Oroville Washington - Osoyoos British Columbia - Rock Creek and the search for James Copland

James Copland - 1839-1938

I have  been doing research on my family tree for some years now. One of the more interesting persons I came across is my 3rd Great Uncle James Copland. He was the brother of my Great Great Grandfather David Copland who was a ship's carpenter. The family was from Forfar Scotland where the family had been for several generations. My great great grandfather apprenticed as a ship's carpenter in Aberdeen at the age of 15 or earlier. He was the oldest child having been born in 1824. James was the youngest boy.

 In the 1850's David and a couple of his brothers went to Australia to seek their fortune in the gold strike in Melbourne. Sometime later 14 year old James got on a ship and followed them. They turned him back because of his youth saying the mining life was too harsh for him. Instead of returning home he signed on with a ship in Peru and spent the next 4 years sailing around the world going around both the Cape of good hope and the Great horn. He wound up in San Francisco in 1858 where he heard of the gold rush in Canada and headed up to Fraser to join the other miners. He then went to the Cariboo gold strike in Rock Creek where he spent the next 80 years until his death in his 99 year.

 I found out much of this doing research and decided since we would be in the area I wanted to go to Canada and see if I could find his grave and possibly any other new information about him.

 So when we left Turlo Campground Denise and I and the critters headed up the pass on Highway 20 and headed for Oroville Washington. Oroville is 4 miles from the U.S./Canada border and we found a campground there in town where we could leave the animals for a day while we crossed into Canada. I would loved to have taken them but the cost and hassle were too much. African Grey parrots are on the endangered species list and getting Kazumba back into the US would have taken a lot of paperwork and cash. 

 We left camp early in the morning and crossed without incident at Osoyoos. From there you go up a pass to the east and follow the highway through some beautiful country. When we were there there were 39 fires to the west of us. The sky was so hazy that the mountains to the west were almost completely obscured by smoke. The smell was in the air for the whole day that we were there.

 We stopped first at Bridesville as I had seen Jimmy Copland there in the 1921 Canada census. At that time he was in his 80's and married to Elisa De Haas who was his second wife whom he married when he was 73.

 There was no actual town at Bridesville just houses so we continued on to Rock Creek where he had lived for most of his life. We got in there before 9:00 am and went to the visitor center and museum to see what we could see. The visitor center is in the lot belonging to an Antique store and the woman who owns it came out and opened the visitor's center for us and gave us some places to go to find out more. She said that her grandfather had known Jimmy Copland. She also said that there was a good museum in Midway a few miles up the highway and also in Greenwood. 

 We were going to Grand Forks to look for the grave so this was on the way there. Midway had a nice museum with a very helpful person by the name of Stephanie. We told her what we were doing and asked if she knew of any information on James or Jimmie Copland. She hadn't heard of him but was very interested in his story so she went online to check the museums files. She did that while Denise and I toured the museum.

 Photo from the Midway Museum. James may or may not be in this photo. I do know that he mined at Camp McKinney at some time

The museum was primarily a railroad museum and they had some great stuff. You can see the smoke in the air in the outside photo's

 Stephanie dug up three pages of references to James Copland in various publications and then found an article written in 1930 or 31 where a reporter in Vancouver interviewed him. She then told us that Greenwood and an excellent museum also and told us to talk to a woman named Doreen there.
 Off to Greenwood we went however when we got there Doreen was running errands and would not be back for 1 1/2 to 2 hours so we continued onward to Grand Forks. I had gotten a Find A Grave hint about Jimmie Copland being buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Grand Forks.
 We got there and went to the visitors center first in order to find the Evergreen Cemetery. After we got that we went to a little hamburger stand. Tastee Freeze which had been there in the same building since 1953. The hamburgers were only so-so but they filled the stomachs and gave us energy to search the cemetery for James's grave.
 Evergreen is not huge but it still contained a few hundred graves. We scoured the old section of the graveyard but came up emptyhanded. The only living souls in the cemetery besides us was a family of deer. They were relaxing in the shade and only moved when we got within 5 or so feet of them

After failing to find the grave we decided to go to the town hall to see if they could give us the location. At the Town hall I talked to a clerk there who searched the plots but wasn't able to find James Copland buried there. She then said that maybe he was buried at Phoenix Cemetery back towards Greenwood but out in the country somewhere. I asked if she had the plot map for that cemetery but she didn't. She said that Archives might and that I should check with them downstairs so I made my way to the basement of the building. The lady in there looked up Phoenix and said that there was no James Copland buried there. She said that she would check some other records she had and then asked me if I knew when he had died. I told here it was April or May of 1938 and she handed me a large box that contained all the Grand Forks Newspaper articles from 1938. I began paging carefully through it and lo and behold on April 21st there was a big article announcing his death. The next week April 27th there was an equally large front page article detailing the funeral including that he was interred at Rock Creek Cemetery only steps from his original cabin which had burned down 5 years prior to his death.

