Leland (Lee) Coulter: Bringing Jobs to Hope Valley
My name is Leland Coulter but everyone calls me Lee. I arrived in Hope Valley about five years ago around the time the coal mining company went to trial against the widows of the town because of the safety of the mine that resulted in the explosion and cave in that resulted in the death of forty- eight men who had worked in the mine. It was Abigail Stanton who found the evidence against the company. The trial was very intense and in the end the widows won. The end of the trail resulted in the mine being closed permanently so the men were without Jobs. I Lee Coulter had a plan though to turn the town around and to bring jobs to the town for the men to have.
Prior to the trial I had surveyed the land outside of town to find the perfect place to build my sawmill I planned on bringing to town. I gave the remaining men in town first dibs on jobs working for me once the mill was up and running. I even offered to train them as well. Since opening the mill the town of Hope Valley quickly became my new home, the mill was doing good and the men had stable jobs to provide for their families again. I was also falling in love and I eventually married my wife Rosemary about a year ago. After we got married we moved into the row house next to the towns school teacher Elizabeth Thatcher (now Thornton) since she just recently married the towns Mountie Jack Thornton a few months ago. I was also continuing to expand the mill as new people were showing up in town as the railroad was coming as well at the same time. My mill was supplying the railway with the wood for building of the station and other needs. The future of Hope Valley and the sawmill was looking bright and successful as life continued to go on with each passing day
~Leland (Lee) Coulter~