Huston, John Leonard “Len”

Len Huston was born on August 10, 1876 near the community of Pine River, in Huron Township, Bruce County, Ontario. He married Lovina/Louvina Tree of Casselton, North Dakota. Their daughter, Ida May, was born in Manitoba (1906). He died in Princeton on December 23, 1914.

Len Huston came to Princeton in 1907. His brother, Ninian “Neil” Huston, had purchased the livery stables from Thomas Hunter in January 1907. The brothers formed a formed a partnership in the livery business in March 1907 (The partnership was dissolved on September 3, 1910.)

Len Huston quickly became involved in the Princeton community. Both brothers became members of the Princeton Board of Trade in March 1907. In April 1908, Len was elected to be the manager of the inaugural Princeton Baseball team. He was also on the 1908 Dominion Day racing committee and the 1913 dance committee. In September 1909, he was on the organizing committee for the Orangeman’s Ball. When the Princeton Brass Band was being formed in May 1911, he was set to learn how to play the clarinet. He enjoyed fishing (1911) and was “fishing buddies” with “Tink” French, E. Waterman, and Fred Wampole.

He was also an active member of the Princeton International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), No. 52. He was installed in January 1908, and immediately became the IOOF secretary. He donated 541.65 toward the first payment on the land where the IOOF hall was built in November 1913.

In June 1908, he bought a lot on Kenley Avenue, planning to build a five-roomed house. He moved in in August 1908. That same month, he and A. Sykes bought Lot 22, Block 11 (Kenley Ave) for $150. The next year, in April 1909, he planted ornamental trees. A few years later, in September 1912, he added a “fine garage and stable” to his property on Kenley Avenue

After the dissolution of his partnership with his brother in 1910, Len Huston went to work for the Princeton Waterworks Co. He is listed in the 1911 Census as an engineer at the company. He contracted “probable” blood poisoning after cleaning some machinery at the waterworks pump station (September 1911). The Similkameen Star reported that he was suffering from inflammatory rheumatism and, in February 1912, he travelled to Soap Lake, Washington to heal from his illness. 

When he returned, he took the position of manager of the Opera House (April 1912). A few months later, in June 1912, he opened an ice cream parlor and “Smoker’s Sanctum” in the Irwin Block, next door to the Bank of Montreal. He added a variety of services: literature and newspapers (1912), buttermilk (1912), post cards of Voight’s Camp (1912), agent for Perkins and Allison’s wood delivery service (1913). He was also the agent the the Kootenay Steam Laundry, beginning in November 1912. 

He must have done some prospecting as well for he received an assay of $14, gold, per ton from the Moonlight group of free milling claims in March 1914.

His funeral was held on January 1, 1915, and on January 15, 1915, the Similkameen Star published a resolution from Vermilion Rebekah Lodge, No. 24, which read, in part, “Resolved, That we offer our heartfelt and tender sympathy to the beloved wife and littel [sic] daughter, who, in this great sorrow, that like a cloud has come upon them, feel keenly the loss of a most loving husband and kind father.” 

Huston’s News Stand was taken over by John Nathan on March 1, 1915.

Postscript: His mother’s burial marker was found during clearing operations at the airport site in April, 1933.