Wickman or Wichmann? (Convict Interred at Boot Hill Cemetery)

Hello Friends,

After much research, I bring you the case of a young Vancouver lad who chose to walk the wrong side of life, which put him in federal prison, where he died. This is our twenty-first blog about the convicts buried at Boot Hill Cemetery (nicknamed - properly named the old B.C. Penitentiary Cemetery) in New Westminster, B.C., which had been used between the years of 1913 to 1967, by the B.C. Penitentiary (razed in 1980), one of the toughest Canadian prisons in history.

Meet Convict #9511 - Henry Gordon Wichmann

Photo by Kati - #9511 (east section, middle of 2nd to last row)
taken 2016, January

Assault, Robbery and Manslaughter.. (Convict Interred at Boot Hill Cemetery)

Hello Friends,

We bring you the case (through newspaper & document records) of a man who grew up in the Fraser Valley area of Greater Vancouver, B.C., found himself in and out of jail, with a final violent crime sending him to Federal Prison. Sadly, his life ended a few years later. This is our twentieth blog about the convicts buried at Boot Hill Cemetery in New Westminster, used between 1913-1967 by the B.C. Penitentiary (razed in 1980), one of the toughest prisons in the Canada.

Meet Convict #6651 - George Wallace

Photo by Kati - #6651 (southeast section, last row, first stone)

The Cheque Forgery Man... (Convict Interred at Boot Hill Cemetery)

Hello Friends,

Our stories about the convicts buried at Boot Hill Cemetery (used between 1913-1967) in New Westminster, BC, now turns to a case of large proportions in Western Canada. The convict accused and sentenced, was interred at Boot Hill Cemetery, also known as the B.C. Penitentiary Cemetery. It has finally been recognized by the City of New Westminster with a small sign at the gate, the long grasses, weeds and brambles removed, and new stones laid (the old grave markers the prisoners had made were removed) in place, using a ground penetrating device. This is our nineteenth blog about the convicts at Boot Hill.

Meet Convict #9693 - W Black

Courtesy of Find A Grave - photo: Herbert Rickards
Location - northeast end of the cemetery - bottom of hill, last row

The Cigarette Thief (Convict Interred at Boot Hill Cemetery)

Hello Friends,

Today we bring you the story of a young man who became part of a theft ring during the Great Depression. This is our eighteenth story about the convicts buried at the once forgotten cemetery for the B.C. Penitentiary (razed in 1980), known as "Boot Hill" (used between 1913-1967). It has recently undergone a revamping. The city (New Westminster) cleaned up the acre, planted new grass seeds, replaced the old stones with new ones; and is now easily accessible on a path between townhouses and a highrise.

Meet Convict #4234 - Herbert Ross

Photo Herbert Rickards (Find a Grave) - middle section

The "Haunted" Grey Whale Inn and More!

Dear Friends,

I wrote about our visit to San Francisco on New Year's Eve, in the blog about the "Haunted" Queen Anne. (Read) A few days later, Lesli and I packed our bags again and travelled to the coast of Northern California; our destination was Fort Bragg. Please enjoy our journey.

Photo by Kati - Raider at
Boonville General Store
(Jan.03/2018)

Our Second Adventure: My wife had gifted us a two night stay in Fort Bragg's haunted "Grey Whale Inn". We set out on a drizzly day, January 3rd, with excitement. I had never travelled this far north in California; therefore, it became a true adventure. We chose to take the CA 128 West from Cloverdale, to the Coastal Hwy 1, and then head north. The drive to reach our destination took just under two hours. Along the way we found ourselves travelling through small towns such as Yorkville, Boonville and Navarro, which are nestled in Anderson Valley where spooky leafless oak trees stand on the hillsides. Once closer to the coastline, we drove through a forest of giant redwoods (Navarro River Redwoods State Park), standing thick and tall, along with fir and hemlock trees lining the highway. The aroma of the area was fabulous!

The "Haunted" Queen Anne Hotel...

Hello Friends,

Happy 2018! I hope your New Year's Eve was a wonderful time for you and family, and that everyone is in good health.
I travelled south to my second home in Healdsburg, California over the holidays. I could not have been blessed with better weather.

I gifted my wife a New Year's Eve get away into the city. An overnight stay at the "Haunted" Queen Anne Hotel in San Francisco. I had read so many interesting accounts about it; and when I took a look at other "haunted" hotels/locations to experience in the city, this hotel stood out. So I booked us in for the night. The staff was so friendly and open about the "hauntings", we were welcome to walk about and explore, as long as we didn't disturb other guests. Of course there were a few other places I wanted to check out on this journey as well.

We began our trip on the morning of December 31, 2017. With the car full of gas, we picked up a lovely coffee and blueberry scone from the Flying Goat in Healdsburg and headed south on Hwy 101. The sun was shining, a bright blue sky above, and the air was warm. 15C/59F. For this Vancouver girl, it's spring weather, hoodie time; which makes it a great day to go exploring. Our drive into the city was without the usual clog of traffic, and we made it to our first stop in just over 1 hour. Although there were plenty of tourists in the city, it really was remarkable to find a parking spot directly outside our first destination.

Photo by Kati - Mission Dolores & Basilica (Dec.31/2017)