mmmmBm DateP 3 R. ti (Reg) Atkinson Museum 785 MAIN STREET PENTICTON, B.C. V2A5E3 % S m^^l5 S7/ c ontents Title Page 1 List of Illustrations ... . . . . . . . 3 Okanagan Reverie .. . . . . . . . . . 5 Notice of Annual Meeting 6 Officers and Directors of Okanagan Historical Society . . 7 Branch Officers 8 Minutes of the Annual Meeting 9 John Matthew, Rutland 21 Organizing the Similkameen Branch of the OHS . . . . 31 Reminiscences of Naramata . 33 Spallumcheen Masonry Through 75 Years 36 Upper Keremeos and Ollala 46 Transportation by Road and Trail in the Okanagan Valley . 50 The Oliver United Church 1921 to 1963 . . . . .58 Southern Valleys of British Columbia 65 The OHS Picnic at Fairview in 1963 '75 I Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 77 Vernon United Church . 87 The Changing Economy of the Similkameen . . . 94 Penticton Then and Now 99 George Muterer Watt—A Tribute 101 Driving Logs by River and Lake (1910) ..... 103 The Reverend Philip Stocks 106 Armstrong's Fiftieth Anniversary 113 The Osoyoos Museum 116 Valentine Carmichael Hayner 117 Coldstream Ranch Goes Back One Hundred Years . . . 119 Lawrence Guichon 124 Kelowna Board of Trade, 1913 127 Long-Time Valley Resident, Bertram E. Crichton, Dies . .130 Pioneer Days in the Similkameen 131 We Will Remember Them 136 Mrs. Maria MacDonald Active North Okanagan Pioneer . . 141 The Hoziers 143 Canada's Okanagan .144 The Vale of Osoyoos 148 2 Early History of the Deep Creek District 149 Matilda Keogan Dalrymple . . . . . . . .152 An Early Petition 153 A Tribute to a Pioneer Woman 155 Summerland Anecdotes .158 A First Person Account of Early Days 164 Membership List . . .166 asL^ist of illustrations Old Stage Coach at Keremeos . , 4 John Matthew Rutland 20 Rutland Bench Looking Towards Black Mountain ... 23 Grain Harvesting in Rutland 24 Blossom Scene in Santa Rosa Orchard 27 Sam Manery Holds Charter 32 On Vernon-Kelowna Road at Long Lake, B.C 53 Construction of Okanagan Centre South Road Near Camp 2 . 55 Construction of New Road Okanagan Centre, B.C. . . . 56 Columbia Silt Banks Near Athalmer . . . . 'Ģ. . 65 Terraced Penticton Silts, West Summerland 71 Remnant of a Silt Bank, Similkameen Valley \ . . . . 73 Old Fairview Camp 76 Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Nesbitt and Family 78 Grist Mill at Keremeos, Circa 1877 98 George Muterer Watt .100 Driving Logs by River and Lake (Map) 104 The Reverend Philip Stocks 106 Grave of the Rev. Philip Stocks 107 The Rev. and Mrs. Stocks at Stocksmoor 108 Before the Days of Mechanization on Coldstream Ranch . . 121 A Threshing Scene on Coldstream Ranch in 1910 . . . 123 Dr. Lawrence Guichon . . . .. . . . .125 Father Pandosy Church on the Penticton Indian Reserve . . 129 Bertram E. Crichton . . . ... . . .130 3 Mr* '.&#_ _c en C ac _c "3 c ro S-Sffil! >**, *- ::-rm:M -4_____*Jk*v* ^ *i k'&l'v- ■kCm' o ■f. 4 *4% . #* * * 5 ;. . ijy^f - - *'( K^kayiacjavi /v< w everie By Janet Anderson I look around On friends I found So many years ago; Each kindly face, Its strength, its grace Its worth I surely know. In years bygone We laboured on With debts, and hopes, and fears. We shared the pain, The hard won gain, The laughter, . . . and the tears. And now we stand, A goodly band, All mellowed with the years. Our work is done. 'Twas well begun By us, the pioneers. So let us raise Our song of praise For neighbours down the years: Dear friends we knew, So strong, so true, Our Valley pioneers! . Sec. 25, just East of Sec. 26, and just dry hillside range. The Kamloops Registry records showed that Dan Rabbitt held no title to the E^. Sec. 26. The title was conveyed by John Conroy and B. Lequime and the Parish Priest at the Mission, trustees of the estate of Michael Hagen, who had willed it to the Church. This is the same Michael Hagen who was editor of the "Inland Sentinel" in the gold rush days at Yale, and then Kamloops. He retired here in 1891, and lived in a log cabin at the foot of the hill. An interesting story of a trip through the Okanagan by Hagen in 1885 was reprinted in the O.H.S. 16th report of 1952. The Wl/2. 