Author Description

<p>In tapping the rugged historical spirit of the East Kootenays, the authors have crafted an intriguing book which breathes of violence, strength and discovery.</p> <p>Two years of extensive research have gone into the writing of this book. It is the story of the pioneers of the East Kootenay district, and their struggle to survive through incredible hardships and setbacks. <i>East Kootenay Chronicle </i> relates the lives and times of such men as David Thompson, Colonel Baker, Father de Smet, Chief Isadore, William Baillie-Grohman, Edgar Dewdney, Colonel Steele, Father Coccola and others. It is a story of the Kootenay Indians; the first explorers and missionaries; the gold rush at Wild Horse Creek; the construction of the Dewdney Trail; and the beginnings of settlements like Fisherville, Fort Steele, Fernie and more. </p> <p> <i>East Kootenay Chronicle </i> covers a wide canvas, stretching across southern British Columbia from the Alberta border to Creston on Kootenay Lake. This is one of the most rugged regions of Canada. Big, swift rivers, steep valleys dark with heavy forest, gold-bearing streams, fabulous outcropping of valuable ores, dangerous coal mines-it is a region that tends to generate more tall tales and exciting stories than fact. Fortunately, history is not overshadowed by myth. </p>