"Burnaby Historical Society" found 9 records

Murdock and Lillian McMurray interview November 17, 1975 - Track 5

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory247

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1904-1975

Length: 0:09:26

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Murdock McMurray's memories of his first team of horses. Lillian (Wray) McMurray and her husband discuss their son Bob McMurray's volunteerism and professional activities.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Murdock McMurray's memories of his first team of horses. Lillian (Wray) McMurray and her husband discuss their son Bob McMurray's volunteerism and professional activities.

Date Range: 1904-1975

Photo Info: Emerson Doran (left) and Murdoch McMurray, 1917. Item no. 229-004

Length: 0:09:26

Names: McMurray, Bob

Subjects: Transportation - Sleighs; Animals - Horses

Interviewer: McGeachie, Doreen “Pixie”

Interview Date: November 17, 1975

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with Murdock McMurray and his wife Lillian (Wray) McMurray conducted by Pixie McGeachie on November 17, 1975. Major themes discussed are: Burnaby's development, the Wray Shoe store and Murdock McMurray's cordwood delivery business.

Biographical Notes: Murdock McMurray was born in Vancouver in 1892 to Wilhelmina May and Robert William McMurray. Other children in the family included older siblings John “Jack” and Margaret Lillian, younger siblings Minnie May born May 4, 1895 and Hampton born June 8, 1902. Murdock’s father Robert worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) but retired shortly after moving his family to Burnaby in 1906. He bought six acres of land of what had been previously the Gilley Ranch, the base of operations for Gilley Bros. Ltd. at 2519 Windsor Street (later renumbered and renamed to the 6400 block Imperial Street). Murdock McMurray quit school early to apprentice as a printer. By sixteen he had left the trade and gone into partnership with his older brother Jack. With a team of horses, harness and a wagon, the brothers helped to macadamize roads, haul building supplies for new homes, deliver cord wood for heating, clear land and excavate basements. When Jack McMurray set off to serve overseas during World War I as a driver in the engineer corps, Murdock bought his team of horses and continued working, mainly in the Deer Lake district. In 1916 Murdoch McMurray partnered with Emerson Doran, nephew of the owner of Doran's Mill to buy Edmonds Coal and Wood fuel yard. As everything was geared towards the war effort, Murdock and Emerson soon ran out of work and had to sell the business. Murdock sold off his horses and equipment and went to work at the ship yard on Pitt River. By 1919 Jack McMurray had returned home from overseas and was working as a fireman at the Shull Lumber and Shingle Mill on the Fraser River. In 1921, he and Murdock teamed up with Emerson Doran and repurchased the Edmonds Coal and Wood fuel yard which they ran together until 1947. Murdock McMurray married Lillian Wray on September 17, 1925. Lillian was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wray, who came to settle in the Jubilee area of Burnaby in 1919. The family lived on Dow Road and Edward Wray operated Jubilee Shoe Store and Post Office. He was known throughout the district as "Wray - The Shoe Man." Mrs. Wray died in 1957 at the age of eight-six and Edward Wray died January 14, 1967 at age of ninety-three. Murdock and Lillian lived at Inverness Street (now Arcola) and raised three children together, Bob, Jack and Bessie. Murdock McMurray died in New Westminster on April 28, 1985 at the age of ninety-two. Lillian Ethel (Wray) McMurray died in Burnaby on February 28, 1986 at the age of eighty-seven.

Total Tracks: 7

Total Length: 0:58:55

Interviewee Name: McMurray, Lillian Wray; McMurray, Murdoch

Interviewer Bio: Doreen "Pixie" (Johnson) McGeachie was a resident of Burnaby for over sixty years. Pixie married John Aloysius "Jack" McGeachie and raised their children Kathi (Dunlop) and David McGeachie in the house the couple built themselves in 1947. Pixie served as the editor for the Burnaby Examiner newspaper and wrote a column entitled "Burnaby History" for The News. In 1974 she authored her first book titled "Bygones of Burnaby" which was one of the first to develop anecdotal stories about pioneer life in Burnaby. She authored "Burnaby - A Proud Century" in 1992 and in 2002 she wrote a biography of the city's namesake in the book "Land of Promise: Robert Burnaby's letters from Colonial B.C." She also contributed many hours of volunteering; helping to establish Burnaby's first museum Heritage Village in 1971, serving as President of the Burnaby Historical Society from 1991-1993. She served a six year term on Burnaby's Heritage Commission leading the charge to preserve many historic sites throughout the city, and during her twenty years as the Community Archives volunteer archivist for the historical society, she succeeded in gathering thousands of rare and valuable historic photographs and documents which now forms the core of the photograph collection on the Heritage Burnaby website (as these items were donated by the Society to the City Archives in 2007). The City of Burnaby awarded Pixie McGeachie the Kushiro Cup as Citizen of the year in 2002. In 2006 she received a Heritage BC project award for leading the Friends of Interurban 1223 project, and in 2008 Heritage BC recognised her again by presenting her with the Ruby Nobb Award. John Aloysius "Jack" McGeachie died October 12, 1981 at the age of sixty-seven. Doreen "Pixie" (Johnson) McGeachie died August 14, 2010 at the age of eighty-nine. On 24 September, 2011, the City of Burnaby dedicated the reading at the City Archives in honour of Pixie and formally named it the Pixie McGeachie Reading Room in recognition of her years of service to the community.

