Ebenezer Brown was a strong political figure in British Columbia during the late 1870s. He represented New Westminster and New Westminster City in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. He was educated in England and came to British columbia in 1858, He built the Grand Hotel (Granville hotel at the time) in the 1860s shortly after he arrived in BC. Ebenezer died in 1883 after living 59 years.
Written by D.Z Posted by M.T
Joe Mannion
Joe Mannion married an Indian woman and had one child. When his wife died, he proceeded to marry a white woman, and together they had one daughter and three sons. One of his sons, worked as an engineer, and went to New Zealand for business. After, he was sent to England to supervise the engineering of ships for a New Zealand export company. Joe Mannion’s other two sons, drowned at Point Atkinson. Mannion and his family lived a rough life, but he was still managed to be a successful individual. In 1874, Mannion and Billy Jones bought the Granville hotel from Ebenezer Brown. Together they rebuilt the hotel in 1879 and ran the business for several years, until they sold it to Thomas Cyrs in 1886.
Written and Posted by M.T
Thomas Cyrs
Thomas Cyrs was born on September 22nd 1852 and died on May 2nd 1907. Published history shows that the Grand Hotel was sold to Thomas Cyrs in 1886, but a source claims that he was running the hotel for several years before. After the building burned down in 1886, Cyrs got the hotel rebuilt quickly and supposedly left Vancouver. The Grand Hotel that still stands today was sold from Thomas Cyrs to Thomas Roberts in 1889. Then in 1897 Thomas Cyrs moved to a house on Dufferin Street. Today Thomas Cyrs lays at rest in Mountain View Cemetery on Fraser Street.
Written by V.N Posted by M.T
Thomas Roberts
Thomas Roberts was born in 1874 and then in 1889 Thomas Cyrs sold the Granville Hotel to Thomas Roberts. Robert started living in Vancouver when he was 13 and then acquired the hotel when he was 15 and was 18 when he became the joint owner of the hotel. Then in 1897 Thomas Roberts became the sole proprietor when he was at the age of 23. In a census in 1901, it showed that Roberts was the head of 33 boarders from Ontario, England, USA, New Brunswick, and Quebec. Under his management, there were four live-in-staff and Emily Roberts, his 19 year old sister. Then in 1903 Thomas Roberts added onto the Granville Hotel by adding four more stories that cost $25,000 and he changed the name from Granville Hotel to the Grand Hotel. Then in 1903, Thomas Roberts passed away at the age of 55 when he was with seven others while watching a card game when a masked and armed robber attempted to rob the party. The robber demanded a diamond ring and Thomas grappled with the robber to avoid handing over the ring which led to his death.
Written by V.N Posted by M.T
Jack Deighton
Jack Deighton was born in 1830 in Hull, England, and sailed to work in a Californian gold mine when he was 21. It wasn’t until 1858 that news about the Fraser gold mine spread when Jack sailed North. He found no gold, but he stayed another five years until in 1861 his throat started swelling and Jack was forced to pursue a new career. He then ran a prosperous bar for 6 years until his friend threw a huge party for fourth of July and ruined it. Then he opened a bar in the Burrard Inlet, named it the Globe Saloon in memory of his old bar. When his Native wife died, she arranged for Jack to marry her niece. Together, Jack and his new wife had a little boy named Richard Mason Jack managed the bar until he grew sick and passed away. Jack was known as Gassy Jack for his talkative nature and amazing storytelling skills, the name stuck and eventually the entire area was named after him as Gastown.