 Wow, great information. She had her student helper scan the pages and she put them into a Zip file for me and emailed it to me. 

 So many helpful people! It was a great day. Denise and I headed back to Rock Creek to see if we could locate the grave. We again stopped at the Antique store and the woman we had talked to in the morning directed us to the road where the cemetery was located. She also said that her grandfather used to mow the grass there and otherwise spruce up the area. She said she thought that the grave was on the right and towards the back. 

 We pulled up to the Rock Creek Cemetery and again began walking from headstone to headstone looking. This time we had a location to start and were quickly rewarded. Here it was! There were also deer in this cemetery and again that was all, no people except us. I put some flowers on the grave, took some pictures and said Hello and Goodbye to dear Uncle Jimmy. 

 After that we returned to Osoyoos had a banana split and then crossed back in the USA. It was a long day but we got some good information and best of all found the grave.

Obituary and Funeral of James Copland. These are the articles I got from the Archives at City Hall in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada

It's nice to know that I was able to find out a little about the history of the mining era in British Columbia and that one of my ancestors was a big part of that era as well. Jimmie spent his 21st birthday on the flats of Oroville Washington, perhaps where we were camped. We did not get to see the grave of his first wife Jeannie Shulaget, buried at Camp McKinney, Kootenay Boundary Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. She died in 1908 at the age of 47 or 48. She was an Indian woman. If they had children I find no record of it. All in all a remarkable man living in remarkable times.
 The link below goes to a book called THE STORY OF SIMILKAMEEN from
Mozey on Inn Coalmont BC. Chapter 5 under the heading of ALL FOR THE LOVE OF A LADY there is a little bit about Jimmy and Jeannie Shulaget.

 http://www.goodfellow.mozey-on-inn.com/five.html

So we close this chapter and move on to the next adventure.

Memories of Washington - Turlo Campground and Cascade Loop

Turlo Campground - Mountain Loop Highway in the Mt.Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

 

We are staying in the Turlo campground along the Mountain Loop Scenic Byway. Finally got the best of Western Washington, a campsite on the river in the National Forest (cheap) and best of all sunshine.😎 I awoke to the sound of birds singing in the treetops. After brewing a pot of coffee I slipped out the door and made my way to the river. There were fresh deer tracks in the sand at the rivers edge and the sun was lighting the tops of the trees. I made my way to the bend where the river runs through rocks, not whitewater but close. The sun was beginning to light up the other side of the river and was sending shafts of light down through the trees. 

  There is a delightful teepee made out of branches glowing softly on the beach and some birds are flying inches above the river in search of breakfast no doubt. This is my favorite time of day, early morning and no one else is here. There is not a breeze moving and the only sounds are the river running through the rocks and some birds singing in the treetops. Bucolic, tranquil, peaceful however you put it sitting on a boulder sipping coffee and taking it all in is a great way to start the day. 

If you have not yet visited Washington state you are missing out on some of the most beautiful country to be seen anywhere. Here is rain forest and mountains, rivers and lakes and roads that wind through it all. There are days and even weeks where the sun is gone, the rain can seem to be endless and the clouds hide everything. Then the clouds will thin until the sun can break through and burn off the clouds and a magical place appears like Brigadoon. Here for a short time then gone. The forest is littered with the stumps of the ancient trees that once towered above. The pockets for the springboards are still visible through the moss that blankets them. Many of the stumps have become mother stumps and like a raised garden tended by the fairies they grow ferns and huckleberry and salal and sometimes new trees. 

The understory is so dense that in most places it’s inpenatrable. If there is no path there is no passage without great difficulty. Wet areas are defined by horsetail and skunk cabbage. Everywhere is green giving the State it’s nickname. 

 The second growth forest is well established and the trees are tall, large in diameter and diverse. They regrew the way the original forest did. The first trees that sprout up are the alders.  Fireweed covers the ground and shades the young saplings. Once they are established they provide shade for the firs hemlocks and cedars that make up the climax forest. This is a simplified version the forest is extremely diverse.  

