Sandon, British Columbia
Known in the 1890s as the Monte Carlo of North America, the City of Sandon lies in the Selkirk Mountain Range high in the heart of the Silvery Slocan. Famed for its unbelievably rich deposits of silver-lead ore, following the 1891 discovery of silver by Eli Carpenter and Jack Seaton, thousands of men soon filled the small valley almost to bursting.
In its heyday, Sandon boasted 29 hotels, 28 saloons, three breweries, one of the largest “red light districts” in Western Canada, many theatres and opera houses, a soft drink plant, a cigar factory, three sawmills, three churches, two newspapers, a schoolhouse, a hospital, and even a curling rink and a bowling alley. In addition, Sandon was home to over 5,000 people, including miners and millionaires, con men and gamblers, land speculators and “ladies of the evening.”
Read MoreIn its heyday, Sandon boasted 29 hotels, 28 saloons, three breweries, one of the largest “red light districts” in Western Canada, many theatres and opera houses, a soft drink plant, a cigar factory, three sawmills, three churches, two newspapers, a schoolhouse, a hospital, and even a curling rink and a bowling alley. In addition, Sandon was home to over 5,000 people, including miners and millionaires, con men and gamblers, land speculators and “ladies of the evening.”
