Andras, John Donald “J.D.”

J.D. Andras arrived in Princeton (from Vancouver) in January 1911 to be the successor to A.J. Marlow as the manager of the Princeton Branch of the Bank of Commerce. He was an experienced banker, according to the Similkameen Star (January 25, 1911), who had “seen service in large eastern cities and Edmonton and Vancouver in the west.” 

At that time, the Bank of Commerce was located on the corner of Billiter Avenue and Bridge Street in the building occupied by Spafford’s Clothing Store (1942) and the staff (but not the manager) lived in quarters above the bank. 

He remained manager of the Bank of Commerce in Princeton for over six years until he was transferred to Tugaske, Saskatchewan. The Andras family left Princeton in October 1918 and made “the entire journey by automobile” (1918).

After he had been in Princeton a few months, he traveled to Lachine, Quebec, where he married Angela Knight on April 22, 1911. Their sons, John (born February 1912) and George (born May 1913) were born in Princeton. 

In June 1912, he contracted Bert Irwin to build “a handsome house” on “Knob Hill” (Tulameen Heights, later New England Heights)  and hired Max Wilson to paint and decorate it (June 1912). Bert Irwin would return to add a conservatory to the house in December 1913 .

According to The Princeton Star (October 25, 1918), both John and Angela “took an active interest in public, patriotic and social affairs.”

PRINCETON BOARD OF TRADE 

Within weeks of arriving in Princeton, Andras was elected to the Princeton Board of Trade (February 1911) and served in various capacities on the Board from January 1912 until at least February 1917, when he attended a joint meeting of the Board of Trade and the school trustees, (representing the Board of Trade) to discuss overcrowding at Princeton School. In all likelihood, however, he was on the Board of Trade up to the time he left the community in October 1918. 

PRINCETON GENERAL HOSPITAL

Andras also quickly became involved with the Princeton General Hospital, becoming honorary secretary of the Hospital Board of Trustees in March 1911. He was elected as secretary in September 1911 and was one of the six men who made application on October 18, 1911, to register the Princeton General Hospital under the Benevolent Societies Act. (See: The Similkameen Star, February 26, 1953, page 1). He served as secretary and secretary-treasurer for several years and was re-elected to the Board in March 1918. 

In addition to serving on the Hospital Board, he also supported the Ladies’ Hospital Auxiliary fundraisers (January 1913; November 1914) and donated magazines to the hospital in October 1912.  

ST. CUTHBERT’S ANGLICAN CHURCH

Andras was also an active member of St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church and, in August 1911, the newly-weds hosted the Bishop of New Westminster, the Right Reverend Adam DePencier, during the Bishop’s first visit to Princeton. And in May 1918, he accompanied Bishop (now Lieut.Colonel Bishop DePencier) to Hedley where to Bishop delivered a very interesting lecture to a large audience in Fraternity hall about “Canadians in France.” 

PRINCETON RACING AND ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

J.D. Andras was an inaugural member of the Princeton Racing & Athletic Association (May 1912). He was still a member of the Board in June 1916. 

SCHOOL BOARD

Andras was elected as a school trustee at the annual school meeting in July 1913 and he served on the board until July 1916 (three-year term) when he was succeeded by Hugh Hunter. He was chairman at the School Board meetings from December 21, 1915 to July 10, 1916. 

KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS (Princeton Lodge No. 50)

J.D. Andreas was installed as an officer of the Knights of Pythias, Princeton Lodge, No. 50 in July 1914 and in February 1915 played in an Odd Fellows versus Knights of Pythias hockey game. 

PRINCETON CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATION

Andras was also a member of the Princeton Conservative Association and in March 1915 was the delegate to the conservative convention in Keremeos.

OTHER COMMUNITY INTERESTS

In addition to an active community life (above) , Andras was also the vice-president of the Literary and Debating Society, formed in January 1913. The society was formed for “mutual improvement, social literary and debating culture.”

He was also the treasurer of the “Red Triangle Fund” in June 1918 . He received a receipt from the territorial secretary of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Vancouver for $299.00, which was the amount raised in Princeton and district by subscription. 

The new Princeton Creamery Association (December 1916) was organized by chairman J.D. Andras, P. Gregory, secretary; Chas. E. Thomas, H.H. Thomas, P. Russell, A. Reith, T.J. Guinan, S.R. Gibson, C. Hughes, Mr. Gore and Mr. Bennett.

Andras was also interested in fire protection (1911), and acted as chairman of the Red Cross fund-raising concert in October 1915. 

CHARITABLE DONATIONS

• June 1912 – donated $5 towards the construction of a Methodist Church “on lots 25 and 26, block 18” on Vermilion Avenue 

• November 1912 – subscriber to the Junior Baseball Club ($2.50/month)

• July 1915 – donated $10.00 to the Princeton machine gun fund

• November 1917 – subscribed 5.00 to the Y.M.C.A. Fund 

• Donated $165.00 to the Patriotic Fund ($5.00 monthly donations) between March 1916 and October 1918. 

LEISURE

J.D. Andras was a man of many interests. He played hockey (above); tennis (participated in the first tournament of the Princeton Tennis Club tennis in June 1912); golfed (September 1918; February 1928); duck hunted (November 1912, September 1916 ); deer hunted (September 1915); and, fished June 1917. 

He was not above having a good time at a Dominion Day picnic and competed in an “old stiffs’ race” at One Mile (July 1915). 

That same year, he applied for a license to prospect for coal and petroleum (1915) but the Similkameen Star never reported on whether or not he was successful in the prospecting field. 

An early local adopter of the automobile, in April 1917, he “purchased Ernest Waterman’s car and [was] now an Automobile enthusiast.”

At some point, he leased land adjoining T.C. Brook’s place, helped put in an irrigation ditch, and planted (with A.E. Irwin) a large crop of potatoes (July 1918).

With such a depth and breadth of community involvement, it is little wonder The Princeton Star (October 25, 1918) reported that J.D. Andras and Angela Andras would “be greatly missed by the people of Princeton.”

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More Here: Andras, John Donald J.D. (1883-1942).

See also: Andras, Eva Angela (Knight) “Angela”