I delight in walking the forest and seeing the fantastic growth, the little gardens that are more beautiful than anything man made. Each variety of plant finds its niche and grows where the sun and nutrients suit it best. 

Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri

Common Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis

 The Stillaguamish river at Turlo Campground

 Here's the Teepee someone made. It was nice in the early mornings light.

 A Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius working the riverbank in search of food.

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica

 From the trailhead on Mt. Pilchuck. On a clear day you can see Puget Sound from here. Obviously this was not a clear day.

 Looking up to the summit of Mt. Pilchuck 5344' and still heavily covered with snow. I wanted to climb the trail but we were told by the Ranger that there was snow on the trail at 4500'. It's a 4.8 mile hike one way and has a 2125' elevation gain so it is a difficult hike at best. Some other time perhaps.

  Canadian Bunchberry Cornus canadensis

  Bride's Bonnet Clintonia uniflora a member of the Lily family

  Five-leaf Dwarf Bramble Rubus pedatus

The Cascade Loop Scenic Highway is dotted with campgrounds,, picnic areas and trail heads. One trail begins at the Big Four picnic area. It’s an easy one mile hike to the Ice Caves and I took this walk in the afternoon on Uriah's birthday. The hike takes you through wetlands formed by the snow melt. The path is a series of boardwalks that allows walking without having to slog through the water. There are creeks running through here also. These are not quiet little waterways meandering to the river. These creeks are fresh snow melt born on the mountain top and transported to the base by waterfalls that come straight down the face of the mountain. These creeks are boisterous roiling waters racing through the rock laden creek bed. They have a date with the ocean and are in a hurry to get there. 

After you leave the wetlands you climb through the forest for a short distance where you break out into a clearing a a view of the ice caves at the base of the mountain. The caves are formed by avalanches dropping down the sheer face of the mountain. As the snow melts it forms caves in the ice. At this time of year they are relatively small, by August they will be quite large and inviting. That’s a siren call however as the ice mass is unstable and the caves can collapse without warning. People have died here despite numerous warnings. There are warnings at the beginning of the trail and at the end there’s more. 

 While I was there a couple of young kids hopped the rock wall that defines the boundary of the safe/danger areas. I remarked to the father “You must not care about your kids” I said. “What do you mean” he replied. “People have died there” I said. “ They’re fine” was his response. I shouted” You’re stupid!” and I turned and started back down the trail. 

 While I’m pretty sure that they were going to be fine it just irks me that people disregard the warnings. These are the same ones that are trampled by bison every year who will then try to sue the government for not protecting them. 

 Big Four Mountain

The cascade coming down the mountain that feeding into and through the avalanche field that forms the ice caves.

  Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus

 Gray Comma Polygonia progne

 Gray Comma Polygonia progne

Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius

 The first of many warnings at the Ice Caves

 This warning was within 10 feet of where I yelled at "Stupid Guy"

  Columbia Lily Lilium columbianum

 The tenacity of the trees always amazes me

On the left are the ice caves. They grow and shrink depending on the season. They look small but they are big enough to walk into without bending over. To give scale of these in the photo on the right the caves are in the lower right hand corner. The avalanche field is HUGE!

 Skunk Cabbage

Twinberry Honeysuckle Lonicera involucrata

  Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis

  The next day I took a hike up to twenty two lake. The trail is only 2.7 miles one way but there’s a 1500’ elevation gain so it’s a pretty strenuous hike. It’s really rocky and wet as there are numerous springs that not only cross the path but at times are the path. After about a mile and a half the path goes through a clearcut and looking up you can see the hike ahead of you. At this point it’s steep and rocky as the removal of the trees has allowed the rains to wash away the topsoil leaving only rocks to stumble across. This really slows your progress as you have to look where your feet will fall with each step. A twisted ankle here would ruin the whole day. 

 The clearcut also gives you incredible views looking out across the valley to snow capped peaks and down to the river far below. When you exit the clearcut the trail becomes more conducive to walking and in about twenty minutes time you arrive at the lake. 

 The lake is breathtaking beautiful with waterfalls and avalanche snow feeding it. I took a couple of pictures and began walking around the lake. Just the week before the path was blocked by snow but a few days of sun had melted the snow enough to push it back away from the path. It’s incredible how fast plants will sprout and grow as the snow retreats. There were flowers blooming where snow had been only a week or two ago. 

