Fort Steele, British Columbia, flourished in the 1890s, and then began to decline when the railroad by-passed the town in 1898. Today Fort Steele is a Heritage Village in which visitors can experience what life was like in the 1890s. The Heritage Village includes restored buildings, replica buildings, and buildings which are allowed to decay naturally. Thomas McVittie, a well-known British Columbia Land Surveyor, lived in Fort Steele from 1881 to 1918. This house was moved from its original site to the Fort Steele Heritage Village in 1992.
The dress shown above is known as a walking dress. Made in the 1890s, it has a shorter length allowing women greater ease in walking. The hem would not drag on the ground.
A bedroom heating stove is shown above.
The little stove shown above heated water for the bathroom. The hot water tank is behind in the stove. This is located in the hallway outside of the bathroom.
Another view of the hot water system.
Museums 101
Museums 101 is a series of photo tours of museum exhibits. More from this series:
Museums 101: The Nevada City Homestead Cabins (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Under the Arctic (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Fort Steele Drug Store (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Second Floor of the Anderson Homestead (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Fort Dalles Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Quilts (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: What is a Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Weekly Newspaper (Photo Diary)