Tom Thornhill | |
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![]() Tom Thornhill is the namesake of Thornhill, British Columbia. | |
Born | 1855 |
Died | July 15, 1910 |
Burial place | Old Prince Rupert Cemetery |
Monuments | Thornhill Landing, Thornhill, British Columbia |
Citizenship | England |
Spouse | Eliza Wright (m. 1982) |
Tom Thornhill (1855 – July 15, 1910) was an English settler and one of the first non-Indigenous residents in the Skeena River Valley, British Columbia. [1] [2] [3] [4] The unincorporated community of Thornhill located east of Terrace is named after him. [3] [5] [6] He is known for his significant role in early settlement and as a representative of the unique cultural interconnections between European settlers and Indigenous peoples in the late 19th century. [2] [7] [8]
Tom Thornhill was born in Kent, England, in 1855. [3] He emigrated to Canada with his family at the age of three, settling in Victoria, British Columbia. [3] Thornhill came from a family of some means, and his father was actively involved in church affairs. [3] Tom is believed to have trained as a blacksmith, but a lung disorder, possibly caused by his trade, led him to seek a different way of life. [3] [6]
While traveling in the Fraser Valley, Thornhill met Eliza Wright, a member of the Kitselas Tsimshian nation and sister to Kitselas Chief Walter Wright. [2] [3] [5] [7] [9] [10] [11] [12] Eliza was considered part of the “royal family” within her community. [3] [9] The couple married and moved to the Skeena River Valley in 1892, settling on land near the Kitselas Canyon. [2] [3] [5] [10] [13] Their marriage represented a rare union at the time between an English settler and a prominent Indigenous woman. [3] [9]
Upon settling near the Skeena River, Thornhill and Eliza established themselves on a prime fishing site granted by Eliza's lineage. [2] [3] The area, known as Thornhill's Landing, became a stopping point for riverboats traveling up the Skeena River. [1] [3] [8] [14] While Eliza hunted, trapped, and traded furs, Tom farmed the land, producing vegetables and flowers for the riverboats. [3] [8] [12] The couple's cabin also served as a host site for travellers. [3] [9] [10]
Tom Thornhill died in 1910, three years after Eliza's death in 1907. [3] [9] He is buried in the Garden Island Cemetery, near Prince Rupert. [3] Thornhill's 186-acre homestead, claimed under the Homestead Act of 1906, was later sold and contributed to the development of the Skeena River Valley. [3]
Thornhill's contributions are honoured through various memorials and landmarks:
Tom and Eliza's story highlights the intersection of European settler and Indigenous histories in British Columbia. [3] [8] [9] Their partnership exemplifies early intercultural relationships and their role in shaping local communities. [3] [9] [10] [11] [12] Eliza's significant contributions as a trapper and community member also emphasize the often-overlooked role of Indigenous women in settler history. [8] [12] [15]
The couple's memory continues to be celebrated as a symbol of the historical ties between Indigenous peoples and settlers in the Skeena Valley. [3] [5] [6] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [15] Efforts to rename local landmarks, such as restoring the name of Sockeye Creek to Eliza Creek, further underscore the importance of their legacy. [8] [10] [11] [12]
The Tsimshian are an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their communities are mostly in coastal British Columbia in Terrace and Prince Rupert, and Metlakatla, Alaska on Annette Island, the only reservation in Alaska.
Terrace is a city in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. This regional hub lies east of the confluence of the Kitsumkalum River into the Skeena River. On BC Highway 16, junctions branch northward for the Nisga'a Highway to the west and southward for the Stewart–Cassiar Highway to the east. The locality is by road about 204 km (127 mi) southwest of Smithers and 144 km (89 mi) east of Prince Rupert. Transportation links are the Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat, a passenger train, and bus services.
Hazelton is a village municipality in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. The place is on the southeast side of the Skeena River immediately north of the Bulkley River mouth, where the confluence forms a peninsula. On BC Highway 62, the locality is by road about 75 kilometres (47 mi) northwest of Smithers and 144 kilometres (89 mi) northeast of Terrace. Hazelton is the original of the "Three Hazeltons", the other two being New Hazelton to the southeast and South Hazelton to the south.
The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada. Since ancient times, the Skeena has been an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan—whose names mean "inside the River of Mist", and "people of the River of Mist," respectively. The river and its basin sustain a wide variety of fish, wildlife, and vegetation, and communities native to the area depend on the health of the river. The Tsimshian migrated to the Lower Skeena River, and the Gitxsan occupy territory of the Upper Skeena.
Usk is an unincorporated community in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. The Usk Ferry connects the two parts of the hamlet that straddle the Skeena River. Just off BC Highway 16, the locality is by road about 182 kilometres (113 mi) west of Smithers and 23 kilometres (14 mi) northeast of Terrace.
Kitsumkalum Park is in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. This provincial park is on the east shore of the Kitsumkalum River at the foot of Kitsumkalum Lake. On Kalum Lake Road, the locality is by road about 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of Terrace.
