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Gibsons The Family Behind the Name |
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Information and pictures courtesy of the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives, 716 Winn Road, Gibsons BC
THE FIRST EUROPEAN HOMESTEADER
Gibsons, along with Sechelt and Pender Harbour, is one of the three main population centres on the Sunshine Coast. It is often called "The Gateway to the Sunshine Coast". The Town derives its name from a man named George William Gibson, the first European to establish a homesite here.
In 1886 George, with his two sons George Jr. and Ralph, beached their hand-built sloop, the Swamp Angel, on the site at the entrance to Howe Sound that was to bear their name. George was seeking arable land to pre-empt. He liked this area so he and George Jr. each claimed 160 acres. Once established, George arranged for his wife Charlotte, their daughters and all their belongings to be transported to their new home.
THREE MEN NAMED GEORGE
Other land seekers began to arrive, some of whom were friends from Ontario where George lived prior to moving west. George Hopkins, after whom Hopkins Landing is named, arrived in 1906. F.C. Granthams settled at what would become Granthams Landing in 1909, George Soames of Soames Point in 1888 and Robinson Langdale in 1893. At first, because of the large blocks of land involved, the settlers were far apart and isolated, making it difficult for a community to develop. Only after all the available pre-emptions had been acquired could these large blocks of land be subdivided into smaller lots allowing the community that became Gibsons to establish and grow.
A COMMUNITY BUILT AROUND THE HARBOUR
As with all isolated coastal communities along the B.C. coast, a wharf was essential to provide access to the outside world and to enable supplies to be brought in. Knowing this, Gibson built a wharf very close to the site of the present day wharf and the community began to develop around this transportation centre. Logging, fishing, farming and agriculture were the main economic supports, but many still found it necessary to travel back and forth to Vancouver to make ends meet, a situation which continues today for a small percentage of the population.
A LASTING LEGACY
George and his wife Charlotte were a hard-working, intelligent and community-minded couple. They encouraged others to settle here and took pains to see that a community developed to serve their needs. They had eight children, two boys and six girls. Charlotte died in 1910, George in 1913. They are buried in what is now known as Pioneer Park but was originally the Gibson family cemetery, located at the head of the wharf where it all started.
GEORGE WILLIAM GIBSON
AGUSTA CHARLOTTE GIBSON NEE PURDEE
George William Gibson Sr. was born to a family of market gardeners in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. He ran away to sea at the age of twelve, eventually retiring from the Royal Navy as a lieutenant. Still young, George emigrated to North America, married Augusta Charlotte Purdee, and settled in Chatham, Ontario. The couple took up market gardening and met with success. Meanwhile, their family grew until there were eight children: George William (b. 1862), Eliza (b.1863), Mary Ann (b.1865), Ralph Henry (b.1868), Emma-Jane (b.1872), Charlotte "Lottie" Augusta (b.1865), Harriet Elizabeth (b.1878), and Ellen "Nellie" Matilda (b.1881).
But George wanted land of his own. He and his two sons headed west to pre-empt land on which to farm. The Gibsons passed through Vancouver before traveling to Nanaimo to look for a suitable place. Though they found nothing there, they did not give up the search. An acquaintance suggested they investigate visit Howe Sound; encouraged, the resourceful Gibsons built a small, flat-bottomed sloop on a Nanaimo beach, christened her the Swamp Angel, and set off. They crossed Shoal Channel the next day and landed at what is now Gibson's Landing, on the morning of May 24th, 1886. George Sr. liked what he saw, and at fifty-seven years of age, pre-empted District Lot 686. His son George Jr. staked D.L. 685; these two lots together covered much of what is now known as Lower Gibsons. Ralph chose to settle on Paisley Island.
George Sr. was very active in the community that developed here. He donated land for the Town's first school, and, after Charlotte's death in 1910, he donated land for a family cemetery and a Methodist church. The church is no longer standing, but the cemetery, located at the corner of School Road and Highway 101 can still be visited. Gibson also served as postmaster for several years. The settlement was named Gibson's Landing in 1907 in honour of this hardworking pioneer.
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