MARCOTTE, JOSEPH EDOUARD-BARBER
Originally from a small village situated close to the city of Quebec, Joseph Edouard Marcotte in 1902 opened a barber shop in Whitehorse. This barber shop was situated behind the Windsor Hotel which belonged to Cariste Racine. The Marcotte barbershop was completely destroyed on May 23,1905 around 4:00 in the morning when a fire started in the pipes of the heating system. The fire truck was called immediately and brought there but unfortunately the steam-run system bought from the city of Vancouver in 1901 did not work because of something mechanical which broke as soon as the machine was started. The fire, thus spread rapidly, destroying more than one third of the commercial buildings in Whitehorse and caused more than $300,000 of damage.
Joseph Edouard Marcotte’s business was completely destroyed by the flames. It had been evaluated at $200.00 but wasn’t insured. But this did not discourage Marcotte; he opened another barber-shop at the corner of Main and Front. In 1915-1916, he was still a barber in Whitehorse.
On March 15, 1910 he asked for lot 6, of block 4 in Whitehorse but his request was refused because he did not have $300.00 to complete the transaction.
Five years later, he purchased 2 acres of land (0.8 hectares) near the hospital, on the east shore of the Yukon River. There he developed the farm and raised foxes for fur.
Ref. Empreinte, vol. 11, pages 106-107
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