Seventy-sixth in an alphabetical series on West Kootenay/Boundary place names
Last week we looked at how Grand Forks got its name. In 1901, it was expected to be changed after Grand Forks and Columbia, its rival city to the west, agreed to amalgamate.
“The citizens of Grand Forks felt that life would be burdensome if the consolidated town’s name was made Columbia, and Columbia residents would prefer to remain in single blessedness to residing in a municipality called Grand Forks,” the Nelson Miner wrote.
The Grand Forks Gazette, naturally, wanted to keep it as Grand Forks and said so. This brought an anonymous letter from someone who had given the matter much thought. The writer agreed the name should not be changed, as it was “well grounded.”
“It has required a great deal of effort to make the city well known, and that effort should not be wasted, if the waste can be avoided. Moreover, the use of the word ‘Grand’ gives a dignity to the name, which is wanting in the names of many places. Also, the name is descriptive of the place, and very appropriate on that account.”
However, if a name change was unavoidable, the writer had a few suggestions: Piedmont, Toyebee (supposedly a First Nations name for the Kettle River), Rocklyn, Scardale, Belleview, Bona Vista, Belvedere, Monte Carlo, Melrose, Wawaosh, Wascana, Henselwood, Colonna, Granby (after the company that built the smelter), Grandola, Goldalia, and Ystradyfodwg (after a Welsh parish).
None of those ideas made the final cut, however. When a vote was held that August, the choices were Miner, Empire, and Amalga. The results revealed a further split between Grand Forks and Columbia residents: Grand Forks voted 81 for Miner, 58 for Empire, and 23 for Amalga, while Columbia had the opposite feelings: 27 for Amalga, 24 for Empire, and 10 for Miner.
Because the winner was determined by overall vote, Miner prevailed with a majority of nine. (Miner wasn’t chosen for the profession, but rather for Granby company president S.H. Miner.)
Yet that still didn’t settle matter.
In February 1902, a delegation from the Grand Forks board of trade appeared before city council, imploring them to keep the name Grand Forks. William Spier made a short speech, declaring himself “heartily in favour” of the idea, while an alderman started a petition to stick with Grand Forks, “which promises to be the most liberally signed petition that was ever circulated in our city.”
The last-minute lobbying worked. When amalgamation took effect January 1, 1903, the new city was called Grand Forks.
Previous installments in this series
Applegrove, Appleby, and Appledale revisited
Bakers, Birds, and Bosun Landing
Bannock City, Basin City, and Bear Lake City
Bealby Point (aka Florence Park) revisited
Boswell, Bosworth, Boulder Mill, and Broadwater
Brooklyn, Brouse, and Burnt Flat
Camborne, Cariboo City, and Carrolls Landing
Carmi, Cedar Point, Circle City, and Clark’s Camp
Carson, Carstens, and Cascade City
Christina City and Christian Valley
Cody and Champion Creek revisited
Champion Creek revisited, again
Columbia City, Columbia Gardens, and Columbia Park
Crawford Bay and Comaplix revisited
Dawson, Deadwood, and Deanshaven
English Cove and English Point
Forslund, Fosthall, and Fairview
Fort Shepherd vs. Fort Sheppard, Part 1
Fort Shepherd vs. Fort Sheppard, Part 2