from Tennessee named J.L. “Jack” Seaton, arrived on foot in the remote wilderness of the Slocan. They were pursuing tales of rich deposits of galena (silver-lead) ore, which Carpenter had heard was used by native guides and hunters. A f t e r m o n t h s o f unsuccessful searching the two men struggled to the top of Payne Mountain, to the north of present-day Sandon. It was there, on September 9, 1891, that Carpenter and Seaton finally discovered what they had sought all summer: the unmistakable sparkle of galena ore. Taking a sample to be tested at the assay office, the two men staked their claim, 1,500 by 600 feet, and headed back to Hot Springs Camp (presentday Ainsworth). At this point, legend begins to overshadow known fact. The story is often told that Carpenter, in an attempt to double-cross his partner, had two samples tested: one from the Payne claim, which assayed 170 ounces of silver Payne Mountain: the original strike of 1891 per ton, and another from a lower-grade claim which assayed at only 20 ounces. When Carpenter told him that their Payne claim had assayed at only 20 ounces of silver, Seaton lost interest in the claim. Carpenter then entered into a secret agreement with a new partner, E.A. Bielenberg of Nelson, to return to Payne Mountain and stake additional claims. However, in discussing these plans, the two were overheard by innkeeper Charles Olson, who promptly informed Seaton of Carpenter’s deceit. At this point, Seaton entered into a new partnership with Jack McQuigan, Frank Flint, and William and J.G. Hennessey. Then, in an effort to escape detection, Carpenter and Bielenberg stole back to Payne Mountain by the more indirect route of Nelson and Slocan Lake, while an outraged Seaton and his four new partners took the more direct route via the Kaslo River. Arriving first, Seaton’s group staked the “Noble Five” group of 21 claims on Payne and Reco Mountains, effectively outflanking the treacherous Carpenter — or so the legend is told. However, it is known that shortly after Carpenter and Seaton arrived in Ainsworth, they had the sample assayed. It was a number of days later, on September 22, 1891, that they jointly recorded their Payne Claim “near the headwaters of Slocan Creek, about 25 miles west of Kootenay Lake.” If Carpenter had truly deceived his partner, why would Seaton co-register a claim that he believed to be relatively worthless? It is also hard to believe that such incredible assay results would remain secret, particularly in a small mining camp such as Ainsworth. Indeed, there is evidence they did not. It is a fact that Carpenter and Seaton returned to Payne Mountain by different routes, and that their departures from town caused such a rush of prospectors into the remote wilderness that Ainsworth was left virtually deserted for days. It is also true that within three days of Carpenter and Seaton registering their Payne Claim in Ainsworth, the other members of the “Noble Five” group — McQuigan, Flint and the Hennesseys — and even the innkeeper, Charles Olson, had all staked claims on Payne Mountain. However, Seaton did not. It was not until a series of three claims were staked the next day that Seaton’s name first appears in connection with McQuigan, Flint and the Hennesseys. It seems very strange that this “Noble Five” group somehow located Payne Mountain and staked numerous claims on it one full day before Seaton. Indeed, Seaton’s first claim after the original Payne Claim was in partnership with two other prospectors, neither of whom was part of the “Noble Five” group. We will likely never know the whole truth behind the story, but the impact of Carpenter and Seaton’s discovery is well known. Hundreds of prospectors flooded into the district, and before year’s end over 191 claims had been staked. One of these was the famous Slocan Star (later Silversmith) mine, discovered by Bruce White, Charles Chambers and John Sandon. Over the next century, billions of dollars worth of silver, lead and zinc were removed from the mountains around Sandon, including over a million ounces a year of silver-lead from the Payne Mine alone. Ironically, however, none of the original prospectors were greatly enriched by their fantastic discoveries, having sold their shares to mining companies from Spokane for a fraction of their real worth. In later years, Eli Carpenter ran a pack train between the mines and New Denver, and built a hotel at Three Forks. On May 24, 1897, he astonished the entire Slocan district when, in order to win a bar bet, he walked blindfolded across a tightrope strung across Slocan City’s main street— then doubled his winnings by stopping to cook bacon and eggs on a stove halfway across! By September of that year, Carpenter had departed for the goldfields of the Klondike, where he reportedly died a year later. Like Carpenter and the others, easy money proved too tempting for Jack Seaton, who also sold his share in the Payne and Reco Mountain properties for a pittance. In 1893, Seaton returned to Tennessee with the body of his younger brother, who had died within two months of reaching BC. A sick man himself by then, Seaton remained in the United States, where he became bedridden and died within the year.
Updated: Feb 19
The Sandon Museum is now wheelchair accessible, with an attractive new wooden boardwalk and a new set of wooden stairs gracing the entranceway. The completion of the boardwalk project was celebrated with a grand opening on May 20, 2016 with a ribbon cutting, cake, and refreshments. Karen Hamling, chair of the Regional District of Central Kootenay, cut the ribbon after congratulating the society on the beautiful structure. Dan Nicholson, president of the Sandon Historical Society, welcomed everyone and thanked all those involved with the project. In an interview, Nicholson explained that the boardwalk has historical value as well as the practical value of wheelchair accessibility. “At one time, there was a boardwalk that extended in front of all the buildings on the main street of Sandon,” said Nicholson. “The new boardwalk gives the feel of what it would have been like back then.” He says wheelchair accessibility to the museum has been important to him ever since he worked there about 20 years ago and helped carry a visitor in a wheelchair up the stairs and into the museum. His good friend Rob Riley, who wrote most of the write-ups for the museum displays and worked as museum attendant for several seasons before he passed away in 2010, was disabled and also wanted to see accessibility. Nicholson credited the boardwalk idea to former society president, Wanda Palmer. When she brought the idea forward, the board got behind it and Nicholson volunteered to write the grant application to the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA). The CKCA approved the grant in 2012, and had to extend the deadline for project completion three times. “Many thanks to the CKCA for their patience while we worked through the building permit process,” said Nicholson. “Ulli Mueller of Nakusp was hired to do the design, and she was invaluable. She was able to come up with a beautiful design that satisfied the building inspector.” Jim Pownall and crew of New Denver constructed the boardwalk. “As you can see, they did a fabulous job,” commented Nicholson. On the day of the grand opening, a bus full of residents from Kaslo’s extended care facility arrived. They were very pleased with the new boardwalk which made their visit possible. The total project cost was $25,000, with the CKCA granting $15,000 and the society contributing $10,000. Nicholson says the society’s next project will be to finish off the back of the museum with another wooden structure that will provide an improved fire exit. The fire exit will also be wheelchair accessible.
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