WEST KOOTENAY POWER & LIGHT CO LTD Stock SPECIMEN BC Hydroelectric Kootenay Riv.
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:9980630 |
West Kootenay Power & Light Company. Stock SPECIMEN. Incorporated in 1897 in BritishColumbia, Canada. 100 shares, Common stock. Dark-blue overprint. No signatures. Certificate is about 8” x 11”. Vignettedepicts a seated allegorical woman next to a hydroelectric plant and river.
Condition: Uncirculated, no folds, no creasing, no tears, very slight signs of any handling/wear/discoloration (see photos).Printer: Franklin-Lee Bank Note Company.
CompanyHistory:WestKootena...y Power and Light Company was incorporated in 1897. Its firstproject was to build a hydroelectric power station on the KootenayRiver near where it joins the Columbia River and then build atransmission line through the rugged terrain down river and up themountainsides to Rossland. This resulted in what was then the longestand highest voltage transmission line in the world. At 20, 000 volts, the line would set new Canadian transmission records and would be thefirst in the world through alpine terrain. The first hydro electricgenerators at Bonnington Falls supplied power to Rossland whichbecame a boomtown in the 1890s. About 7, 000 people set up residencein the alpine city along with 42 saloons, 17 law firms and 3breweries. More than $2 billion worth of gold and other ore wasproduced and processed at the foot of the mountain. The Bonnington toRossland project took just under a year, and on July 15, 1898, 500lights were shining in Rossland. West Kootenay Power and LightCompany's first general manager was Lorne Campbell, who was broughtin to supervise the installation of certain equipment at the LowerBonnington project. Upon its completion, he set in motion what becamea long range program to make full use of the Kootenay River'spotential. Construction of the Upper Bonnington Plant began in 1905and was later completed in 1907. The power plant project itselfincluded the largest single piece of concrete construction in BritishColumbia up to that time. WestKootenay Power and Light Company Ltd. (WKP&L) was founded in 1897in Rossland. The three founders were involved with the Centre StarMine. Oliver Durant and Patrick Largey were Americans. Durant was theGeneral Manager of the mine while Largey was the president. They werejoined by C R Hosmer, an investor in the mine. Hosmer was the managerof the CPR telegraph system and the town of Hosmer in the EastKootenay is named after him. He was well connected and sat on theboards of some of Canada's most prestigious companies. The twoAmericans would not last long in the company. Largey was murdered ata bank he owned in Butte, Montana in January 1898. Durant would serveas WKP&L's first president from 1897-1898. When the Centre Starmine was sold to Toronto interests in September 1898, Durant who wassuffering poor health decided to retire to a mansion in Spokane andby 1900 had sold all his interests in WKP&L. WKP&L looked toharness electricity at the falls on Sheep Creek not far fromRossland. This vision would change during a meeting and drinks at theCentre Star mine office. Sir Charles Ross, a Scotsman, and WilliamDoull from a wealthy family in Nova Scotia had formed a similarlynamed company Kootenay Power & Light but were looking atelectrical generation on the Kootenay River. Bonnington Falls wasnamed by Sir Charles Ross after a waterfall, Bonnington Linn, on theRiver Clyde on his Scottish estate. The two groups formed analliance. Ross had studied mechanical engineering at Cambridge andwould oversee the construction of the power plant at Lower BonningtonFalls and the transmission line to Rossland. Ross grew bored of dayto day management and in January 1898 hired Lorne Campbell ofCanadian Electric to oversee the completion of the project. LorneCampbell would leave Canadian Electric and became general manager ofWKP&L in May 1898, a position he would hold until his death in1947. WKP&L would bring power to Rossland by mid-July 1898. Thetransmission line would be a first for North America, a long distanceline of 32 miles. The power house at Lower Bonnington had twogenerators and a third would be added in 1899. Ross would bepresident of WKP&L from 1898 to 1903. However, he was rarely inthe area. He was negotiating deals in China and Russia, and was inSouth Africa fighting in the second Boer war in 1900. He designed arifle and built a factory in Connecticut, eventually relocating toQuebec City after he was awarded a contract by the government ofCanada in 1902. The Ross Rifle Mark III was issued to Canadian troopsduring WW1. The rifle was not designed for the dirty conditions oftrench warfare. It was largely abandoned in favour of the British LeeEnfield though Allied snipers preferred the Ross.
PAYMENTAND SHIPPING Please read certificate description details shown above before bidding. Please contact me with any questions before bidding. Payment by PayPal only. Shipping within the U.S. is by USPS First Class Mail ($4.00 for packages weighing 13 ounces or less) – shipping for packages weighing over 13 ounces will be shown on your invoice. If another shipping method is requested, a revised invoice will be sent. International buyers need to wait for my invoice before paying. Combined shipping cost will be offered for multiple items won – please wait for invoice before paying, or if specific shipping method or insurance is requested. Multiple items will be shipped together in one package. All packages will be shipped with certificates placed in plastic sleeves with cardboard backing and marked “Do Not Bend”. I do not profit on shipping costs charged. Items typically shipped within two days of payment.RETURNSAND GUARANTEE: Buyer satisfaction and authenticity of certificate is guaranteed – returns are accepted with 14 days of purchase (buyer pays return shipping cost unless item received is not as described in this listing). All certificates are originals – no reproductions.
