Published: September 17, 2010

In Photo: (sitting) Harvey Woodward, Marcus beside his father, (back row left to right) Myrtle, Chrissie, Fred and Eva Woodward. On the right is William Hamilton Merritt III, who was a mining engineer and militia officer. (Photo courtesy of the Nicola Valley Museum and Archives)

George Muir, the original owner of District Lot 125, was on top of his game.

He was the owner of a 360-some acre property in prime ranch lands and was still young enough to contemplate marriage.

His neighbours would have included First Nations and the Woodward family in Lower Nicola.

At the time Lower Nicola was simply known as Woodward’s. As aforementioned Muir was thinking about marriage, unfortunately he drowned before bringing a bride back to the Nicola Valley.

William Henry Voght was born in Holstein, (now part of Germany, then part of Denmark) and travelled by steamer through Panama to California, eventually making his way to BC. Voght settled on District Lot 125 in 1871, following the death of Muir. As a matter of fact, Voght married a First Nations woman from Boston Bar and together had several children. Along with Henry Lindly and the Woodward family, Voght was responsible for bringing secular education to the Nicola Valley.

Voght is often considered to be “The Father of Merritt.”

He was one of original settlers and was active in promoting the settlement and development of the Nicola Valley.

For example, he subdivided a portion of his property, thereby allowing residential growth. One of the reasons that Voght is rightfully referred to as “The Father of Merritt” is due to the fact that Voght was tirelessly engaged as a booster for what would become the town of Merritt. However, Voght died shortly before the incorporation.

Albert Elgin Howse, arrived in the Nicola Valley in the summer of 1871.

It was Howse who introduced the mining engineer William Hamilton Merritt III to the Valley’s potential. Merritt was just as politically connected as Howse, but was financially in a league of his own.

The Merritt family first gained prominence during the War of 1812. W.H. Merritt (the First) was in charge of a division that spent most of their time following Sir Isaac Brock until being captured by the Americans at Lundy’s Lane.

The family is also credited with the construction of the Welland Canal. Merritt also served as MP and briefly as Minister for Public Works.

Howse and Merritt (and R.H. Lee, of Kamloops) were responsible for successfully bringing in the railroad.

As a result, the established industries were able to expand by reaching far off markets and the local service industries were able to bring in wares from cosmopolitan markets.

In other words, the railroad acted as the impetus for rapid growth both economically and socially. Furthermore, the railroad was not a one-time advance, it was a benefit to Merritt for about 80 years!

It was not until after the Second World War that trucking became the standard method of moving goods.

In the last article, the location of the train robbery, given as Duck, should have been Duck’s Landing or simply Ducks. For more information, please visit the Nicola Valley Museum Archives.