The recipes are gleaned from 37 eateries across gassy jacks neighbourhood the flying pig, shebeen whiskey house, mosquito desserts, nuba in gastown, pidgin, pourhouse, salt tasting room, chill. Look up to admire the famous gastown steam clock, which chimes every 15 minutes. Ive put you in pole position to enjoy the best restaurants in gastown but maybe you disagree. It tells much more than has generally been recorded of the life and times of our first citizen. The book by wild begins with 80yearold neil mckay, a scottish immigrant, reflecting on his life in vancouver from the late 1880s to postworld war ii.
Take a walk through gastown and chinatown, vancouver. Gassy jacks statue john deighton, so nicknamed because of his love of talking who gave his name to the neighbourhood, watches over passersby on maple tree square. In 1867 garrulous captain john gassy jack deighton floated a barrel of whiskey ashore on the south side of burrard inlet. Given its very name is derived from social interaction and one of vancouvers most famous historical characters, gassy jack, gastowns renaissance in the past. Gastown vancouver 2020 all you need to know before you. Vancouvers roots are in gastown, where gassy jack opened his first saloon back in 1867. Book a rental car via travelocity and get ready to crank up the tunes in gastown. Gastown steam clock vancouver, british columbia atlas. Gastown was named after gassy jack deighton, a steamboat captain who opened the historic areas first saloon back in 1867. Gastown neighbourhood guide, most instagrammable places in. The first definitive biography of the notorious gassy jack of gastown john rodgers, vancouver sun, december 9, 1971.
Named after a steamboat captain and barkeeper named gassy jack deighton who opened the first saloon in the area, the area became the site of a sawmill and seaport making it the centre of trade in the area. Do you need to book in advance to visit gassy jack. He persuaded workers in the nearby sawmill to build a saloon for him, and days later he was in business. Given its very name is derived from social interaction and one of vancouvers most famous historical characters, gassy jack, gastowns renaissance in the past couple of decades is like coming full circle.
Tom and richard apprenticed on british ships, but jack did not receive that opportunity. Gastowns gassy jack the life and times of john deighton of england, california and early british columbia hull, raymond on. According to tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience gastown. Gastowns gassy jack by raymond hull and olga ruskin is the original biography of captain john deighton, the legendary gassy jack of gastown, the colorful fraser river pilot, gold miner, sailor, saloonkeeper, hotel proprietor and visionary who saw a great future ahead for. Gassy jack statue vancouver, british columbia atlas obscura. Vancouver welcomes a second gassy jack statue nuvo. A working steam clock, one of only a few in the world, located in vancouvers victorian gastown. Gastown grew up around a tavern, which opened in 1867 to service thirsty sawmill workers and visiting sailors. Considered a national historic site, gastown has become a hub for the old and the new. Gassy jack vancouver 2020 all you need to know before you. Aptly named after gassy jack deighton, gastowns life stems back to 1867 when it became home to the areas first saloon. Gastown s gassy jack by raymond hull and olga ruskin is the original biography of captain john deighton, the legendary gassy jack of gastown, the colorful fraser river pilot, gold miner, sailor, saloonkeeper, hotel proprietor and visionary who saw a great future ahead for what eventually became vancouver. The best gastown restaurants vancouver foodie tours. John gassy jack deighton was in 1867 the first settler on the site from which vancouver was to evolve.
Gastown s gassy jack the life and times of john deighton of england, california and early british columbia. What began as a roughandrowdy resort has long since evolved into the historical, contemporary hub famous for its steam clock. Story has it that jack rowed to the sawmill that had been built in presentday gastown, and in exchange for free whiskey, had the sawmill workers build a saloon within 24 hours of arriving. Gastown celebrated its 150th birthday in 2017, and its come a long way since local legend john gassy jack deighton opened the first tavern in the area. Vancouvergastownchinatown travel guide at wikivoyage. The gastown foodie can be purchased at the 37 gastown restaurants listed in the book as well as on. The gastown neighbourhood of vancouver, british columbia is named after him growing up in hull, a major seaport, deighton and his brothers tom and richard learned to sail. In so doing, he traces the history of the city from its start as gastown created by gassy jack, then to granville, and finally to vancouver. Many of the current gastown structures were built in the 1890s and.
Budget at vancouver international airport is the vendor to rent from upon arrival. Vancouver, 1971 jill foran, vancouvers oldtime scoundrels. The bar owner was john gassy jack deighton, so called because of his talkative nature. Vancouver murder mystery adventure in gastown 210 players. An effigy of vancouvers gastown neighorhoods namesake. With the completion of the canadian pacific railway in 1886, the city became a booming hub of activity. Gastown vancouver all you need to know before you go.
