Herbert Walton Young

- notes from his son Herbert Walton Young

Being the second youngest, he spent the earliest years with the family in and around Winnipeg. In the late nineties, he must have headed out westward. Along with a friend, had obtained a contract to shingle the wooden Howe Truss (a type of bridge construction) bridges for the then Trans Continental railway branch lines and worked their way across the country. He arrived and stayed for some time in Grand Forks BC and was involved in the construction of the dam on the North Kettle river for the then building Grandby Copper Smelter to serve the mine at Phoenix. He was also involved in the workings and retained his interest in the Maple Leaf Mine with his to be brother-in-law, Ab Fee, till 1920 when it was wound up. There must have been quite an influx of the Young connection at or around the turn of the century, to Grand Forks and surroundings:

- Uncle Allan and Aunt Ebbie Young, their eldest son, Edward arrived in this world without much warning. Though registered birth in Grand Forks he always contended he was born in Washington.

- Uncle Ebenezer and Aunt Jennie (Young) Barron, probably the first

- Uncle Alfred and Aunt Mary Young

- Grandma Sarah and Grandpa Michael Young

The Barrons, Alfred, and Herbert, all bought adjoining acreages. The Barrons established quite a farming operation. Alfred held his property for many years but did not develop it.

Herbert cleared his property of virgin timber and built a large house. It became the home for Michael and Sarah ahd his Sister Lavisa. Herbert having met and engaged to Sarah Fee went to North Vancouver before marriage and obtained employment building for the leading developer at that time. He built his first home in North Vancouver on Lonsdale Ave. and 21^st Street and moved in with his bride in 1904. He was active in church and civic affairs and continued with residential and commercial building. One of which, the 1910 Lonsdale School is still in use. In the big slump of 1913, he managed to sell our and moved back to Grand Forks and was active in mining endeavors and buildings. Here the family grew up. Early years on the little farm in house which had been home to our Grandparents and Aunt Visa for many years. Then in the twenties, as the mine hadn't turned out, moved back to North Van till the depression made it impossible to collect for work done, just moved out to the Cariboo or more exactly to Lac La Hache, where I believe Bill and Jim Young visited the Forks via the Cariboo trail on bicycles.

Sarah Catherine Ann (Fee) Young

- notes from her son Herbert Walton Young

Born Round Plain (before province of Saskatchewan) 1885. Youngest of family of six with five brothers.

Parents George Fee married Margaret (Johnson) Fee

Moved from Ontario and homesteaded at Round Plain were Sarah was born. George Fee built a stone church on the homestead for the Presbyterian congregation, a few years back was still there. During the Reil Rebellion (2^nd in 1885), they were continuously informed that any morning their throats could be cut. Having survived, Grandpa Fee's next project was off to greener pastures, leaving Grandma Fee more or less on her own with a young family. But Grandpa Fee now had found the Oasis, Colville, Washington, so Grandma and family were destined to follow. Uncle Ab, the oldest at 14 years of age, and Sadie an infant, accompanied by a nephew, probably 18 at most, set out for the new home by covered wagon with all their worldly in tow. Fording rivers, Uncle Ab nearly lost his life having been swept into swift water with his team and wagon; losing a lot of their supplies but survived to carry on. They used the railway tracks at times through rough country with nephew riding ahead to flag down the trains. Miraculously made it to the new location but sans most of their belongings, only to have Grandpa about to take off again. This, however, was a short hop to Grand Forks. Here Grandma put down the anchorage and the family grew up, in a good house that Grandpa built, though he soon had to move on again and with the second oldest son finally settled in Red Deer. Grandma and youngest son moved to the coast and set up home near Herb and Sadie.

Sarah Catherine Ann (Fee) Young
- notes from her nephew William Herbert Young

She's the last of the Young's or their wives (of this family generation). And her laughing ways. Always smiling. Did I ever tall you, as she told us, that when she was about 13 years old (about 1900), her dad had left their home in Saskatchewan, near the Manitoba line, and located (homesteaded?) in Grand Forks BC. He wrote the family to join him. Her oldest brother, about 16 or 17, very little money. So they hooked up the team to wagon. The two boys rode saddle horses. They had a ball for 3 months on the road. Made all their own bread and did their washing on lay-over days - horses pastured out. Forded rivers and once used a railroad trestle. … about 7 children in their family. And how Aunt Sadie could remember the more pleasant incidents of The Trip - and laugh.

Route through mountains probably by Crows Nest Pass route, since Crowsnest Pass agreement had been signed by CPR and Canadian government in 1897 to build a railway line from Lethbridge to Nelson BC.