Historic Sites Around Terrace  

A.  House of Sim-Oi-Ghets: Our First Residents: The first residents to settle along the Skeena River over 5,000 years ago were the Tsimshian Indians, who developed a rich and varied culture based on the wealth of natural resources in the region.  The House of Sim-Oi-Ghets offers many items of traditional North Coast skills and arts designs.
B.  Grand Trunk Pacific Railway/Bridge:  The importance of the riverboat landings diminished with the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway between 1908 and 1914 from the Canadian Prairies to the Port of Prince Rupert.  This railway, which later became part of the Canadian National Railway network, was the principal mean of transportation into Terrace until the first road to the interior of the province was constructed in 1943.
C.  Eby’s Landing: The era of the Paddlewheelers:  The first of pioneer settlers came to the  Terrace area between 1889 and 1912, attracted by mining opportunities, land grants (pre-emptions) and rich farmland.  With no road or railway connections to the outside world, summer access was provided by shallow-draft steam powered paddlewheelers on the swift Skeena River.
Ca. Frank’s Pre-Emption and Dairy Farm:  Eby’s Landing on the Skeena River was the original staging point and Riverboat stop for hundreds of settlers who spread into the valley’s north and south of Terrace.  One of the early residents of the community at Eby’s Landing (which became knowen as Kitsumgallum was Henry Frank.  His original house, built of squared timers in 1908, is located south of the railway next to the Skeena River.  The large buildings on the site are the remnants of the dairy farm operated by Mr. Frank and his sons from 1910 to 1965.
D.  Pioneer Graveyard (1909):  The graveyard for the community of Kitsumgallum was donated in 1909 by “Dad” Weeks, who held the pre-emption on the benchland directly above Eby’s Landing.  The original trail from the Landing to the upper bench is located next to the graveyard.  Looking out across the valley, one can still see fields and remnants of orchards that are reminders of the importance of the Terrace area as an agricultural area in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
E.  Heritage Park and Museum & Lookout:  At Heritage Park Museum, a collection of original log construction buildings, built between 1910 and 1925, has been brought together in order to preserve a sampling of our heritage.  Each building has been carefully chosen to represent a distinct aspect of pioneer life and a different style of log architecture.  The main Kalum Lake Hotel Museum houses a large collection of local artifacts presented in historical context.  Just down the road is a viewpoint over the city.
F.  Little Park – The Village of Terrace:   With construction of the railway, a station site was needed in the Terrace area.  Although the community of Kitsumgallum was the most likely location, a businessman, George Little, donated land to the railroad company where the modern railroad station is now located.  The Village of Terrace grew up around this site.  Little Park was dedicated as part of the first sub-divisions in 1911 and is now the present site of our library art gallery and farmers market.
G.  Police Station:  The original Provincial Police station for the new community was constructed in 1912.  It still stands (virtually unchanged) at the corner of Kalum Street and Lakelse Avenue.
H.  Kalum School:  Built in 1914, the Kalum School building was located at a midway point between the new community of Terrace and the established settlement at Kitsumgallum.  The building is now used as a resource center for Terrace School District No. 88.
I.  Historic Downtown Terrace:  The settlement of Terrace grew rapidly after 1912 and soon outstripped the old community of Kitsumgallum.  Both settlements and much of the flat land around the village were included into one municipality in 1959.  The original Village of Terrace, incorporated in 1927, centered on a few hundred acres in today’s downtown district.  West of the police station, the 4600 block of stores contains many of the original buildings from the 1912 to 1940 era and a revitalization in 1984.
J.  The George Little House:  The stylish George Little house, built in 1914, was moved from Lakelse Avenue in the 1960’s to its present location on South Hall Street.  Large verandas, numerous windows and fine wood used in construction, typify this home.
K. & M.  Ferry Island and the Old Skeena Bridge:  Terrace was the supply center for pioneer settlements in the Kitsumkalum, Skeena and Lakelse Valleys.  Between 1908 and 1925, a ferry at Ferry Island (K) provided access to the east side of the Skeena River.  This was replaced by the Skeena Bridge (M), opened in 1925.  Both the bridge and Ferry Island were damaged by the dramatic flood of 1936, which also washed away hundreds of acres of prime farmland in lowland locations.
L. World War II Army Camp:  Terrace was a strategic military base for over 3,500 troops during World War II.Army buildings and installations can still be seen at the Terrace Airport and downtown locations such as the former Columbia Cellulose Ltd. Headquarters on Lakelse Avenue.  This company, granted Tree Farm License No. 1 in 1968, based its woods operations in Terrace and was one of the main factors causing an explosion of growth and development at Terrace in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
N.  George Little’s Sawmill:  Geoge Little had a sawmill located where Bargain Shop is today.
O.  Thornhill Landing:  This landing was named for Tom Thornhill.  He was the first white settler in the area, and married a Kitselas Princess.  They had no children.  It is interesting that his wife, Eliza, did most of the “man’s” work (hunting, farming, etc.), and Tom stayed home and did the “woman’s” work (cooking, sewing, etc.).

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