Home > Local History - Recommended Reading
RECOMMENDED READING ON LOCAL HISTORY
Here are some recommendations for books about the history of Duncan and the Cowichan Valley, Victoria and Vancouver Island.
Small City In A Big Valley: The Story of Duncan by Tom Henry
Good general history of the City of Duncan, published in 1999. It also contains many interesting references to Temple Lodge, No. 33 and to Temple Lodge, No. 33 members who have played roles, often quite influential roles, in local history, including: Kenneth Forrest Duncan, Thomas Pitt, Harold Prevost, Charles Dickie, George Savage, Hugh Savage, Frank Price, Arthur Lane, James Maitland-Dougall, Herbert Naden Clague, Christopher Dobson, James Evans, James Greig and Bucky Kennett.
Volume One Books, Duncan, B.C.
|| Amazon.com || Amazon.ca ||
|| Hardcover edition || Paperback edition || Kindle edition ||
|| Amazon.com.au || Amazon.at || Amazon.com.br || Amazon.ca || Amazon.cn || Amazon.de || Amazon.fr || Amazon.in || Amazon.it || Amazon.co.jp || Amazon.com.mx || Amazon.nl || Amazon.es || Amazon.co.uk ||
T.W. Paterson
T.W. Paterson is a local historian with a number of books to his credit. His books can be purchased through his website, at local bookstores like Volume One Books and Gallow Glass Books, or on Amazon.ca. Tom recently wrote an article about deceased Temple Lodge Brother Alexander Chalmers Aitken in his weekly local history column in the Cowichan Valley Citizen newspaper. We recommend the following T.W. Paterson titles:
- Tales The Tombstones Tell (published 2012)
- Cowichan Chronicles, Volume 1
- Cowichan Chronicles, Volume 2
- Cowichan Chronicles, Volume 3
- Cowichan Chronicles, Volume 4
- Riches To Ruin (about the Mt. Sicker copper mines circa 1899-1910. Temple Lodge No.33 members including Harry Smith, James Whittome, and Kenneth Duncan worked at the Mt. Sicker Mines.)
- Historic Hikes, Sites & Sights of the Cowichan Valley
- 'Rails to Trails' Historic Map & Guide to the Cowichan Valley/Trans Canada Trail and the Kinsol Trestle
- A Place Called Cowichan
Victoria History - Recommended Books
The Dunsmuir Saga by Terry Reksten
A very good book on the Dunsmuir family (of Craigdarroch Castle fame). Robert Dunsmuir made a fortune in coal mines in Nanaimo, B.C. (Many early members of Ashlar Lodge, No. 3 in Nanaimo worked for the Dunsmuirs.) Robert Dunsmuir's grandchildren squandered the fortune.
Volume One Books, Duncan, B.C.
|| Amazon.com || Amazon.ca ||
|| Hardcover edition || Paperback edition || Kindle edition ||
|| Amazon.com.au || Amazon.at || Amazon.com.br || Amazon.ca || Amazon.cn || Amazon.de || Amazon.fr || Amazon.in || Amazon.it || Amazon.co.jp || Amazon.com.mx || Amazon.nl || Amazon.es || Amazon.co.uk ||
The Fairmont Empress: The First Hundred Years by Terry Reksten
A very worthwhile history of the first 100 years (1908-2008) of one of Victoria's landmark buildings. Now a bit dated since it is no longer called the Fairmont Empress since being sold by the Fairmont chain. The Empress was designed by Francis Rattenbury, who was initiated into Freemasonry in Mt. Hermon Lodge, No.7 in 1893 but suspended for non payment of dues in 1898. In the words of our Grand Historian, the teachings of Freemasonry appear to have had little effect on Francis Rattenbury.
||Volume One Books, Duncan, B.C. || Amazon.com || Amazon.ca ||
|| Hardcover edition || Paperback edition || Kindle edition ||
|| Amazon.com.au || Amazon.at || Amazon.com.br || Amazon.ca || Amazon.cn || Amazon.de || Amazon.fr || Amazon.in || Amazon.it || Amazon.co.jp || Amazon.com.mx || Amazon.nl || Amazon.es || Amazon.co.uk ||
The Spencer Mansion: A House, A Home and an Art Gallery by Robert Ratcliffe Taylor
There's a Masonic connection to the Spencer Mansion, now the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. It was originally built for Alexander Alfred Green (a Freemason); the contractor who built it was George Mesher Sr. (also a Freemason), the father of George Charles Mesher (also a Freemason) who built our Duncan Masonic Temple in 1912. The Spencer family bought the house after Alexander Green's death in 1891.
Volume One Books, Duncan, B.C.
|| Amazon.com || Amazon.ca || Paperback edition || Kindle edition ||
|| Amazon.com.au || Amazon.at || Amazon.com.br || Amazon.ca || Amazon.cn || Amazon.de || Amazon.fr || Amazon.in || Amazon.it || Amazon.co.jp || Amazon.com.mx || Amazon.nl || Amazon.es || Amazon.co.uk ||
British Columbia History
Building The West: Early Architects of British Columbia edited by Donald Luxton
An excellent book featuring biographies of British Columbia's major 19th and early 20th century architects and details of their work. It includes many architects who were Masons, including Richard Lewis, Thomas Trounce, John Teague, Alexander Maxwell Muir, Percy Leonard James, David Bales and H. Rous Cullen.
Volume One Books, Duncan, B.C.
|| Amazon.com || Amazon.ca ||
|| Hardcover edition || Paperback edition || Kindle edition ||
|| Amazon.com.au || Amazon.at || Amazon.com.br || Amazon.ca || Amazon.cn || Amazon.de || Amazon.fr || Amazon.in || Amazon.it || Amazon.co.jp || Amazon.com.mx || Amazon.nl || Amazon.es || Amazon.co.uk ||
Illustrated History of British Columbia by Terry Reksten
A good general history of British Columbia
Volume One Books, Duncan, B.C.
|| Amazon.com || Amazon.ca ||
|| Hardcover edition || Paperback edition || Kindle edition ||
|| Amazon.com.au || Amazon.at || Amazon.com.br || Amazon.ca || Amazon.cn || Amazon.de || Amazon.fr || Amazon.in || Amazon.it || Amazon.co.jp || Amazon.com.mx || Amazon.nl || Amazon.es || Amazon.co.uk ||
Go to our 
During research or travels we often come across Interesting Connections to Masons and Freemasonry. Our Interesting Connections Page has some interesting Masonic connections uncovered by members of Temple Lodge, No.33, like Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, shown at left.......................
Masonic musicians and composers range from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Howlin' Wolf. Writers include Rudyard Kipling. For music fans and book lovers, here are some links to the works of Masonic musicians, composers and writers..............