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Oral history subseries

Media Type: Sound Recording

Web Notes: Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.

Images

Emerson Doran (left) and Murdoch McMurray, 1917. Item no. 229-004 thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track five of recording of interview with Lillian and Murdock McMurray

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS137-010/MSS137-010_Track_5.mp3

Albert and Walter Lewis

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38270

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [1905]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia ; 6.7 x 11.5 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of two men and a dog standing in front of a horse carrying a child on its back. The men are identified as Walter Lewis (right) and Albert Lewis (left). The child is unidentified and the location of the photograph is unknown.

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [1905]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Photographs subseries

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia ; 6.7 x 11.5 cm

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 377-001

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Accession Number: BHS2007-04

Scope and Content: Photograph of two men and a dog standing in front of a horse carrying a child on its back. The men are identified as Walter Lewis (right) and Albert Lewis (left). The child is unidentified and the location of the photograph is unknown.

Subjects: Animals - Horses; Animals - Dogs

Names: Lewis, Albert; Lewis, Walter

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Title based on caption

Images

Albert and Walter Lewis, [1905] thumbnail

Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36541

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [September 1907]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm

Scope and Content: Photographic postcard of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road to S…

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [September 1907]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: John DeForest subseries

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 293-002

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Accession Number: BHS1992-30

Scope and Content: Photographic postcard of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road to Sperling Avenue (built for this project and called Pole Line Road) and then south to this site at the corner of Griffiths and the old Central Park interurban line (later this section was called the Highland Park line). This substation was constructed to convert the alternating current being delivered from the Buntzen power plant to direct current for the operation of the tram cars operating on the Central Park interurban route. The new brick substation replaced the wood fed steam powered 1891 Powerhouse that operated south of this site, across the tracks until its closure on May 31,1905. It was demolised in the late 1920s. This brick substation originally known as the Burnaby Substation, eventually became known as the Newell Substation. The original brick building was replaced by a new structure in 1930, which was demolished in the 1960s in favour of the open field substation that continues to operate on the same site today at 7260 Griffiths Avenue.

Subjects: Buildings - Industrial - Powerhouses

Names: British Columbia Electric Railway Company

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Geographic Access: Griffiths Avenue

Historic Neighbourhood: Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Stride Avenue Area

Images

Burnaby Substation, [September 1907] thumbnail

Edison Road Power House

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36086

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1893 (date of original), copied November 26, 1975

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 14 cm print

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Edison Road Power House, of the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Co. Ltd., the first electric interurban street railway in North America. This power house stood between Vancouver Road (Kingsway) and the line to Vancouver. (Edison Road is now Griffiths Avenue).

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1893 (date of original), copied November 26, 1975

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Columbian Newspaper subseries

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 14 cm print

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 222-009

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Accession Number: BHS1989-19

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Edison Road Power House, of the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Co. Ltd., the first electric interurban street railway in North America. This power house stood between Vancouver Road (Kingsway) and the line to Vancouver. (Edison Road is now Griffiths Avenue).

Subjects: Buildings - Industrial - Powerhouses; Transportation - Electric Railroads

Names: Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Company

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Geographic Access: Griffiths Avenue; Kingsway

Historic Neighbourhood: Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Kingsway-Beresford Area

Images

Edison Road Power House, 1893 (date of original), copied November 26, 1975 thumbnail

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36542

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [September 1908]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm

Scope and Content: Photographic postcard of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Ha…

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [September 1908]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: John DeForest subseries

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 293-003

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Accession Number: BHS1992-30

Scope and Content: Photographic postcard of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road to Sperling Avenue (built for this project and called Pole Line Road) and then south to this site at the corner of Griffiths and the old Central Park interurban line (later this section was called the Highland Park line). This substation was constructed to convert the alternating current being delivered from the Buntzen power plant to direct current for the operation of the tram cars operating on the Central Park interurban route. The new brick substation replaced the wood fed steam powered 1891 Powerhouse that operated south of this site, across the tracks until its closure on May 31,1905. It was demolised in the late 1920s. This brick substation originally known as the Burnaby Substation, eventually became known as the Newell Substation. The original brick building was replaced by a new structure in 1930, which was demolished in the 1960s in favour of the open field substation that continues to operate on the same site today at 7260 Griffiths Avenue.

