Aiyansh BC

2 miles down the Nass (Naas) River
from the Nisga'a Native village of Gitlakdamiks

Gitlaxt'aamiks or New Aiyansh is a Nisga'a Village
about 100 km north of Terrace,
in the heart of the Nass River valley, Canada

"Old Aiyansh"
Rev. James Benjamin McCullagh's house at the back by itself
I believe this is all gone with floods now.
Nass River in foreground

1914
C. C. Perry- Indian Agent for the Nass Agency
Charles Clifton Perry
b- Apr 18, 1882 Tiverton, England
d- Aug 5, 1955, Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria, BC.
son of Thomas Perry, and Rhoda Vickery
Indian Agent at Metlakahtla
Retired as Assistant Commissioner for Indian Affairs in 1936.
married Catherine Jane nee Manson, Oct 20, 1910 in Nanaimo BC
b- 1882, Nanaimo BC
d- 1943
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Manson

Constable Phillipson in charge- (see below)
His Headquarters was in Prince Rupert

1916
Access was by steamer to Naas Harbour,
then via motor boat.
or by Kitsumkalum Telegraph Trail,
Wagon road, 18 miles, and then Pack Trail 45 miles.
Ferry Crosses River at Aiyansh

They had a Dominion Government Telegraph Station,
Arthur Featherstone Priestley's Store,
a School,
Church,- Rev J. B. McCullagh (see below)
Directory showed W. McCullagh

Trail Communication with Kitwancool,
Kitwangar, Alice Arm, and Stewart, via Meziadin Lake

Albert Ernst Ferris- Miner
b- abt 1862 in NB
d- Apr 9, 1939 in Prince Rupert, age 73
age 59 in 1921, Woodsman, Seal Cove, Prince Rupert

T. R. R. Free- Gas Engineer
F. C. L. Gordon- Policeman
Dennys Bryan M. Jackson- Farmer, Grease Harbour

Frederick Ernest "Fred" Juggins- Miner
b- Mar 27, 1883, in Solihull, Warwickshire, England (age 43 when he married)
d- Oct 23, 1942, Mead Spokane Co, WA, USA
Immigrated in 1894
son of Ambrose Juggins and Caroline Wagstaff
married Mrs. Elizabeth Muriel Garlach, nee Haycock, June 19, 1918, Vancouver BC
b- Salford ON (age 23 when she married) (a widow)
daughter of John Haycock and Margaret James

Mitchell Robertson- Farmer, Grease Harbour
George Schech- Farmer
W. Stewart
J. Studdy- Miner
J. A. Whalen- Logger
H. Worrell- Cook
J. A. Wynnes- Carpenter

1923
Government Pre-Emption Reserve extends for 25 miles
2 miles either side of the river.
population 41 non-native, and 260 natives.

Residents
Pat Calvin- Farming, Aiyansh
H. Derby- Farming
S. C. Gordon- Farming
Frank Hoeft- Farming
John Nelson- Farming, Aiyansh
Nels Olsen- Farming, Grease Harbour
Jonathan Joseph Phillips- Farming, Tseax

Arthur Featherstone Priestley
- General Store- Sub-Recorder Mines, and PM (see below)

Benjamin Franklin Spencer
- Farming, Grease Harbour
b- possibly Metlakatla
d- Oct 16, 1940, in Aiyansh, age 77

Ewan John Butler Studdy
- Telegraph Operator, Grease Harbour
b- Dec 31, 1879, in England
d- Aug 27, 1955 North Cowichan, age 75
son of ? Studdy and ? Needham
married Dorothy Walford-Gosnell

Rev. Oliver Thorne
- Anglican Mission
He took over the mission at Aiyansh from Rev McCullagh

J. Vetter- Farmer (wrong initial in directory)
1935, Charles Vetter, farmer, married
Charles E. Vetter
b- 1863 in Ohio, USA,
Age 53 , Aug 24, 1916 when family arrived in Vancouver
d- Sept 30, 1942, in Fairview, Prince Rupert, age 80
son of George and Hanna Vetter, both born in Germany
married to Margaret Vetter, nee Fraser
b- May 14, 1868, in Scotland,
Age 48, Aug 24, 1916 when family arrived in Vancouver
d- Dec 31, 1948, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver BC, age 80
buried in Mt. View Cemetery, Vancouver BC
daughter Lillias Swanson Vetter
b- ca 1907, in Canada
age 9, Aug 24, 1916 when family arrived in Vancouver
d- May 17, 1923, in Aiyansh, age 15
Vetter Falls named after Charles Vetter Family

