Antique glass bottles. A 1969 Playboy magazine. Magic cards. A vintage sign.
These are among the quirkier items emerging from the rubble at a downtown Chilliwack site.
Crews have been dismantling buildings on a four-acre site ahead of the phased construction, while retaining fa莽ades B次元官网网址� and a few historic finds.
Jarrett Enns, construction lead for Algra Bros., has been supervising commercial sites for years.
B次元官网网址淏ut this is one is different because we are dealing with much older buildings,B次元官网网址� Enns.
TheyB次元官网网址檝e found some really cool vintage pieces, some from an old Woolworths store, and others from a building that once housed the Imperial Theatre.
B次元官网网址淔rom the walls weB次元官网网址檝e stripped off layers and layers,B次元官网网址� Enns said.
B次元官网网址淚t seems that back in the day people werenB次元官网网址檛 too concerned about recycling or not littering because they would just sort of leave stuff in the walls, under the floor, on the roof. Anywhere.B次元官网网址�
Some items havenB次元官网网址檛 seen the light of day for decades B次元官网网址� or more than a century.
One of the buildings coughed up an ancient posterboard with paint chips in drab colours like slate, yellow, red, or dark slate, as well as choices for varnishes and stains.
| Some early paint and varnish colours to choose from.(Jennifer Feinberg/The Progress) |
They found things more on the surface initially, such as in cupboards, back rooms, or on shelves.
B次元官网网址淏ut now at this stage weB次元官网网址檙e getting into the real guts of it,B次元官网网址� Enns said.
Digging deep they came up with old tools, and lots of trash, like some empty tomato tins under the floor joists.
B次元官网网址淢ost of it we think they were just trying to dispose of as they were building,B次元官网网址� he said, B次元官网网址渂ut in other cases we think they were definitely trying to hide stuff.B次元官网网址�
The June 1969 edition of Playboy might fit the bill. The vintage magazine, with a rather tame cover by todayB次元官网网址檚 standards, was discovered tucked away inside a furnace equipment room.
Algra has also been posting images for all to enjoy on their DowntownChilliwack Instagram account.
One of them is a well-preserved sign for a tailorB次元官网网址檚 shop from the 40s that was being used as a shim in the ceiling of the old theatre building.
| A sign for the Central Tailor Shop |
Several empty bottles were brought up from the depths. They once contained alcohol, ink or herbal medicines.
One of them still had some oozy brown residue in it. It dates back to 1910-20, with the words B次元官网网址渕edicineB次元官网网址� in relief alongside B次元官网网址淟ydia E. Pinkham.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been learning a lot more about glass bottles than I ever imagined,B次元官网网址� said Jon Kinneman, marketing and artdirector for Algra Bros. B次元官网网址淛ust trying to figure out the connections, and how old they are and when they couldhave been put there.B次元官网网址�
Certain characteristics can help date the bottles, like makersB次元官网网址� marks.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 fascinating what you can find out about a silly little bottle,B次元官网网址� Kinneman said.
The old bottle contained a herbal tonic from a company founded by Lydia E. Pinkham, which specialized in a vegetable compound to treat myriad B次元官网网址渇emale complaints.B次元官网网址�
There were also several B次元官网网址楳cdonaldB次元官网网址檚 Nightcap ScotchB次元官网网址� bottles found, which apparently was a pretty popular libation in the U.S. during the 1920-33 when alcohol prohibition was in effect.
B次元官网网址淲e found about two dozen in the floor. Someone was really enjoying those,B次元官网网址� Enns said.
They have no real clue why the empty tin cans and booze bottles ended up under the floors. Under the floor joists of one of the buildings, they found what they think is rusted shaving brush and a chisel.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think anyone has touched this stuff since the late 1920s,B次元官网网址� Enns said.
One of the buildings used to house ChilliwackB次元官网网址檚 oldest theatre, The Imperial Theatre. Phyllis Martin, a teenager sent a message to the world by penning it onto a wooden two-by-four frame, that they removed from the theatre building and kept.
| Phyllis Martin left a message for Chilliwack in 1924 |
The next year, Miss Martin had the honour of winning the coveted prize for B次元官网网址渕ost improvement shown in arithmaticB次元官网网址� by any student in the entrance class, according to the Progress in 1925. A B次元官网网址済old eversharpB次元官网网址� pencil was her prize.
Other finds? A Beautiful British Columbia magazine from the 80s was still in good shape, and a vintage 1970s GEclock radio, as well as pack of cards labelled B次元官网网址淪vengaliB次元官网网址檚 Magic Cards.B次元官网网址�
The concept of connecting a community to its history through redevelopment comes up in this Algra Bros. description of their ambitious project: B次元官网网址淭his isnB次元官网网址檛 a mall or a shopping centre.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the cityB次元官网网址檚 downtown being rediscovered, reimagined, rebuilt and reconnected. Chilliwack is back B次元官网网址� be a part of it.B次元官网网址�
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