Gastown Vancouver
http://www.virtualvancouver.com/gastown.html#history

It is hard to believe that Gastown was one abandoned as a Skid Row even as late as 1950's. The town was founded in 1867 when a certain saloon keeper named John 'Gassy Eye' Deighton opened his doors to the public. Early Gastown (which was officially named "Granville") was a small and rough pioneer town with only three saloons, one hotel and two stores. Brawls were frequent and as a result, the town's treasury came to depend on the fines levied against the drunks and disorderly.

The arrival of Captain James A.Raymur who took over the direction of Hastings Mill and subsequently the duties of the magistrate, eventually provided the incentive for a vital community to emerged. With the arrival of William Cornelius Van Horne in the 1870's, Gastown was suddenly seen as a potential site for a railway system. The popularity of Gastown boomed and soon became a busy commercial port for sea traders.

In the summer of 1886, a terrible fire (known as The Great Fire of 1886) ravaged the newly established town. The town rebuilt but its popularity waned when the CPR sought other lands beside the town. The only building that survived the fire is the Regina Hotel. The bartenders in the hotel bar will only be too glad to tell you the story of how the hotel managed to survive the ravages of the fire.

At the start of 1971, it was declared as a heritage zone when the government designated Water Street as a historical area. Gastown was literally transformed into streets filled with shops, stores, restaurants and coffee bar thus becoming on the most frequent tourist stop.

Inventory of Structures in Gastown Inventory of Structures

溫哥華蓋斯鎮(Gastown)

在 1792年時喬治•溫哥華船長〈 Captain George Vancouver〉為找尋西北通路而路過此地一天，1867年 九月時，綽號 "Gassy"的傑克•達頓〈Jack Deighton〉來到此地，他在蓋斯鎮〈Gastown〉現址的華特爾街〈Water Street〉，蓋了一個木造的沙龍酒吧供各地來此的拓荒者憩息。1873年時，傑克在他酒吧的對面開了一間兩層樓的旅館，旅館內有酒吧撞球室等，這就是溫哥華的第一家飯店的起源。傑克於1875年逝世，留下了一段溫哥華的開拓史供世人憑弔。

我們將藉由該社區消失的電車軌道、歷史背景、傳奇人物、古蹟建築 、公共藝術、人口結構、機構組織、或文化節慶，述說溫哥華市百年來的都市發展、社會變遷，以及精彩的多元文化。