In Memory of Hattie McBride

Some believe her spirit never left the village of Coalmont.  Tales of her ghost linger like the floral perfume that occasionally wafts through the air on windless nights or the clicking of heels down deserted streets.  Hattie McBride is a local legend.

Information about her life before arriving in Coalmont is sparse.  Records from a 1916 trip she made to the United States describe her as 5 feet 3 inches tall with blue eyes, a fair complexion and numerous gold teeth.  It is believed she was visiting a sister.  There are no known photos of Hattie.

Before arriving alone in Coalmont, Hattie lived in Greenwood with her husband, William McBride.  They owned two stores on Copper Street and three other lots.  In 1908 Hattie was seriously ill in Leavenworth, Washington.  Upon her return, a fire broke out in one of their businesses resulting in great financial loss.  In 1912, the city paid Hattie $4,800 for some corporation bonds she had purchased years earlier.  This was money she would use for her relocation to Coalmont.  The Princeton Star reported she left Greenwood in 1912 due to disputes with William.  William predeceased Hattie in 1915.

Hattie’s popular house of negotiable affection in Coalmont was located at the east end of Main Street.  In August, 1920 she was charged with being the “keeper of a Bawdy House”.  Despite her profession, locals stated she didn’t drink or do drugs and she was known to lend money to those in need.  Norman McDonald trusted her so much that he gave her $5,865.16 of his money for safekeeping.  It was deposited in Hattie’s bank account in Princeton.

On the evening of November 21, 1920, witnesses spotted a fire at Hattie’s house.  Efforts to extinguish the flames were futile.  In the morning, Norman sifted through the smouldering debris.  He discovered a few charred pieces of Hattie’s body.  Norman contacted the police and coroner.

An inquisition was held, and locals were questioned.  Norman stated Hattie’s remains were located beside two pitchers where she kept money.  The first was empty.  The second contained some silver which he put away to keep safe.  Some of his testimony was as follows: “The bones were about 6’ away from where she used to sleep.  The bones were close to the frame of a trunk which was in a room where she kept bedding.  There was a partition between her bedroom and this room…. Fire was coming from the room where the trunk was. Not her bedroom… On November 23 I found the last two exhibits.  The part of the trunk was close to the body.  I think that the second exhibit No. 6 contains her money.  Exhibit 6 was found about 15 feet from the body in a different part of the house.”  If Hattie’s death was the result of a robbery gone bad, perhaps the money found two days later was accidentally dropped as the thief made his escape.

Louis Marcotte (owner of the Coalmont Hotel) stated he used to borrow money from Hattie and owed her a few hundred dollars at the time of her death.  He commented that before the fire, he thought something bad was going to happen in Coalmont.  He claimed he didn’t know anything definite but there were rumours around town.  At the time of Hattie’s death there had been some robberies and locals suspected things would escalate.

From the testimony of Dr. David Lee Smith, Princeton Physician and Surgeon: “I would not consider that the heat which burned these four exhibits was sufficient to burn the body as it is unless it lasted a considerable time.  I would not consider (the) body could be burned as it is in 25 min.  I would not think that a shell building as described by previous witness could burn the body as it is.  I would not consider blankets would do it.”  Given this testimony, it was likely Hattie was set on fire and the house burned around her.  Other witnesses stated there was an unusual odour during the fire that none of them had ever smelled before.    No one was ever convicted for the crime; however, shortly afterwards, to appease nervous locals, Coalmont received its first police officer.

Hattie died intestate.  Norman McDonald retained a lawyer to get back the money he had given to her.  He eventually received $4,023.69 plus title to her property.  Hattie was buried under an impressive headstone in the Granite Creek Cemetery.

We will never know what happened that fateful night in Coalmont, but some find comfort in the belief that her spirit remains.