24 John Matthew Rutland Sec. 35 was conveyed by Tom Hereron, as Trustee for Dan Rabbitt, which would seem to confirm a report that Rabbitt had made an assignment. The buildings on the property were not in good shape. There was a two storey house, with a former saloon attached by a passageway. The saloon had been damaged by fire, and Rutland tore it down, and built a house for his foreman, J. Ferman "Frank" Bell, with the lumber. Hay, grain, cattle and hogs were the mainstay of the 960 acre estate, but Rutland soon turned to fruit growing. He brought in irrigation, and planted an orchard. He took water from Mission Creek, about half a mile above the present East Kelowna- Belgo bridge. The water was brought over the creek in a high flume, and along the side of the bench above the Hollywood district, by ditch to the corner where the Rutland Welding Shop now stands. This ditch is still in use, though the water is carried in an undeground pipe through the built-up part of Rutland village. Flumes were required here and there, and Rutland told a friend in Australia that he used a "ton of nails" in building flumes on his system. There was a secondary ditch going East to the foot of the hill and along to the South from there. This served the first young orchards that Rutland planted. The main canal eventually headed North to the Section line, and crossed the road at Gay's, on to the W^2. Sec. 35 to serve that part of his holdings. An interesting feature of the main ditch above Hollywood is the fact that it looks as if it was running up hill. This optical illusion is caused by the fact that there is a steady downward slope to the North on the bench above, and the ditch starts out near the bottom of the bench, and a mile or more further along turns eastward over the top edge of the bench. Many persons have refused to believe that the water ran from South to North, and had to be shown to be convinced. One Prairie farmer's wife, even after seeing for herself, declared "Well, I've seen everything now! I've seen a country where water runs up hill!" A popular story is also told, that John Rutland used a whiskey bottle, half filled with water, as a level in laying out the system. Rutland planted his first orchards on the extreme southern end of his property, closest to the irrigation source, and late in 1904 Sam Sproule and later his brother Robert, bought parts of the young orchard. Others came along and acquired smaller parcels, including C. T. Phipps, F. W. Sutcliffe, R. Clemenson and C. T. D. Russell. In the early Spring of 1905 Rutland received such an attractive offer from a Kelowna Syndicate for the balance of his holdings, and his irrigation system that he agreed to sell. The price was not mentioned, but the Kelowna Clarion of April 15th, tells us that "Mr. and Mrs. 25 John Matthew Rutland John Rutland left for Santa Rosa, California, on Saturday. They expect to remain there for two years, after which they will move to Australia, their former home. Mr. and Mrs. Rutland have resided on their farm, about 6 miles from Kelowna for the past three years, but having sold out for a sum sufficient to make them independent for the rest of their lives, they decided to take things easy for a time. They leave a large circle of friends and acquaintances here who wish them full enjoyment of life in the Sunny South." While resident in the Okanagan, the Rutlands had an addition to the family, the "Clarion" reporting this on August 25th, 1904, announcing that there had been "born to Mr. and Mrs. John Rutland, a daughter." They named her Elsie, and took back a little Canadian with them to the land "down under." The syndicate which purchased the Rutland estate was composed of mostly the same men who, as the "Okanagan Fruit & Land Co." had bought the A. B. Knox ranch in 1904, thereby doubling the area of the Kelowna townsite, which was incorporated as a city in 1905. They subdivided the Rutland property into 12 and 24 acre lots, and registered a plan at Kamloops July 13th, 1905. Signatures on the plan include D. W. Sutherland (destined to become Kelowna's perennial Mayor), H. G. Stillingfleet, S. T. Elliott, R. Morrison and Sam L. Long (surveyor). J. L. Doyle was the witness. At a later date J. E. Reekie became associated with the property, and the sale of the land and operation of the irrigation system appeared to be handled by the "Rutland Land Co." In 1913 some 36 land owners on the estate were issued conditional water licenses nos. 62 and 65, and the group operated the irrigation system for many years as a sort of co-operative