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Sept 23/2010

Geocache Activity 865

FIND 799

IDENTIFICATION

GC1HTYG

Forgotten Pioneer Cemetery

N 50° 16.046 W 119° 17.160

Difficulty 2.5; Terrain 1; size micro; Creator: Groundhog & Shadow Date First Hidden: 11/06/2008 Date Last Found: 9/6/2010
Vernon BC

Description
Located in Pioneer Park, a dog friendly park, this micro holds a logbook, pencil and small trading items. The cache location is quite interesting, but you will feel like you are in "Muggle Square" when looking for this cache as the park is surrounded by apartments and houses. Luckily it would not be unusual for someone to spend some time lingering and looking closely at where the GPS takes you, so you probably won't arouse too much curiosity. You could always take a large piece of paper and wax crayon/pencil to pretend you are doing a rubbing. Retrieving the cache shouldn't be too difficult, but replacing it exactly as you found it will be a little more difficult to do -- BUT it is important to do so, to keep it hidden from muggles! Now for the history . . . Luc Girouard, a gold miner lured north in 1860 from California by reports of gold findings at Cherry Creek, and the first pioneer or permanent white settler in the Vernon area, donated this .52 acre plot of land in the 1880's for the purpose of a public cemetery. Luc was also Vernon's first orchardist and post master (post office was in his cabin) and was later interred here in 1895. This cemetery existed from 1886 to 1902, and was originally called VERNON PUBLIC CEMETERY, then OLD PIONEER CEMETERY, and finally OLD KAMLOOPS ROAD CEMETERY. All graves from this cemetery were transferred to the main cemetery on Pleasant Valley Road. However, some gravestones still remain at what is now known as Pioneer Park. One of the headstones reads: CAMERON Clara Died Dec 17, 1900 "Wife of W.F. CAMERON” (etched granite stone) A tidbit more of history: Clara was the wife of Vernon's first Mayor, W. F. Cameron (1893) and thanks to her tireless fundraising efforts, Vernon Jubilee Hospital opened its doors to patients in late 1897. Named Vernon Jubilee Hospital in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the Hospital was always referred to as the "Cottage Hospital." It opened with sixteen beds and the rates were set at $1.50 per day for a public ward and $2.00 per day for a private room. There was no indoor plumbing. The Camerons had built one of Vernon's first stores prior to 1887 and in 1892 they built a two story building to replace it, using the second floor for council meetings, a community hall and for a time -- a school.

Hint

Comments

PLANNING

This was our first full day in Vernon. I had the afternoon to myself to do some geocaching so made a list of 14 geocaches and headed out to see what would happen.

OUTCOME

2:50 PM This was my 10th search of the day.

Here is my posting to the geocaching.com website:

Great piece of history. Nice hide! SL. TFTC.

Here are a few photos:

appraoching the cache area

cache site

container attached to stick

close-up of one stone

I am now 9/10 for today.

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GC1HTYG	Forgotten Pioneer Cemetery	N 50° 16.046 W 119° 17.160
	Difficulty 2.5; Terrain 1; size micro; Creator: Groundhog & Shadow Date First Hidden: 11/06/2008 Date Last Found: 9/6/2010	Vernon BC
Description	Located in Pioneer Park, a dog friendly park, this micro holds a logbook, pencil and small trading items. The cache location is quite interesting, but you will feel like you are in "Muggle Square" when looking for this cache as the park is surrounded by apartments and houses. Luckily it would not be unusual for someone to spend some time lingering and looking closely at where the GPS takes you, so you probably won't arouse too much curiosity. You could always take a large piece of paper and wax crayon/pencil to pretend you are doing a rubbing. Retrieving the cache shouldn't be too difficult, but replacing it exactly as you found it will be a little more difficult to do -- BUT it is important to do so, to keep it hidden from muggles! Now for the history . . . Luc Girouard, a gold miner lured north in 1860 from California by reports of gold findings at Cherry Creek, and the first pioneer or permanent white settler in the Vernon area, donated this .52 acre plot of land in the 1880's for the purpose of a public cemetery. Luc was also Vernon's first orchardist and post master (post office was in his cabin) and was later interred here in 1895. This cemetery existed from 1886 to 1902, and was originally called VERNON PUBLIC CEMETERY, then OLD PIONEER CEMETERY, and finally OLD KAMLOOPS ROAD CEMETERY. All graves from this cemetery were transferred to the main cemetery on Pleasant Valley Road. However, some gravestones still remain at what is now known as Pioneer Park. One of the headstones reads: CAMERON Clara Died Dec 17, 1900 "Wife of W.F. CAMERON” (etched granite stone) A tidbit more of history: Clara was the wife of Vernon's first Mayor, W. F. Cameron (1893) and thanks to her tireless fundraising efforts, Vernon Jubilee Hospital opened its doors to patients in late 1897. Named Vernon Jubilee Hospital in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the Hospital was always referred to as the "Cottage Hospital." It opened with sixteen beds and the rates were set at $1.50 per day for a public ward and $2.00 per day for a private room. There was no indoor plumbing. The Camerons had built one of Vernon's first stores prior to 1887 and in 1892 they built a two story building to replace it, using the second floor for council meetings, a community hall and for a time -- a school.
Hint
Comments