Arthur Johnson Interview

This recorded interview took place in 1975 when Arthur Johnson was 91 years old.

(Slide title: Port Coquitlam’s F Words An Interview With Arthur Johnson 1883-1978)

Interviewer: You remember the flood, the big flood-

Johnson: Oh remember the big…1921

Interviewer: Yeah.

(Slide title: Mid 1920’s. Highway bridges washed out. Image: 2004.013.1 Dewdney Trunk Rd.)

Johnson: I should say I do remember, I was working, I was working for the government on the Coast Meridian Road- the old Coast Meridian Road- down by, close to Maillardville at the time. And I went down in the morning with a dry foot, and in the afternoon you’d have to take the brass boat. You had to come back all the way around on an old raft. Yes, yes. And then the whole bridge had got washed out.

(Slide title: Coquitlam River flood, 1921. Image: 2002.005)

Interviewer: Yes.

Johnson: Yes. 1921.

Interviewer: Right.

(Slide title: Coquitlam River flood, 1921. Image: 2008.001.83)

Johnson: Yes, that was the Coquitlam flood. And then I was watching the dikes in 1948. Walking the dikes all night long.

(Slide title: Port Coquitlam flood, 1921. Image: 2011.011.21)

Interviewer: I guess in ‘21. It wasn’t too bad until the bridges went out-

Johnson: ’21 was when the bridges went out, yes.

Interviewer: That must have been rather hectic, for a while.

(Slide title: PoCo Flood, 1921. Image: 2013.017.164)

Johnson: Oh boy, oh boy, was it ever. Yes. I remember when they had an engine on the west side of the bridge, and they wanted to get over to the east side of the bridge. And the bridges just were wobbling like that. So they- what they done they parked the truck below it, just enough to give it enough steam to get over the bridge. And then somebody jumped on the other side and took it up to the shops. Yes.

(Slide title: The Frankish home under water, 1948. Image: 2006.020.4)

Interviewer: Because that was the only way they could-

Johnson: Lots of stuff laying down that river now. Lots of valuable stuff laying down that river.

Interviewer: Can you tell me again the story of how you were patrolling the dikes? In ‘48 it would be.

(Slide title: Sand-bagged dike at Wilson Ranch, 1948. Image: 2006.020.13)

Johnson: ‘48, that’s right.

Interviewer: And- and you had your lantern and your-

Johnson: Oh heh, that was-that was a hectic night that was. Yes. It was just- just getting daylight, you know, just- daylight was just breaking and I was tickled to death to see it. And I run down, yes, you see when we walk the dikes if heard any water running we had to go down and plug the hole up.

(Slide title: 1948 flood. Image: 2006.020.17e)

Interviewer: Yes

Johnson: Well I was walking along, it was just about daylight, and I heard a lot of splashing in the water.  So I thought to myself “well this is it, I’m gonna make for the nearest tree”. So I made for the nearest tree and climbed up it.  Hm, after I got up the tree, I looked down, there’s a bunch of cows in the water there, and they were splashing in the water. Heh I thought- I thought the dike had gone. That was a miserable job though, it sure was. You see the water gradually creeping up to the top, you know, and you were scared to put one foot down in case you made a hole to start the flood going. You didn’t know what to do.

(Slide title: 1948 flood. Image: 2006.020.17h)

(Slide title: Pitt River Road flood, 1948. Image: 2008.001.46)

Interviewer: Well, then, you were also here when the fire, the big fire occurred too.

(Slide title: Port Coquitlam Fire Engine, 1909. Image: 2003.011)

Johnson: What fire are you talking about?

Interviewer: Uh the fire that burnt the Dewdney Trunk down, and the hotel, the fire hall and everything. 1920

Johnson: Oh, oh that fire.

Interviewer: Yep.

(Slide title: Coquitlam Hotel next to Kelly’s Hall. Image: 2008.001.483)

Johnson: Oh yes. Yes I was home at the time. That’s right, yes. Oh yes I remember that one. It was against the law to put a chimney pipe through the roof without a you know- a protection-

(Slide title: “Kelly’s Hall”. Before it was the fire hall. Image: 2013.017.106)

Interviewer: Right

Johnson: a vacuum-

Interviewer: yes.

Johnson: The city hall, they didn’t-they didn’t study the law. They put it through the roof.

Interviewer: Yeah

Johnson: Consequently, it got red hot and set fire to the hall. Yes.

(Slide title: PoCo Heritage Museum and Archives)