The Cranbrook History Centre gets some very interesting research requests. Some requests are straightforward and some are more difficult to solve, and this happens to be one of the latter.
We were sent the following two photographs in the hope that we might be able to determine where this homestead cabin (pictured below) could have been located in the Cranbrook area. The photos were taken in the spring of 1914 and include the Watts family plus some other people. Maybe some sharp-eyed reader of the Townsman has seen this photo before or even recognizes some of the other people it contains?
The people known to be in this photo are (front row, left to right) Lily Watts with young Lily Watts, who was born in Cranbrook, on her knee; Agnes Watts (holding rifle); unknown lady with child; Ernest Charles Watts with William Watts on knee. The names of the four gentlemen in the back row are unknown. It would appear that the Watts family abandoned this homestead in 1915.
Are you able to fill in any of the missing names or possible location of the homestead, which apparently was still standing in 1990s? Please contact the Cranbrook History Centre or dhumph@telus.net if you feel you can add any information.