Condition: Uncirculated, no folds, no creasing, no tears, very slight signs of any handling/wear/discoloration (see photos).Printer: Franklin-Lee Bank Note Company.
CompanyHistory:WestKootena...y Power and Light Company was incorporated in 1897. Its firstproject was to build a hydroelectric power station on the KootenayRiver near where it joins the Columbia River and then build atransmission line through the rugged terrain down river and up themountainsides to Rossland. This resulted in what was then the longestand highest voltage transmission line in the world. At 20, 000 volts, the line would set new Canadian transmission records and would be thefirst in the world through alpine terrain. The first hydro electricgenerators at Bonnington Falls supplied power to Rossland whichbecame a boomtown in the 1890s. About 7, 000 people set up residencein the alpine city along with 42 saloons, 17 law firms and 3breweries. More than $2 billion worth of gold and other ore wasproduced and processed at the foot of the mountain. The Bonnington toRossland project took just under a year, and on July 15, 1898, 500lights were shining in Rossland. West Kootenay Power and LightCompany's first general manager was Lorne Campbell, who was broughtin to supervise the installation of certain equipment at the LowerBonnington project. Upon its completion, he set in motion what becamea long range program to make full use of the Kootenay River'spotential. Construction of the Upper Bonnington Plant began in 1905and was later completed in 1907. The power plant project itselfincluded the largest single piece of concrete construction in BritishColumbia up to that time. WestKootenay Power and Light Company Ltd. (WKP&L) was founded in 1897in Rossland. The three founders were involved with the Centre StarMine. Oliver Durant and Patrick Largey were Americans. Durant was theGeneral Manager of the mine while Largey was the president. They werejoined by C R Hosmer, an investor in the mine. Hosmer was the managerof the CPR telegraph system and the town of Hosmer in the EastKootenay is named after him. He was well connected and sat on theboards of some of Canada's most prestigious companies. The twoAmericans would not last long in the company. Largey was murdered ata bank he owned in Butte, Montana in January 1898. Durant would serveas WKP&L's first president from 1897-1898. When the Centre Starmine was sold to Toronto interests in September 1898, Durant who wassuffering poor health decided to retire to a mansion in Spokane andby 1900 had sold all his interests in WKP&L. WKP&L looked toharness electricity at the falls on Sheep Creek not far fromRossland. This vision would change during a meeting and drinks at theCentre Star mine office. Sir Charles Ross, a Scotsman, and WilliamDoull from a wealthy family in Nova Scotia had formed a similarlynamed company Kootenay Power & Light but were looking atelectrical generation on the Kootenay River. Bonnington Falls wasnamed by Sir Charles Ross after a waterfall, Bonnington Linn, on theRiver Clyde on his Scottish estate. The two groups formed analliance. Ross had studied mechanical engineering at Cambridge andwould oversee the construction of the power plant at Lower BonningtonFalls and the transmission line to Rossland. Ross grew bored of dayto day management and in January 1898 hired Lorne Campbell ofCanadian Electric to oversee the completion of the project. LorneCampbell would leave Canadian Electric and became general manager ofWKP&L in May 1898, a position he would hold until his death in1947. WKP&L would bring power to Rossland by mid-July 1898. Thetransmission line would be a first for North America, a long distanceline of 32 miles. The power house at Lower Bonnington had twogenerators and a third would be added in 1899. Ross would bepresident of WKP&L from 1898 to 1903. However, he was rarely inthe area. He was negotiating deals in China and Russia, and was inSouth Africa fighting in the second Boer war in 1900. He designed arifle and built a factory in Connecticut, eventually relocating toQuebec City after he was awarded a contract by the government ofCanada in 1902. The Ross Rifle Mark III was issued to Canadian troopsduring WW1. The rifle was not designed for the dirty conditions oftrench warfare. It was largely abandoned in favour of the British LeeEnfield though Allied snipers preferred the Ross.
PAYMENTAND SHIPPING Please read certificate description details shown above before bidding. Please contact me with any questions before bidding. Payment by PayPal only. Shipping within the U.S. is by USPS First Class Mail ($4.00 for packages weighing 13 ounces or less) – shipping for packages weighing over 13 ounces will be shown on your invoice. If another shipping method is requested, a revised invoice will be sent. International buyers need to wait for my invoice before paying. Combined shipping cost will be offered for multiple items won – please wait for invoice before paying, or if specific shipping method or insurance is requested. Multiple items will be shipped together in one package. All packages will be shipped with certificates placed in plastic sleeves with cardboard backing and marked “Do Not Bend”. I do not profit on shipping costs charged. Items typically shipped within two days of payment.RETURNSAND GUARANTEE: Buyer satisfaction and authenticity of certificate is guaranteed – returns are accepted with 14 days of purchase (buyer pays return shipping cost unless item received is not as described in this listing). All certificates are originals – no reproductions.
