Early Settlers:

In October of 1862 the Grappler brought the first large group to settle and pre-empt lots in the Comox Valley. When they arrived they found four young Englishmen who had made the long journey from England shortly before them.

This group had little time to prepare for winter and built basic shacks in order to survive the harsh weather. They also did what they could to prepare fields for crops the following spring.

After their first winter in the Comox Valley the pioneers wrote to the Colonial Government asking for them to send oxen and seeds in order to begin producing crops. The following spring their wish was granted when the schooner ‘Douglas’ arrived in Augusta Bay with a herd of Durham cattle onboard. As there was no wharf or any other way of getting the cows to shore, they were pushed overboard and steered to the beach with canoes.

Taking Shape:

By September 1863 Comox boasted there was between 30 and 40 good farm houses built and between 150 and 200 acres of land under cultivation with crops of wheat, oats, barley and potatoes. Every farm had a yoke of oxen and some had cattle and chickens and there was one horse. Most homesteads had pigs which were used to root up patches of rough, stony land as well as a food source. By harvest time of that year the Comox farmers had managed to grow what they needed to get through the coming winter and send the surplus to markets in Victoria and Nanaimo.

One major problem they faced was the inability to get their crops to market because there were no roads or a wharf. All shipments in and out of the settlement had to be loaded by canoe to the larger sloop. They also lacked any regular communication with the outside world.

James and Isabelle Robb:

James and Isabelle Robb were among the first settlers to arrive in Augusta Bay in 1862. James Robb noted that Augusta Bay, known now as Comox Bay, provided an ideal site for "The Landing". Robb pre-empted 180 acres of waterfront land in Comox that was previously a Coast Salish Village.

Robb recognized that the site of present day Town of Comox was the only location where a wharf could be built to accommodate shipping and large vessels. His vision of a wharf and town site was fulfilled in 1874 with the building of the Comox wharf by his farm.

"The Landing", a pier 1035 feet long and 12 feet wide with a wharf head, was built for $3,337. The approach to the wharf was filled and graded extending the approach to 140 feet. Freight and passengers were now able to land directly on the wharf. The wharf was instrumental in expanding the agricultural, tourist and trading potential of the Comox Valley.

Joseph Rodello:

Joseph Rodello purchased two lots at the head of the wharf. He built a low rambling store on the east side of the wharf in anticipation of the finished wharf. In 1877, he built the original Wharf Hotel on the lot across the street from his store. The name was later changed to the Elk Hotel. Rodello later rented the hotel to Mr. and Mrs. John Fitzpatrick, who built the Lorne Hotel in 1878