Ever wonder where you got things like fresh milk, eggs and whipping cream living at Alta Lake in the early 1900s? Keep reading…
Originally from London, England, Alfred Barnfield caught his first glimpse of the Alta Lake area on his way to the Klondike gold fields from his home in Squamish in 1895. In 1903, he formed a prospecting group with other Englishmen called ‘The London Group’ that prospected in the Garibaldi/Black Tusk area. They are credited with the previous name of Whistler Mountain – London Mountain.
In 1905, Alfred returned to Alta Lake to settle 160 acres near the northeast end of Alta Lake. The same year, Daisy Hotchkiss arrived, riding on top of a wagonload of potatoes bound for a logging camp. Despite their vast age difference (she was 19 and he was 42), they married in 1910. By all accounts, it was a happy marriage, and they had four children – Fred, William, Vera and Charles.
The Barnfields worked hard to establish a dairy farm on their Alta Lake property. Within the next few years, the railway from North Vancouver extended up to Alta Lake, opening up a thriving tourist trade. In the right place at the right time, Alfred and his son became a familiar sight as they paddled a dugout canoe, delivering milk, cream and eggs to lakefront lodges. They also passed along the local news/gossip – the valley grapevine had begun.
By 1920, they had 14 cows supplying the local population with fresh milk. Rainbow Lodge was their biggest customer – our records indicate that their daily order consisted of 80 quarts of milk, four quarts of whipping cream, and two quarts of table cream!
In 1926, the Barnfields moved the farm south to Brackendale, but every summer they loaded cows and chickens onto the train and made the trek back to Alta Lake for the tourist season.
When London Mountain became Whistler Mountain everything changed. The focus shifted from Alta Lake’s fishing lodges to the mountain serviced by Creekside and eventually farther north to Whistler Village. Today, Barnfields is one of Whistler’s residential communities.
Things change, it’s not a bad thing, but who wouldn’t want fresh-from-local-cows milk delivered by canoe?
We couldn’t resist including this one last photograph taken on the Barnfield property at Alta Lake:
Whistorical is a real treat for those of us who enjoy our local history. Thanks and please keep up the good work.
Thank you very much Alan! It’s always great to hear from people who are enjoying our blog – puts a smile on our faces.
Alfred Pinneger BARNFIELD was my husbands great uncle.He was actually born ,and grew up ,in the village of Little Somerford,Wiltshire England.He appears on the 1911 census at home in Little Somerford,Wiltshire with wife Daisy ,living with his parents Edward and Anne BARNFIELD.His occupation is given as retired gold miner.
Thanks for the great info Linda! We didn’t have any record of A.P. Barnfield moving back to England for 1911, and are going to do some research to learn more. Do you have, or now of, any records aside from the 1911 British census?
Alfred Pinneger Barnfield was my great grandfather, and he was over in England on an 8 month honeymoon with my great grand mother Daisy, who he had married in August of 1910.They then returned to Squamish, were they lived the rest of their lives.
Hey Dave, Thanks for more insights into your family’s history!
I came across this site looking at old pictures of Whistler. We rented a little cabin at Alta lake in the late 60s from a woman named Daisy who lived in squamish. The cabin had no heat or electricity and the train tracks ran by the front. I am wondering if this is the same Daisy in this article. I have a picture of the cabin too. We were just two girls from Toronto making our way across Canada and ended up in Whistler! Thanks for any info!