Vancouver Centennial Plaque #26 – Jeremiah Rogers

“JEREMIAH ROGERS

In 1865 Jeremiah Rogers began logging Point Grey from an area known as Jerry's Cove, later “Jericho”. An innovative logger, he built his own tug in 1873, and began using a steam tractor in 1874. He specialized in ship's spars and supplied the Hastings Mill.”

Credit: Vancouver Centennial Commission, Historic Plaque Program – list and documentation plaques 1-49 (June 18, 1986). Courtesy of Vancouver Archives

Jeremiah Rogers, known as Jerry, was a logger from New Brunswick, who moved to BC because of the seemingly-endless forests of towering trees. The local Douglas Firs often reached more than twelve feet in diameter and 300 feet in height.

In 1860, Jerry surveyed Vancouver Island for Captain Edward Stamp (founder of the Hastings Mill), before moving to the mainland in 1865 and logging around Point Grey. He set up the first proper logging camp at “Jerry’s Cove”, which became simply “Jericho”.

Jerry was, apparently, very selective in the trees he cut down – only choosing the finest ones, not just mindlessly stripping the forests. He was also always looking for innovative ways to help his business – switching from oxen to horses, then using steam traction engines to pull the logs. In 1873, he built a tugboat to pull logs over to the mill – named “Maggie” after his daughter, who christened it with a bottle of wine.

Jerry died in 1879, aged 61. His obituary said, “In both public and private, he was considered to be the ne plus ultra of conscientiousness, honesty, probity and good heartedness. Enemies we think he had none.”

The 1986 files at the Archives say that this plaque (and five others) still didn’t have a location decided by November 18. It’s unclear if a site was picked and if this plaque was ever installed.