 I made it around to the back side of the lake and climbed up onto a boulder to eat my lunch and savor the view before heading back. The return is quicker than going up but it’s still a workout especially going through the rocks and down the stairs. I haven’t been doing as much walking the past couple of weeks and I was really feeling it. As I crossed the clearcut again my leg muscles began to cramp and my tendons were pulling as well. I took a break after the clearcut drank some water and wolfed down an orange. After I passed the last waterfall it was just a short half mile or so back to the parking lot. 

 Denise had gone to Everett to do some shopping and take care of some things. She had dropped me off at the trail head and had agreed to meet me there when she was done. I was really hoping that she was done as it’s about a mile and a half back to the campground. I checked one side of the parking lot and as I was walking to the other side here she came. Yay, it was around four thirty so I had taken 
five and a half hours to complete the hike. 

The first waterfall going up the trail.

The first part of the trail was stair stepped with logs. Not easy walking as they are not at the right distance or height for everyone.

 View looking across the valley from the clearcut

  Western Columbine Aquilegia formosa

Lake Twenty two

 Some of the snow still feeding the lake. It was in the upper 80's when I was there.

  Red Mountain-Heather Phyllodoce empetriformis

  Stream Violet Viola glabella

 

Alpine Marsh Violet Viola palustris

  Elephant's Head Pedicularis groenlandica

 Looking down at the Stilly river

 Theft at Turlo

 I’m not sure where to go with this but it’s time to talk about the ugliness of my fellow man. Tuesday night we went to bed around tenish. When I got up in the morning I fixed my coffee and went outside to drink it. I was walking around the campsite sipping coffee and drinking in the morning when I glanced at the back of the trailer. It was one of those moments when you are looking at something that’s out of place and it takes a minute for it to sink in. I was staring at the electrical cord connected to the trailer. The other end was laying on the ground and then it clicked. The generator was gone. Some son of a bitch stole our generator. I began to walk the loop in the campground looking for what I knew I wouldn’t find. I saw a guy in the next campsite and talked to him about the theft he of course knew nothing about it. I ended up walking with him to the campground host’s site and I reported it to them. They told me that the forest ranger station was closed and that I needed to call the Snohomish county sheriff department. There is no cell service up here but there’s to a pay phone outside the ranger station that only dials 911. 

I went back to the trailer to tell Denise the bad news. We then drove to the ranger station and called it in then returned to the campground to await the arrival of the Sheriff. In a short time he pulled up I greeted him and told him what had transpired. As he got ready to fill out the report he received a call from dispatch telling him that he had an accident in his district also. It was at the other end of his territory and accidents take priority so he told us how to file a crime report online before he left. 

We took the truck down the mountain to Marysville to get to where we had internet and phone service.  Also to check out the pawn shops and to buy another generator. We accomplished all of the tasks before heading back up the mountain to camp. We weren’t finished yet. We went to Big Four picnic area so I could hike to the ice caves. Then returned to camp to unpack the new generator and get it running. We had forgotten to get oil for the new generator so Denise went to get that while I assembled the wheel kit. I was putting gas in when a guy pulled up and greeted me by saying “Is that the new generator?” “It sure is” I replied. He then introduced himself as the campground host and an employee of the concessioner who managed the campground. He and his wife had come to fill out an incident report for the Forest Service. He commiserated with me over the theft of the generator and remarked that there had been other such incidents in the past but ours was the first one this year. A rather dubious honor to be sure!  

 As the wife was filling out the form Denise returned with the oil. After they left we finally got the generator started and got dinner cooking. The entire day was wasted plus the extra expenses for the generator and gas to get it. There are times when I am disgusted with my fellow man. Grr enough said on this topic. Tomorrow is another day and there are mountains to climb and roads to travel.

All in all it was a great week and a half or so in Turlo campground. We got to recharge and  get away from everything. There was no phone service, no internet and no hookups. We did have water so we really had everything we needed for the time we were there.
 Uriah, Michelle, Tyler and Emilee came up Saturday the 14th for a barbecue to celebrate Uriah's 43rd birthday which was on the 11th. Unfortunately Ashlynn and her mom were not able to make it. Christian and his girlfriend either. We had a great time.

 Emilee

 Uriah

 Michelle

 Tyler

 Emilee looking Fadorable in the hat Uriah gave her.

 Denise and Tyler

All too soon the time came for us to pack it up and mosey on down the highway to the next adventure. Western Washington will always be in my head and my heart. We have so many memories there as we do in so many places. We spent 10 years in Monroe that never goes away. I would not want to live there again but it is so nice to visit.