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Located North of Vancouver's harbor is a beautiful city rich in history. North Vancouver's waterfront is the former site of a mill town that was in existence over 130 years ago. Moodyville (the first community in North Vancouver ) was named for Sewell Moody, the owner of Moody's Mill and subsequently the founder of the town that sprung up above the hill from the sawmill. By the time the first shipment of lumber bound for Australia had left the dock in 1864, North Vancouver's history had begun. Moodyville was the first town North of San Francisco to boast electric lights and it wasn't long before the town grew to include a schoolhouse, museum, library and newspaper. Sadly, little more then a memory exists of this first town because after Moody's death in 1875 the mill just faded out of existence, closing it's doors for good in 1901.
North Vancouver would again become a boom town and an internationally know tourist spot when Pete Lawson built his grand hotel 2 miles west of the old mill, in the newly developing region of Lower Lonsdale. In seven short years, the City of North Vancouver was officially incorporated and could pride itself in the fact that it housed a population of 2000, boasted 53 businesses, 9 banks, 2 hotels, a school and was fully equipped with running water, electricity, phone services, streetcars and a ferry service to Vancouver. When you come to North Vancouver, your first stop should be The North Vancouver Museum and Archives located at 209 west 4th street. (604) 987-5618. Here you can visit the museum and enjoy a look at North Vancouver's past through photographs and artifacts and in the summer, take part in a walking tour and experience first hand the remaining architecture from those bygone days.
Situated at the foot of Lonsdale Avenue are several points of interest, the original Pacific Great Eastern railway station sits, fully restored on it's original location where it was built in 1913. If you head up the street, on Lonsdale Avenue, be sure to walk on the west side and look down on the sidewalk, for engraved there is the original shoreline of the North Vancouver boom town. As you are guided up Lonsdale you will be introduced to several still remaining buildings, one of which is the Aberdeen Block which was the home to the much beloved Paine Hardware store. When the inner structure was destroyed by fire in 1998, it devastated the community. Until that ill-fated day, Paine Hardware was the only business to survive from the boom town days. It was such a treat to find yourself in an old time store where wooden shelving stretched from floor to ceiling, much of it accessed by a rolling ladder. It was a walk back in history where a search for an unusual piece of hardware could lead you into the twisted passageways of the basement, where you might find what you are looking for in the old insulated explosive's room. The exterior of the building remains intact and talk is circulating of the city planners leaving the building for the architect lovers to enjoy.
The tour continues up Lonsdale where it will be pointed out to you, the buildings that formerly housed the general store, banks, corner's office and real estate office. As you finish up your tour, be sure and ask for directions to some of the historic homes in the area. There are several remaining in existence such as the Hamersly House and Peer's home. These are private residences but are worth a drive by to admire their beauty.
The city of North Vancouver is currently in the re-development stage but great pains are being taken to preserve its history. Some of the projects in the works are,
1. To restore an original streetcar that now lies in storage under the grandstand in Mahon Park.
2. To move and restore an original house that was recently gutted by fire while being used as a restaurant.
3. Hamersly House sits empty, laying in wait of a plan to take hold where it can be used for a purpose that brings it honor.
In the years to come the history of North Vancouver will be gradually enriched. I encourage you to come back often as we strive to remember the past, one project at a time.
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