effort. William Gay was secretary most of the time. In the meantime the Central Okanagan Lands Co. had bought up most of the remaining undeveloped land in the district, and put it under irrigation, and sold off the property in ten and twenty acre lots. The Belgo Canadian Co. developed the bench land to the South and East. Today the irrigation systems are all amalgamated in the Black Mountain Irrigation District, serving some 4,500 acres of land, forming the second largest irrigation system in B.C. In the meantime, the man who started all this, was on his way to Santa Rosa. Here he worked with Burbank, and there is evidence that the famous botanist took a liking to Rutland, for he named one of his latest hybrids, a plumcot, after him, and the following year, when Rutland returned to Australia, he took with him the exclusive rights to the sale of a number of the Burbank products, including the "Rutland plumcot." He took along buds and scions to propagate 26 John Matthew Rutland the new species. He took, also, another item he was interested in, a spineless cactus, which he hoped to introduce into Australia for subsistence of cattle and sheep in dry areas. The next we hear of Rutland is in a lengthy article published in the Kelowna Courier of Aug. 12th, 1909 headed "Former Kelownian Succeeds in Australia." The article was taken from the "Melbourne Leader" and the Courier comments "It is understood that Mr. J. Rutland made a considerable fortune through his agency for the sale of Luther Burbank properties." The article tells of his stay in Canada and the U.S.A. and Rutland is quoted as saying that his five years' experience with irrigation in the growing of fruit trees, provided the most valuable lessons he learned in America. The article tells how he looked around the state of Victoria for a location resembling that of Santa Rosa. In the Kiewa River valley in the north, near the New South Wales border, he found what he wanted, purchased some 900 acres, and cleared the red gum and box trees from the bottom land, planted 90 acres of orchard, and established a nursery. Most of the remainder of the land was used to run cattle on. The "Leader" tells of a catalog of the new fruits that Rutland had published, calling it a fine example of good printing and colour reproduction. All this and many more details were reprinted in full in the Courier. Blossom Scene in Santa Rosa Orchard, Kiewa Valley, Australia. Rutland called his new holdings in Kiewa "Santa Rosa," after the California home of Luther Burbank. Here he worked, and experimented for the rest of his days. He introduced cold storage for his fruit, in an era when little was known about it. "Cool Stores" his 27 John Matthew Rutland buildings were called, and evidence of his native ability is the fact that he was "architect, quantity surveyor and clerk of the works" himself, in their construction, the labour being done by his own men employed on the place. This information comes from H. J. Davis, of Glen Waverley, Victoria, who along with his own father, acted as selling agents for the Rutland fruit crops from both Warncoort and the Kiewa Valley. Rutland operated a portable sawmill to supply needed lumber and boxes, and employed drivers, horses and vans to transport fruit to railhead, at Huon in Victoria, or Albury in N.S.W. (Australian railways had different gauge tracks in each State.) T. A. Connors, of Yalourn, Victoria, whose father was foreman of Rutland's operations at Kiewa for many years, has supplied information regarding the property. The original orchard was 50% plums, 40% apples and 10 % pears, he states. Amongst the varieties were Jonathan, Gravenstein, Rome Beauty, all familiar to the Okanagan; and King Cole, Five Crown and King David, the latter a Burbank item. In later years the Granny Smith and Red Delicious were added. Black Walnut trees were planted around the farm as windbreaks, and some of the wood was used for making gun stocks. Rutland donated many of these trees to plant a Memorial Avenue for soldiers who died in the 1914-18 war. The spineless cactus was experimented with. A dry paddock was selected for planting, and sheep turned into it to graze later. It was found that they could obtain sufficient moisture from the cactus to enable them to live without additional water. This could have been successful, Mr. Connors