Cosgrove, John
John Cosgrove was born around 1859. He died in the Princeton General Hospital on February 21, 1937. His obituary appeared in the Similkameen Star on February 18, 1937. He is buried in the Princeton cemetery.
Cosgrove was a pioneer of the Similkameen. He was the proprietor of a comfortable roadhouse near Hedley, he kept a strain of poultry (famous) some of which were continuous egg producers for straight fifteen months.
According to the Similkameen Star, J. Cosgrove of Greenwood, had begun construction of a hotel in Similkameen City in 1905. Bill Scruby had the subcontract. Cosgrove was granted a license in June 1905.
In February 1909, he was reported to be in hospital (typhoid). At that time, he was proprietor of the Park Hotel near Hedley.
He was the manager of the “English Bell Ringers” and “Buckner’s Colored Male Octette” – both played at the Princeton Opera House in 1912.
He was, for many years, in charge of road maintenance west of Hedley. The Princeton Star noted on October 1, 1925 that there was “no portion of our roads that is better looked after.”
His property was known as “The Roadhouse” on the Princeton side of Hedley (1929).
He was the owner of mineral claims in the Hedley area which he put up for sale (along with his Road House) in August 1935.
Death registration (BC Archives); Similkameen Star, May 6, 1905, page 3; June 17, 1905, page 1; February 17, 1909, page 2; December 20, 1912, page 1; Princeton Star, October 1, 1925, page 1; May 9, 1929, page 8; August 29, 1935, page 4; Similkameen Star, February 18, 1937, page 1 (obituary); March 4, 1937, page 3