August Weber- (Webber?) Farming
George Wohlschlegel- Farming
John Alfred Wynes- Farming, Aiyansh

Name of Office: Aiyansh

Federal Electoral District: Comox - Atlin (BC)

Office Opened- Aug 1, 1912
name change- Upper Naas- Jan 1, 1916
closed May 15, 1918

Postmaster Information:

Name of Postmaster	Date of Appointment	Date of Vacancy	Cause of Vacancy
Arthur Featherstone Priestley	Aug 8, 1912	-1918	Resignation- closed

This reproduction is NOT represented as an official version of the materials reproduced,
nor as having been made in affiliation with,
or with the endorsement of the National Archives of Canada.
The source of this material is the National Archives of Canada

Arthur Featherstone Priestley- Farmer
b- Sept 22, 1887, Newport, Isle of Wight, England
d- Oct 6, 1987, Sandringham Hospital, Victoria BC, age 100
enlisted in WWI, Dec 27, 1917, Prince Rupert BC
living in Upper Naas BC
Reg # 2137821, Private
May 16, 1919 he was heading from Halifax to Victoria
son of Joshua Priestley, Solicitor, b- Isle of Wight, England
mother- Louisa Featherstone, b- Burslem, England
married Melita Mary McCullagh, July 14, 1910 in Holy Trinity Church, Aiyansh
b- age 25, 11 mo in 1910, in BC
d- bef Oct 1987
daughter of James B. McCullagh, Missionary,
who performed the wedding ceremony, see above

Office moved from Aiyansh to Upper Naas
6 miles above on the Naas River

Name of Office: Aiyansh

Federal Electoral District: Skeena (BC)

Dates:

Establishment Re-openings	Closings
1917-05-01	1961-08-04
1964-02-01	-

Summer-Winter:

Date Opened	Date Closed
1950-10-01	1951-06-16
1951-11-01	1952-06-13
1952-10-16	1953-06-15
1953-10-20	1954-05-23
1954-10-18	1955-06-07
1955-10-24	1956-05-31
1956-10-25	1957-05-21
1957-10-21	1958-05-29
1958-10-21	1959-04-12
1959-12-08	1960-03-31

Postmaster Information:

Name of Postmaster	Military Status	Date of Appointment	Date of Vacancy	Cause of Vacancy
Albert John Phillipson (see below)		1917-05-01	1918-01-03	Non-residence of postmaster
Rev. James Benjamin McCullagh (see below)		1918-01-05	1920-04-15	Resignation
Arthur Featherstone Priestley (see above)	OAS	1920-06-05	1930-10-28	Resignation
Charles Herald Gray (see below)	OAS	1930-12-01	1942-07-07	Resignation
John Thomas McCabe (see below)	OAS	1942-08-10	Acting	-
"	"	1942-11-16	1944-03-06	Resignation
Charles Herald Gray (see below)	OAS	1944-04-12	1944-08-16	Resignation
Mrs Martha Kinley, nee Burton (see below)		1944-08-16	Acting	-
"		1944-10-03	1954-06	Resignation
Roderick Anthony Robinson		1954-10-18	1957-09-27	Resignation
Roger Mercer		1957-10-21	Acting	-
"		1958-12-31	1959-03-29	Death
Roddy Vincent Tait		1959-12-08	Acting	-
"		1960-04-01	1961-10-28	Resignation
Douglas McIntyre		1964-02-01	1966-02-23	Resignation
Mrs Lilian Pearl Munson		1966-04-14	Acting	-
"		1966-05-25	1967-09-14	Resignation
Miss Clara Janet Innes		1967-10-17	Acting	-
"		1967-12-04	1968-04-08	*
Nash Service Centre Co. Ltd		1968-04-09	Acting	Temporarily closed
Mrs Louise P. Nisyok		1969-03-25	-	-

Additional Information:

