A.D. Ellwood 1883-1975

Proprietor of the Metchosin General Store for 36 years

As you may or may not know, uncovering local history is always on the difficult side. Much of it has been lost for a variety of reasons. People have old diaries and photos that they discard, thinking no one would be interested. Memories of elders is never written down or recorded, so lost with their deaths. But despite these historical barriers, I'm always open to a challenge looking and poking here and there for anything I can find. A prime example is A.D. Ellwood, whose life I’ve attempted to trace, along with his proprietorship of the Metchosin General Store.

The store was a fixture for pioneers in the early years, and Alexander David Ellwood was one of its proprietors, running it for at least 36 years. As one of the few stores if not the only one, the store carried every imaginable thing a farmer and his family needed, from groceries to livestock feed and hardware. Over the years it served as the stage and bus stop, and combined with the post office it was an important community gathering place.