believes, but was abandoned because of government opposition to the introduction of the cactus. Australia's past experience with introductions from other lands has not been too happy—mentioning only rabbits for one item. Rutland experimented with tobacco with 20 acres planted at one time, but this did not prove too satisfactory. In later years the tobacco industry has proved successful in a neighbouring valley, at Myrtle ford and Bright. Rutland strove to make the property self-sufficient and self- supporting. He developed a series of small dams on a creek, to provide gravity irrigation, and installed a wooden pipeline to supply water from a lower creek by pumping. All was not clear sailing, though, for the Kiewa valley proved subject to hailstorms, fierce electric storms and gusty winds, doing much damage to crops. The lower lands were subject to flooding on occasion. During one of the worst floods Rutland drove through flooded lands and rescued some people at night from a partially submerged house, and brought them to his home where they were cared for until the floods subsided. 28 John Matthew Rutland In the mid twenties, the Rutland's daughter, Elsie, their only child, was married to Brennan Johnson, who still resides in the area, living at Staghorn Flat about 5 miles West of Kiewa. John Matthew Rutland passed away at Albury, N.S.W. on July 2, 1927, at the age of 63, from pneumonia and heart failure after a five week illness. He was buried in Warncoort cemetery, Rev. V. R. Bradbury, Methodist minister, conducting the funeral service. His daughter Elsie did not survive him very long, according to information from Miss E. Martin, an 80 year old aunt, of Newport, Victoria. Elsie died at Blue Mountain N.S.W. after 8 years of married life, before her first child was born. Miss Martin also tells me of her last trip to Santa Rosa to see her sister, Mrs. Rutland, on May 20th, 1943, only to find that she had passed away in her sleep that morning. Amongst other letters received is one from a niece of Mrs. Rutland, Mrs. N. Dever of East Melbourne, who states that she had been christened with water brought in a bottle from Niagara Falls by the Rutlands, while on their honeymoon! After Rutland's death the property was under the management of W. H. Grant until the early 1940s, when it was abandoned as an orchard, and sold to a Mr. S. Speirs, who operates a dairy farm on the property. Most of the orchard has been grubbed out, and in the Kiewa district (and also in the Warncoort district) fruit growing is restricted to small orchards around farm homes. One outstanding feature of that part of Australia today is the huge Hume Reservoir, a storage dam on the upper part of the Murray River that is so large that it shows as a fair sized lake in most ordinary maps of Australia. Mr. Connors speaks of John Rutland as being a kindly man, and one whose orchard and farm property were his great interest and hobby. He tells of a large apple tree on the place on which Rutland had grafted no fewer than twelve distinct varieties. H. J. Davis, who had known Rutland most of his life, describes him as a very clever man, and "nature's gentleman" a wonderful character for whom "I had the greatest admiration and respect." My first contact in Australia, Rutland's nephew, unfortunately passed away early in 1963. His sister, Miss Florence Evelyn Rutland, of Geelong, wrote me, and she tells of a visit to Kiewa, at harvest time, when her uncle had 70 men engaged to harvest the Santa Rosa plum crop. "I had never seen such wonderful growth," she writes, "but within a fortnight of picking, a terrific hail storm swept down 'The Gap' and so damaged the crop that only 7 men were needed, and the Rosella Jam factory bought the remnant of the crop." Few people still resident in Rutland remember the family, but 29 John Matthew Rutland Mrs. George Monford, who was their next door neighbour, remembers them well. She describes Mr. Rutland as a big man, quiet and courteous. Mrs. Rutland she remembers as being lively and full of fun. She remembers her calling her husband "Hope" all the time, and thought it was his real name. Mrs. Monford was a Godparent of their daughter Elsie. Mrs. A. L. Cross, who was formerly Mrs. J. Ferman Bell, remembers them too, her husband having been Rutland's foreman. She has a