Location - Naas River - 70 miles north of Terrace B.C. - 1964-02-01
Note - 1960-04-01 status changed to year-round office.
Other employment - Accounting - 1966-06-11
Status - Year round - 1960-04-01
Status - Year-round - 1917-05-01 - Winter office - 1950-10-01

Albert John Phillipson
b- bet Jan-Mar 1879, Waterford, Ireland
d- May 26, 1939 in Prince Rupert BC, age 60
Immigrated in 1904 per 1921 census
I show a Albert Phillipson came to Canada on the Tunisian, Aug 1906, age 25, Farmer
buried in Masonic section, Fairview Cemetery, Prince Rupert.
Dominion Constable at Aiyansh when he was married, age 35
son of Edward Phillipson, Farmer
ca July 1911 he was a Sergeant in the Prince Rupert Police Force,
resigned and went on to join the Provincial Police,
with headquarters at Port Essington.
married Florence Eleanor Royds, Oct 13, 1916 in Anglican Church, Aiyansh
b- age 31, in 1916, in Minnesota, USA
Nurse in Aiyansh when she married
daughter of Clement Royds, Captain in the Royal Navy

Rev. James Benjamin McCullagh
b- Dec 14, 1853 in County Down, Ireland (1854 in book below)
d- May 1, 1921 in Prince Rupert BC, age 68
buried in Fairview Cemetery, in Prince Rupert
His father was an agent on a landed Estate at Newry, County Down, Ireland
see his bio book, link below,
Immigrated in June 1883 from Liverpool, with his wife to Montreal.
He was also Justice of the Peace here,
and was heavily involved in the Removal of the right
of the natives to hold Potlaches.
They took the SS Otter Steamship, from Victoria north.
He married- Mary Philippa McCullagh, nee Webster
Bet Apr- June 1883 in Totnes Reg Dist. in Devon
b- ca 1858, age 33 in 1891, in West Indies (Malta?)
d- bef 1901
Mary was the daughter of the Chaplain at Malta, where they met.

5 children:
daughter- Melita McCullagh, (see Priestley Bio above)
daughter- Nancy McCullagh
daughter- Jean McCullagh,
Pat McCullagh
and Chris McCullagh

Charles Herald Gray
b- Apr 23, 1897 Thunder Bay, ON
d- Jan 9, 1990 in Trillium Lodge, Parksville BC
Occupation- Retail Merchandising
Salesman in Victoria in 1921
son of Thomas Gray, b- England
and Marcia Whitman, b- ON
married Dolores Lavinia Hobbis

John Thomas McCabe
b- Sept 6, 1886 Baddick, Victoria Co. NS
d- May 31, 1968, Shaughnessy Hospital, Vancouver BC, age 81
buried in Victory Memorial Park, Richmond BC
Enlisted in WWI, Sept 28, 1916 in Prince Rupert
next of kin, Mrs J. J. McCabe, New York, USA
Occupation- Bridgeman, res in Prince Rupert
rank- CPL, Reg #1039734, single.
Occupation- Carpenter, lived in Zeballos BC, before he died.

Martha Kinley, nee Burton
b- Apr 3, 1893 in Ireland
d- Aug 5, 1973, D.O.A. Lions Gate Hospital, Vancouver BC
Daughter of Robert Burton, b- Ireland
married Samuel Kinley
b- July 20, 1892, in County Down, Ireland
d- Jan 9, 1965 Lions Gate Hospital, in North Vancouver BC, age 72
Immigrated in 1912
shown as a Section Hand in 1921 at Tschesinkut Lake
1928 a teacher in Kitwanga, where he was for 6 years
by 1945 he is shown as a Minister, as well as 1953
son of Samuel Kinley, and Maggie ?
enlisted in WWI, returned in 1919 with a military medal
see link below for picture of Samuel

The latter part of this list getting into an era where Privacy could be an issue
therefore I will not research them.

Nass Camp

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Ext Links
Note- NOT my sites

McCullagh book- 1923
Pictures above from this book.
http://archive.org/stream/mccullaghofaiyan00moeruoft/mccullaghofaiyan00moeruoft_djvu.txt

BC Geo
http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/51713.html

Samuel Kinley Photo
http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/pdfs/yearbooks/1931_totem.pdf