Thornhill is an unincorporated community in northwestern British Columbia, with a population of 3,932 residents as of the 2021 Canadian census. It is governed by the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, and is classified as Electoral Area E.Thornhill is located immediately to the east of Terrace across the Skeena River. Thornhill is connected to Terrace by the Old Skeena Bridge and the Dudley Little Bridge.
Kitsumkalum is an original tribe/ galts'ap (community) of the Tsimshian Nation. Kitsumkalum is one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada. Kitsumkalum and is also the name of one of their Indian Reserve just west of the city of Terrace, British Columbia, where the Kitsumkalum River flows into the Skeena River. Archaeological evidence places Kitsumkalum with property holdings (laxyuup/territories) in the Kitsumkalum Valley, down the Skeena River to the coast, the Zymagotitz River, areas around Lakelse Lake and many special sites surrounding coastal and inland areas of the North West Coast prior to 1846 and as far back as 5,000 years BP.
Port Essington was a cannery town on the south bank of the Skeena River estuary in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, and at the confluence of the Skeena and Ecstall Rivers. It was founded in 1871 by Robert Cunningham and Thomas Hankin and was for a time the largest settlement in the region. During its heyday it was home to an ethnic mix of European-Canadians, Japanese-Canadians, and members of First Nations from throughout the region, especially Tsimshians from the Kitselas and Kitsumkalum tribes. In the Tsimshian language, the site of Port Essington is called Spaksuut or, in English spelling, "Spokeshute", which means "autumn camping place". This also became the Tsimshian name for the town of Port Essington, and was conferred on Spokeshute Mountain, which stands above and behind the community. It sits on the traditional territory of the Gitzaxłaał tribe, one of the nine Tsimshian tribes based at Lax Kw'alaams. In 1888, the anthropologist Franz Boas visited Port Essington, interviewing Haida and Tsimshian individuals and establishing a working relationship with Odille Morison, the Tsimshian linguist, who lived in Port Essington.
Walter George Wright was a Canadian hereditary chief of the Tsimshian from the community of Kitselas, near Terrace, British Columbia, whose extensive knowledge of oral history was published posthumously in book form as Men of Medeek.
Gitsegukla is an unincorporated community in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. The place is on the southeast side of the Skeena River adjacent to the Kitseguecla River mouth. On BC Highway 16, the locality is by road about 94 kilometres (58 mi) northwest of Smithers and 113 kilometres (70 mi) northeast of Terrace.
Kitwanga or Gitwangak is in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia. Among the Hazelton and Bulkley Mountain Ranges, the place is on the north shore of the Skeena River, east of the Kitwanga River confluence. On BC Highway 37, northeast of the junction with BC Highway 16, the locality is by road about 115 kilometres (71 mi) northwest of Smithers, 99 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Terrace, and 212 kilometres (132 mi) southeast of Stewart.
The Jasper–Prince Rupert train is a Canadian passenger train service operated by Via Rail between Jasper, Alberta, Prince George and Prince Rupert in British Columbia.
Kitselas Canyon is a canyon carved by the Skeena River in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. Off BC Highway 16, the landmark is by road about 185 kilometres (115 mi) west of Smithers and 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Terrace.
Kitselas is a railway point on the northwestern shore of the Skeena River in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. The former name was Vanarsdol. Across the Skeena to the southwest is the mouth of the Zymoetz River. This river bridge on BC Highway 16 is by road about 10 kilometres (6 mi) northeast of Terrace.
The Usk Ferry operates on the Skeena River at Usk in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. The vessel employs reaction ferry propulsion and cable ferry guidance. Off BC Highway 16, the crossing is by road about 182 kilometres (113 mi) west of Smithers and 23 kilometres (14 mi) northeast of Terrace.
Kitselas First Nation is the band government of the Kitselas subgroup of the Tsimshian. The band government is based at Gitaus in the Skeena Valley in the Skeena River valley to the northeast of the city of Terrace, British Columbia, Canada. Though there is no Tsimshian tribal council, they are a participant in the Tsimshian First Nations treaty council.
Ksyen Regional Hospital, formerly Mills Memorial Hospital, is a 78-bed regional medical facility located in Terrace, British Columbia. It serves as the primary healthcare hub for northwestern British Columbia, including communities in the Nass Valley, the unincorporated community of Thornhill, and others. The hospital, currently operated by Northern Health, offers a range of acute care services and acts as a referral centre for more specialized treatments. A new, significantly larger and more modern hospital building officially started construction in 2021, and opened to the general public on November 24, 2024.
Albert “Bert” Goulet was a Canadian entrepreneur, community leader, and politician in Terrace, British Columbia. He served as a city councillor from 1962 to 1965, and as reeve (mayor) from 1965 to 1967.
Charles Nelson was a Chief of the Ganhada (Raven) house of the Kitsumkalum Tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, located in British Columbia, Canada. His traditional name, Xpilaxha, roughly translates to “halfway to heaven.” Nelson and his wife, Emma Nelson, played a prominent role in the early history of the Terrace, British Columbia area.