Gassy Jack, Founder of Gastown
Meet the Man Who Started This Historic Vancouver Neighbourhood
Explore the history of Captain John "Gassy Jack" Deighton, the famous saloon owner.
Visitors to Vancouver, BC often head to the historical area of Gastown. They see the large human statue at Maple Tree Square but many don’t know who the man was or why an area of Vancouver was named after him. Stories of his colourful character still survive, as do tales of the days when he owned the first saloon in the then-named Granville Township.
Captain John “Gassy Jack” Deighton
Born in 1830 in Hull, England, the Captain came to New Westminster as a sailor. He tried his luck after serving on the New York to San Francisco ship Invincible, by digging for gold in California and then the Fraser River area of British Columbia.
After one more try for gold in the Cariboo in 1862, he gave up and settled in New Westminster. Opening a saloon there, his personality is still what remains after all these years.
The Globe Saloon
When lively Captain Deighton arrived at the Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, his immediate act wasn’t to find a house or look for a job, but to open a saloon within 24 hours. It was 1867 and he chose the location of Stamps Hill, present day Maple Tree Square, to build his 12’ x 24’ tavern in the midst of wilderness. Gastown was born.
Before staking his claim in Granville Township, he was nurturing his spirited reputation in New Westminster. There, he owned another bar called the Globe Saloon, which his Vancouver venture was named after. Entertaining guests was his fame, earning him the name “Gassy Jack.” “To gas” meant to talk a lot and that Captain Deighton was a pro at.
Granville Township
As the area became inhabited and Granville Township grew into a six-acre site, Captain Deighton’s Globe Saloon was now placed in the middle of a planned street. As fortune would have it, he was able to buy an adjacent property that became the Deighton Hotel: his 12’ x 24’ pub was demolished but the new building housed a billiard room, bar, a terrace and bedrooms on the upper floor.
The Deighton Family
Gassy Jack’s wife passed away not long after the hotel opened. The practical woman had organized her 12-year-old niece to marry Captain Deighton so he would still have someone to take care of him. The mismatched couple had a son the following year.
By 1874, Gassy Jack moved back to New Westminster temporarily, but returned to the Granville Township when his health began deteriorating. The legend of Captain Deighton’s death is farfetched, but the truth is unknown: on May 29, 1875, his dog began howling during the night. Jack allegedly cried out, “You son of a bitch! There’s something going to happen.” It was his last night on earth.
Finding the Gassy Jack Statue
Gastown is located on the northern border of downtown Vancouver, BC. The statue of Gassy Jack is located in the middle of Maple Tree Square, which is found at the corner of Water and Carrall Streets. This area is best seen during the daytime, as it becomes a bit seedy at night a few blocks east.
