Gabble-Hood Story
By Jean King, granddaughter
From 2000 Golden Memories
Very little is known about Granddad Gables background prior to his immigration to Canada. He never spoke to his children about his childhood. They know only that he was born in London, England, April 7th, 1874, and that he lived within the sound of the Bow Bells, which qualified him as a true Cockney.
Rueben and James Gable arrived on Canadian soil sometime between 1891 and 1893. He spent approximately one year on the Prairies before moving to Golden.
While in Golden, he was employed by the Columbia River Lumber Company. Around 1896 he left Golden and walked to Boston Bar via the CPR tracks. From Boston Bar, he walked back to Notch Hill which was about midway between Revelstoke and Kamloops, to take up homesteading. During his first winter at Notch Hill he packed wood for the CPR wood burning engines. After approximately two years, he returned to Golden and once again joined the employee of the Columbia River Lumber Company.
Jean Hood, christened Jane Maxwell, was born August 10th 1884 to parents John Ogilvy Hood and Helen Smith Hood in Forfarshire Scotland.
In 1897, at the age of thirteen, Jean Hood came to Golden with her widowed mother (who was fondly referred to as Granny Hood), two sisters, Christine Nicole Hood who later married Archibald Langlands and Mary Hood and a brother. Two sisters and a brother remained in England. Another sister and brother-in-law, Johann and James Henderson, were already residing in Golden, having emigrated in 1891.
On July 11th, 1900 Reuben James Gable married Jean Maxwell Hood. The wedding ceremony took place at the Presbyterian Church with the Reverend W.D. Turner officiating. Witnesses were Christine Wood and James Henderson.
The newlyweds made their home in Golden, residing for many years in a house located next to what is now called Kicking Horse Mobile Home Park. The main part of their house had been moved from Donald and Ruben built on to it. In later years, he built three cabins which were rented out during the summer tourist season.
They raised a family of three daughters and three sons Nell Farquharson, Christine Thomas/Hattie, Agnes King, William, John, and Ray.
After leaving the employee of the CRL Granddad worked at a variety of occupations. Briefly, he worked for Mr. Harry Parson in his general store, and for Mr. Beatty in the butcher shop. He did repair work in the Connaught Tunnel. And he became a Carpenter, painter, and interior decorator, operating under the name R Gable & Sons. Deerlodge Cabin, restored in 1961 and located at Hoodoo Creek Campground, was built by Rueben in 1904. It was one of the first Warden patrol cabins established in the Yoho National Park. Another building that he worked on and which is still in use today is the Golden Civic Centre. He also built the old Hamilton’s Garage.
Granny was a member of the Presbyterian Ladies Aid for over 20 years and later a member of the Woman’s Institute.
Jean Gable died in October 1944. Reuben continued to live in Golden until 1956 at that time he left to reside with his son and daughter-in-law, John and Cora Gable of Burnaby, for a few years from there he moved to Fort Coquitlam to stay with his daughter, Christina Hattie, until his death in September 1963. He was 89 years old.