History

The Malakwa Post Office 1911 1st Row: John Johnson 2nd Row: Erik Erikson, Halver Sederberg Back Row: Arthur Haycock, Charlie Hathaway, R.W. Bruhn, Alfred Hagstrom, Nellie Baynes, Mattie Baynes, Sarah Baynes

Back Row: Florence Anderson, Mable Mizon, Dominic Dempsey, Tom Dempsey, Helmar Erikson, Christopher Mizon Middle Row: Mary Dempsey, Weston Somerville, Selma Sederberg, Charles leBeau Front Row: Stanley Bossley, Gordon Coe, Stanley Coe, Mary Sederberg

Looks like Holland was featured in this play at the Malakwa Hall.

Thank you to Donna Jackson for this photo of the Malakwa United Church members photo taken in the 1930’s.

Paul Blais (5 years old standing on wood block) making sure that Bill and Jack Parkstrom saw the wood correctly with a MacGregor Drag Saw on the Anderson farm in 1928.

In 1952 Malakwa School doubled in size.  Craigellachie School closed and Craigellachie students were bussed to Malakwa School.

Carl Bertholm and Ken Boyes stand on the front porch of the Malakwa Store and Post Office.  The store was owned by Ken Boyes. Local residents purchased  groceries and animal feed.  Carl Bertholm worked at the store with Ken for many years.

Benjamin Franklin Somerville and Cora Emmeline Davis were married in Minn. in 1888.  Somerville Road is named after this couple.

A fish hatchery was built in 1929 at Taft.  The photo featured is of William F. Baxter surveying the completed ponds built behind a barn that housed the hatchery. Crew of workers at Taft hatchery.  W. F. Baxter front row middle Mike Somerville second left in second row.    

The Ladies Birthday Club celebrated birthdays for decades in Malakwa.  The birthday lady hosted the event and the ladies brought birthday cake and wonderful treats to be shared. In this photo: Back Row: Kay Ony, Brita Altin, Signe Frantz, Mrs. August Erikson, Elsie Parkstrom, Mrs. Gebert, Front Row: Mary Barnes, Billy Ony, Mrs. Otto Johnson.

In 1958 the Colony of B.C. celebrated its centennial.  The Colony of British Columbia was established in 1858.  At its creation it physically contstituted approximately half the  present day Province of British Columbia. Not included was Vancouver, Vancouver Island or regions east of the Rocky Mountains. To celebrated the occasion, Malakwa, Craigellachie and Taft residents…

Finished and open for business in 1958.  Pilcher’s Snackbar was a popular eating spot for locals and travellers alike.  The building is now the home of the Malakwa Café. l

1958 saw a new business built along Highway 1 in Malakwa.  Frank and Shirley Pilcher built a new snackbar.  It was the local hang-out for the teenagers!

Items that would not fit in the outgoing mailbag that was picked up by a moving train required the train to be stopped for pickup.  Here Carl Bertholm flags down the train to stop at the Malakwa crossing for an oversize parcel to be picked up.  The flag was also used to stop the passenger trains to…

Mail was picked up and delivered to Malakwa by train.  This photo shows Carl Bertholm hanging the last mailbag for a moving train to pick up.  The last mail delivered and picked up by train was in the summer of 1965.  Carl worked at the Malakwa General Store and Post Office.  After this delivery, mail…

The cemetery has been in Malakwa since 1926. It is now owned by the Malakwa Community Association and Roman Catholic Church.  The parcel is approximately 4 acres. The cemetery has been cared for by dedicated community members since it was developed. According to the Cemetery Board records Sid and Suna McLain were the earliest community…

Malakwa School bus.

On Wednesday, April 11,2001. Sandra Northway and our gifted/enrichment class met with Lilian Sugars. Lilian shared many interesting facts about her time spent teaching at Malakwa School and writing three books. The first book, “The Serpent’s Tail” was written in 1958 (our gifted/enrichment group used this book as a source for much of historical data collection)….