James W. Thompson
February is Black History Month!
To commemorate this important occasion, the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre is highlighting a notable figure from our past.
James W. Thompson
2369.0009: James W. Thompson (lower left corner) standing in the doorway of the Arlington Restaurant, circa 1897.
James W. Thompson was one of the first Black Canadians to settle in Rossland. Accompanied by his wife, Ellen, Thompson arrived in Rossland in 1894, only two years after Ross Thompson built the first cabin in the townsite. Despite the inevitable racism and discrimination Thompson and other Black Canadians would have faced at the time, he became a successful entrepreneur and a much-beloved Rosslander.
Thompson was well-known for his various business dealings, most notably the Arlington Restaurant (also known as the Thompson Restaurant). The restaurant was located at the corner of Spokane Street and First Avenue, across from the current location of the Rossland Senior Centre (Glazan Block). By all accounts, the Arlington Restaurant was highly-profitable and allowed Thompson to purchase a considerable amount of real estate in Rossland.
Unfortunately, the restaurant was destroyed by a fire on August 25, 1902. His losses were estimated at $18,000 (approximately $500,000 in 2023). Shortly after, Thompson published a notice in the Rossland Miner, announcing that he had rented the Florence Hotel on Washington Street as a temporary space for the restaurant. In September 1902, Thompson announced that he was building a three-story brick structure named the “Thompson Block.” It is, however, unknown if the building was ever constructed.
“The couple [James and Ellen Thompson] were big-hearted southern people, and were credited with many little acts of charity that won the esteem and respect of pioneer miners.”
2309.0100: The 1902 Fire, looking north from the intersection of Spokane Street and Columbia Avenue.
Aside from his restaurant, Thompson’s other activities in Rossland are relatively unknown. He and his wife, however, were well-known in Rossland for their acts of charity. Sadly, Ellen died suddenly of heart failure on October 13, 1903. Thompson remained in Rossland until approximately 1905, at which point it appears he moved to Calgary, AB. He continued to own property in Rossland until approximately 1910.
Written by Tyler Bignell
Additional Resources
Black History in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia
Black History and Human Rights | Canadian Museum for Human Rights
BC's Black Pioneers | Digital Museums Canada
BC Black History Timeline | BC Black History Awareness Society
Stories, Features, and Articles | BC Black History Awareness Society
British Columbia: An Untold History | Knowledge Network
Sources
City of Rossland Tax Rolls | Collection of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre
City of Rossland Voters’ Lists | Collection of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre
Rossland Miner | Collection of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre
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