HEDLEY BC
// I had a quick afternoon stop in Hedley, BC in mid-October, 2018, and a week later I got word that the Hitching Post Restaurant burnt down. Damn. Always hate see a little bit of history lost.
I wasn’t planning to stop at the hitching post as I was trying to make the most of the daylight as I travelled through, but as I wandering through Hedley I realized it was too cool of a building not to step foot indoors. I had a beer and read the back of the menu which, like any good restaurant should, had the history of the building written down. Here’s what I can recall:
It was built in 1903 as a one story hardware & mining supply store, and shortly after a second floor was added which became the dance hall. Old timers tell tales of dancing until 4 am and knocking glassware off the store shelves below on account of the building shaking.
After the mine closed in 1955, the store followed suit. However, in the 70’s a young fellow set about fixing up the place and turning it into a restaurant. Several other buildings had ceased to operate, and so many of the materials were acquired from the community to refurbish the place. The floor came from an old gymnasium, and the kitchen counter was a slab from the bowling alley.
Sad to know it’s gone, but I’m glad I got one last beer in.
