Mapping Bowen Online Archival Exhibit
Late 1800s: The Land Ordinance Act
The Land Ordinance Act of 1870 allowed a male British subject over eighteen to pre-empt a plot of land for a minimum of four years. WJ Davies’ pre-emption claim on Lot 490 in Snug Cove was the first official pre-emption. Other early pre-emptions include Joseph Mannion’s in 1885 (Lot 492 at Tunstall Bay). 1889: Bowen…
Read MoreLate 1700s: European Naval Expeditions
Spanish explorer Captain Narveaz sailed across the entrance to Howe Sound in 1791 and named Bowen Island ‘Isla de Apodaca’ (Bowen Island became the official name in 1859). A year later, Captain George Vancouver arrived to visit and trade with local Natives. The first point of European contact marked the beginning of a major transition…
Read MorePre-1792: Pre-Contact
Part of Squamish Coast Salish territory, ‘Xwlil’xhwm’ (‘fast drumming ground’), was known as a neutral meeting ground for various Native groups. Early settlers remember a village (‘Qolelaqom’) at Snug Cove. Seasonal or not, Bowen Island was a major hunting and gathering ground for the Squamish, who had fish traps in Snug Cove, dug clams in…
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