Description du lieu patrimonial

Marsh Cabins are three small log dwellings built in the 1930s that were moved to a large parcel of land located on the west side of West Fraser Road in West Quesnel, BC. The historic place is confined to the footprints of the cabins.

Valeur patrimoniale

The Marsh Cabins are recognized for their historic value as symbolic of the growth of Quesnel and their association with the Marsh family who helped to shape the development of Quesnel.

The Marsh Cabins are located in West Quesnel which developed as a rural community with small houses and family farms. The growth of West Quesnel was moderate until a single-lane bridge across the Fraser River was constructed in 1929. The bridge provided a permanent link between the two Quesnel communities. These communities were amalgamated into one city in 1958. In 1971, the two-lane Moffat Bridge was built and growth in West Quesnel increased steadily. While not in their original form or location, the cabins are a physical reminder of the people who shaped the development of Quesnel.

The Marsh Cabins are valued for their connection to prominent community members Ruric and Josephine (Boucher) Marsh, who once owned much of the land in West Quesnel. Ruric came to Quesnel in 1909 from Vermont. He was affectionately known around the area as 'R. L'. The couple had a homestead at Forestdale Ranch, but when money became tight, Ruric moved to the United States for work, only to return to Quesnel in 1919. The second time Ruric arrived in Quesnel he moved to a meadow area on a lake which is now known as Ruric Lake. In 1924, Josephine and Ruric moved to West Quesnel so that their children could attend school. The cabins are named for and built by pioneer Ruric Marsh in the early 1930s.

Ruric started the Cariboo Log Cabin Camp in 1929 on the west side of the Fraser River. These three cabins were once part of a group of twenty-two small log cabins in the camp. Their son Richard and his wife Myrtle (Lattman) Marsh relocated the cabins to their property on West Fraser Road, their current location. Both Ruric and Josephine as well as Richard and Myrtle owned and operated many businesses in Quesnel and participated in community organizations. Ruric owned an ice business and was an avid fisherman, hunter, trapper, guide, gardener and photographer. Josephine and Ruric were members of the Quesnel Rod and Gun Club. Josephine was also active in community organizations. She was the Honorary President of the Legion Ladies Auxiliary and the Quesnel View Women's Institute. Richard worked with his father cutting and hauling wood, delivering ice, and baling hay. He started his own successful business, Marsh Sand and Gravel, which he later sold in 1959 to Quesnel Redi-Mix. Myrtle and Richard then owned and operated a small grocery store across from the Quesnel High School and Richard drove the school bus. Later he owned and operated Quesnel Appliance and Refrigeration until his retirement in 1978. The Marsh family is recognized for their contribution to the development of the community with streets named in their honour.

Éléments caractéristiques

The character-defining elements of Marsh Cabins include their:

- three log structures of simple design;
- siting in a clearing of trees on a large parcel of land;
- log construction, gable roof, off-center front entrance, and central chimney;
- unique contribution to the streetscape;
- rare example of buildings along the street;
- heavily framed windows.