Several places around Ucluelet are named after some of the first settler families in the area. One example is Tugwell Fields named after the Tugwell family. Their home and business building is still standing at the top of Main Street where it is now a thrift store and office location for the Central Westcoast Forest Society.
Ruth Tugwell expanded the original store set up by her parents when she added a gift shop. She sold a wide range of items including gifts, jeans, lingerie and party dresses. Ruth and her longtime shop assistant Minnie Lee were always ready to suggest the perfect gift, especially as they knew their clientele so well. Teacups and saucers, embroidered linens and china knicknacks were popular fare for wedding showers, birthdays, and mother’s day gifts.
Norwegian immigrant August Lyche bought land in what is now the centre of Ucluelet. He was a trader who served on the school board, a Reeve and a Justice of the Peace.
He married Alice Greenwood Lee from the City of Victoria. As a prize winning student, she was a very appropriate choice for Ucluelet’s first school teacher.
The first image above shows the Lyche family home with August and Alice on the steps with their son Norman. Their daughter, Alma, stands to the left of Alice.
If you have a story to share about a local family from early settlement up to present day, please contact the Historical Society.