The History of Youbou: Page 2

In 1925, after years of discussions and promises, the Canadian National Railway was completed to Cottonwood and the community would change forever.

The first major logging operation on the north shore of the lake took place in Youbou in 1913. The machine was a Lingerwood steam skidder, one of the first machines of this type to be used in B.C. It was moved in by skow, from the foot of the lake, by a crew of men supervised by Henry Norman. In the early summer of 1913,

Empire Lumber company sent a survey party to the "Youbou" area to establish boundaries of their timber limits. The party, consisting of three men, arrived here the first day of July, 1913. They were Robert Lemen, Stanley Gordon (who opened a general store in Youbou in 1926), and Mr. C.C. Yount, in whose honor Yount School was named.

The surveyors stayed at the old Lakeside Hotel (since destroyed by fire). They were transported to and from their work in a small cabin gas boat owned by Fred Lomas and operated by Basil Kier. Following a brief preliminary survey, the skidder crew went to work clearing the site for building the mill, which was managed by Johnny Gibbins, under contract to Yount and Bouten.

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