Subjects: Buildings - Industrial - Powerhouses

Names: British Columbia Electric Railway Company

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Geographic Access: Griffiths Avenue

Historic Neighbourhood: Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Stride Avenue Area

Images

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36543

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [September 1908]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm

Scope and Content: Photographic postcard of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Ha…

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [September 1908]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: John DeForest subseries

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 293-004

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Accession Number: BHS1992-30

Scope and Content: Photographic postcard of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road to Sperling Avenue (built for this project and called Pole Line Road) and then south to this site at the corner of Griffiths and the old Central Park interurban line (later this section was called the Highland Park line). This substation was constructed to convert the alternating current being delivered from the Buntzen power plant to direct current for the operation of the tram cars operating on the Central Park interurban route. The new brick substation replaced the wood fed steam powered 1891 Powerhouse that operated south of this site, across the tracks until its closure on May 31,1905. It was demolised in the late 1920s. This brick substation originally known as the Burnaby Substation, eventually became known as the Newell Substation. The original brick building was replaced by a new structure in 1930, which was demolished in the 1960s in favour of the open field substation that continues to operate on the same site today at 7260 Griffiths Avenue.

Subjects: Buildings - Industrial - Powerhouses

Names: British Columbia Electric Railway Company

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Geographic Access: Griffiths Avenue

Historic Neighbourhood: Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Stride Avenue Area

Images

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36544

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1907

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia ; 12 x 17cm, mounted on board 22 x 27 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road…

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1907

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: John DeForest subseries

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia ; 12 x 17cm, mounted on board 22 x 27 cm

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 293-005

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Accession Number: BHS1992-30

Scope and Content: Photograph of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road to Sperling Avenue (built for this project and called Pole Line Road) and then south to this site at the corner of Griffiths and the old Central Park interurban line (later this section was called the Highland Park line). This substation was constructed to convert the alternating current being delivered from the Buntzen power plant to direct current for the operation of the tram cars operating on the Central Park interurban route. The new brick substation replaced the wood fed steam powered 1891 Powerhouse that operated south of this site, across the tracks until its closure on May 31,1905. It was demolised in the late 1920s. This brick substation originally known as the Burnaby Substation, eventually became known as the Newell Substation. The original brick building was replaced by a new structure in 1930, which was demolished in the 1960s in favour of the open field substation that continues to operate on the same site today at 7260 Griffiths Avenue.

Subjects: Buildings - Industrial - Powerhouses

Names: British Columbia Electric Railway Company

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph; Photographer's handwritten note (on the negative causing it to show) on recto of photograph reads: "Burnaby Substation/ B.C.E.R.C/O"

Geographic Access: Griffiths Avenue

Historic Neighbourhood: Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Stride Avenue Area

Images

Interior of the Burnaby Substation, 1907 thumbnail

North Arm Dairy

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36475

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [1907]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.5 x 12.5 cm print

Scope and Content: Photograph of the North Arm Dairy, the Thrussell farm and family business. A young child is sitting on one of the horses that is harnessed to the dairy wagon. The other horse has no rider, but a girl is holding on to the riens and sitting in the dairy wagon. A man is standing beside the horse with …

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [1907]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Thrussell family subseries

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.5 x 12.5 cm print

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 275-007

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Accession Number: BHS1992-05

Scope and Content: Photograph of the North Arm Dairy, the Thrussell farm and family business. A young child is sitting on one of the horses that is harnessed to the dairy wagon. The other horse has no rider, but a girl is holding on to the riens and sitting in the dairy wagon. A man is standing beside the horse with the rider, holding his reins. Two cows are standing in front of the barn, along with a woman who is holding a child in her arms.

Subjects: Agriculture - Farms; Animals - Cows; Animals - Horses

Names: North Arm Dairy

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Geographic Access: Marine Drive; Nelson Avenue

Historic Neighbourhood: Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Big Bend Area

Images

Portable substation at the Fraser Valley branch

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36545

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1907

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia ; 17 x 12cm, mounted on board 27 x 22 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the interior of the portable "railcar" substation at the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Fraser Valley Branch.

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1907

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: John DeForest subseries

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia ; 17 x 12cm, mounted on board 27 x 22 cm

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 293-006

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Accession Number: BHS1992-30

Scope and Content: Photograph of the interior of the portable "railcar" substation at the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Fraser Valley Branch.

Subjects: Buildings - Industrial - Powerhouses

Names: British Columbia Electric Railway Company

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph; Photographer's handwritten note (on the negative causing it to show) on recto of photograph reads: "Burnaby Substation/ B.C.E.R.C/O"

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Murdock and Lillian McMurray interview November 17, 1975 - Track 5

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory247

Images

Audio Tracks

Albert and Walter Lewis

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38270

Images

Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36541

Images

Edison Road Power House

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36086

Images

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36542

Images

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36543

Images

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36544

Images

North Arm Dairy

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36475

Images

Portable substation at the Fraser Valley branch

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36545

Images

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Murdock and Lillian McMurray interview November 17, 1975 - Track 5

Images

Audio Tracks

Albert and Walter Lewis

Images

Burnaby Substation

Images

Edison Road Power House

Images

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

Images

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

Images

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

Images

North Arm Dairy

Images

Portable substation at the Fraser Valley branch

Images