Discover gastown, the citys birthplace air france usa. Named after john gassy jack deighton, an english mariner who opened a saloon in the area in the 19th century, the district is filled with heritage buildings now hosting boutiques, coffee shops, hip restaurants, and bars. Book your tickets online for gassy jack, vancouver. The gastown steam clock whistles every quarter hour and also spews steam.
Discover gassy jack statue in vancouver, british columbia. This walk takes you through two of vancouvers oldest neighborhoods. Gastowns gassy jack the life and times of john deighton of england, california and early british columbia. One of vancouvers oldest and buzziest districts, gastown is packed with victorian architecture and cobbled streets. The rain stopped briefly enough for me take in the sights and sounds of vancouvers oldest neighborhood. Books raymond hull and olga ruskin, gastowns gassy jack canada. Gastown was vancouvers first downtown core and is named for gassy jack deighton, a yorkshire seaman, steamboat captain and barkeep who arrived in 1867 to open the areas first saloon. Stop to see the historic gastown steam clock and the grassy jack statute and learn about the mysterious murder of john bray and other ghoulish tales that your guide will share. Indigenous activists say the story of gassy jack is missing sordid. As you poke around the neighborhood today, youll spot everything from trendy shops to cool restaurants. The statue of gassy jack pays homage to the founder of the citys original gastown settlement way back in the 19th century. A guide to vancouvers gastown district passion passport.
It tells much more than has generally been recorded of. Visit local attractions the steam clock, blood alley, the gassy jack statue etc. Comfort food set up in the alhambra gastowns oldest building, overlooking the gassy jack statue, this local favourite is a goto spot for comfort food favourites, craft beer and booze. John deighton november 1830 may 23, 1875, generally known as gassy jack, was a canadian bar owner who was born in hull, england. Begin your journey trekking through gastownvancouvers oldest neighborhoodby lamplight as you follow your guide and navigate the narrow cobblestone streets to visit. Gastown s gassy jack the life and times of john deighton of england, california and early british columbia hull, raymond on. And this week, simpsons work was unveiled at the companys flagship store.
The village of gastown, as it became known, was officially surveyed as granville townsite in 1870. Given its very name is derived from social interaction and one of vancouvers most famous historical characters, gassy jack, gastown s renaissance in the past couple of decades is like coming full circle. The life and times of john deighton of england, california and early british columbia book. Fastforward to 2018 to what is now one of the citys most interesting and vibrant areas that still has its edge, with upscale boutiques, unique stylish restaurants, art galleries, and creative new entrepreneurs, who are transforming this dynamic part of town. The great fire on june, 1886 obliterated most of the buildings but created an opportunity to rebuild the city anew. The area was originally called gassys after the saloon proprietor gassy jack deighton. Begin with lunch in chinatown, stop to explore aboriginal art galleries, the citys serene chinese garden, and the unusual police museum, and then wrap up your afternoon with cocktails in gastown. Gastown is vancouvers most historic district and neighbourhood and was finally designated a national historic site of canada in 2009.
Visitors guide to historic gastown in downtown vancouver. In a small group, savor gastronomic delights and learn about the. Now, decades later, simpson has created a second gassy jack sculpture called gassy jack ii. The name gastown came into use because a fraser river pilot turned saloonkeeper with the name capt. Its a figure of about 12 feet tall clad in colonial clothes, with a plaque on the base of the pedestal. Over time, the city grew more and more westward and changed its name to vancouver, while gastown became known as old vancouver. Gassy jack vancouver 2020 all you need to know before. Paying homage to the brands hometown roots in vancouvers historic gastown district, herschel supply co. Gastown on the silver screen fifty shades of grey gastown. Gastown is reputed to have got its name from one gassy jack deighton, a steamboat operator, storyteller and the first proprietor of a saloon in vancouver. Gassy jack statue vancouver, british columbia atlas. Lorelei williams looks at gassy jacks monument in gastown. Gastown, vancouvers original downtown is rich in history, unique shops, restaurants and clubs. The gastown neighbourhood of vancouver, british columbia is named after.
Vancouvers history as a city has its roots in what was a tiny settlement nicknamed gastown. Gastown is known for its cobblestone streets and victorian erastyle streetlamps. Their corn fritter hushpuppies are tossed in an addictive honey sauce and their oatmeal stoutgravy poutine and will make you weak in the knees. Experience gastown vancouvers foodie, boozy, historic neighbourhood on 3hour walking food tour. What makes gastown different from other neighbourhood books east van, north shore that you have worked on. After being rebuilt from the fire in 1886 the village was renamed to gastown.