number of pictures of the family in her possession, and corresponded with Mrs. Rutland in California and Australia for a time. Some who were youngsters back in those days can recall him. One such is Max Robie, of Kelowna, who is the little boy in the foreground of the picture of the Rutland house. He can remember his father, later a fruit grower in Winfield, going out with Rutland that morning and shooting a deer on the property. Though John Rutland lived only slightly more than three years in this district, his installation of the irrigation system, and his planting of orchards was the beginning of the transformation of the area from cattle raising, grain growing, and just plain range, into a fruit growing area. While his stay was short, his impact upon the development was long lasting. Today, the growing of fruit has spread to the slopes and upper benches, and has to a large extent disappeared from the lower levels, which is now broken up into small holdings, and residential subdivisions. What was called the Rutland bench 60 years ago, is now called the "flats." Where Rutland planted his first orchards a town is springing up with a domestic water system, modern fire brigade and street lights. In the entire district over four thousand people now reside. 30 \^Jraanizing the ^^iynilkameen J^jranch of J he y^Jkanagan 76 <__/ rKemember j^enticton 'Jrom 1900- 1908 By Anne Nesbitt Burgess My father, Joseph Alfred Nesbitt, was born in Quebec City, Quebec, in 1851. As a young man he had a great hankering to go west. His feet were really itchy so it wasn't long before he was on his way. When he got as far as Fort Garry, which is now called Winnipeg, the Riel Rebellion was on; so he joined forces there with the Red River Expedition in 1870. When that was over he still wanted to go further west, so in course of time he found himself in a small settlement in British Columbia. At that time it didn't have a name but is now known as Lumby. Why he went there I do not know. It happened that a lassie had just arrived at this same place from Scotland. It wasn't long before they met and were married in 1894. My father had a job at this time selling fruit trees up and down the Okanagan Valley. He was away from home quite a bit and he wasn't satisfied, and in course of time there were four children in the family. About this time—1900—he was asked to take over the police job in Penticton, so he gladly accepted. It wasn't long before we were on our way in the late fall of that year. We came down the lake on the little old "York". The "Aberdeen" was plying on the lake at that time, but why we had to take the York I do not recall. There were just two families here ahead of us, outside of the Ellis family who lived on the Ellis homestead which at that time seemed so far out of Penticton; actually today it is only a stone throw from the heart of Penticton, just a block or two southwest of Main on Fairview Road. Mr. Smith, who was acting as C.P.R. Agent at that time lived with his wife and family of three little girls in a cottage west of the first C.P.R. wharf. Mr. Dan White and family lived in a cottage on the hill a little south of the Smith home. Mr. White was a blacksmith and his place of business was on the corner of Ellis Street and what is now Front Street. The Penticton Hotel overlooking the lake on the hill was the busiest place in town. The bars were wide open in those days. Freighters, miners and travellers all met there to quench their thirsts. The hotel and store next door were owned by Mr. Ellis, our Cattle King. 77 / Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Nesbitt and family, William, b. Oct. 9, 1895; Annie, b. Sept. 14, 1896; Alfred, b. Sept. 13, 1897; Margaret, b. Feb. 19, 1899; John, b. Jan. 5, 1902. Mr. A. H. Wade managed the store for Mr. Ellis. His home was a neat little cottage south of the White residence and also on the hill overlooking Ellis Street. He was a bachelor at that time. Mr. Welby had the horse stables and this was the centre of the freight business. This was on the hill just east of the White residence. Well do I remember those white covered wagons waiting to be loaded and on their way. Our home wasn't ready when we arrived in Penticton, so we stayed with Mr. Smythe Parker, a bachelor who was then Chief Magistrate. His home was a cottage on the site where the R. B. White Clinic is today. Our home was on Ellis Street just south of Mr. Wade's. My father bought thirteen lots here thinking that this would be the main part of Penticton. This proved to be wrong and poor little Ellis Street looked so forlorn and neglected a few years later. Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Barnes lived in a cottage a little northwest of our home. Jim Campbell and Harry Hilliard had homes on either side of us. Mr. Atherton was the manager of the Penticton Hotel and Jessie Phelps was the waitress there. Jim Schubert had a general store opposite Dan White's blacksmith on Ellis Street. He was a widower and had a son Bert. Mrs. Hood clerked in this store. She had a daughter Florence. Their home was across Penticton creek north of Parker's residence. Outside of the Ellis family and 78 / Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 their cattlemen, this comprised the population of Penticton at that time. About twenty seven people. There was a wonderful community spirit here in those early days. In sickness or trouble there was always a helping hand. We would have the odd party at each other's homes, but that couldn't come too often as we would wear out our welcomes as there were so few of us. As there were no baby sitters, when Mama and Papa went home, all the children would have to go as well. Sometimes we would have a. spelling bee or a debate; a discussion and exchange of books, and always we would wind up with a few games. Musical chairs as I remember, seemed to be the most popular game. There wasn't a piano or an organ, but someone would have a mouth organ and we had an accordion which filled its purpose. It all helped to spend many a delightful evening. Tea and cakes would be served by the hostesses in turn. In the Spring the hills would be dotted with flowers and shrubs and many a study in nature did we have there. I believe our parents knew the names of each flower and shrubs that grew on those hills. Then in summer there was swimming and as we had a boat we had a little boating. Then we would have the odd picnic. Our favorite spot was on the beach about 200 yards east of the old wharf. Fishing was a great sport in those days, but when we went fishing in Penticton creek we didn't always take hook and line. We would go equipped with rake and hoe, wash boiler and tub, and as fast as our parents would rake in the fish, we children would toss then into the containers. When we thought we had our winter supply we would be on our way home. This may sound like a tall fish story to some of you, but it is true. I was there. The fish were the Kickanee coming up the streams to spawn; they were related to the salmon and were delicious to eat. As years went by they became more scarce, so the Government put on restrictions and we had to use the gaff hook. Then later our hook and line. The Indians never came under these restrictions. I do not believe there are very many of these fish in the stream today. Of course the fish had to be preserved as soon as possible after the "catch" and Mother and Dad had various ways of doing this. Some of those recipies I wish I had today. They were really delicious. Dad put some of them down in a brine and Mother pickled some in tomatoes and spices and various other ways. The "Aberdeen" plied up and down the lake three times a week between Okanagan Landing and Penticton, carrying freight and the odd passenger. It was a beautiful sight to see her coming in all 79 / Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 lit up. With a toot of the whistle and clanging of the bells, she used to cause a surge of excitement through us all as she would glide so gracefully to the old wharf to be tied up for the night. I believe every one in town would go to "meet the boat" on its arrival. This of course, was the horse and buggy days and some of the people would come with their teams and tie them up along the road to the dock. My father thought this was quite a traffic hazard and so he tried to stop this practice. I wonder how he would handle the traffic situation of today. Crossing the creek at Front and Ellis was a small bridge that held against the spring floods, but the little foot bridge on Ellis Street had to be replaced every year. It was made of several huge boxes filled with rocks and placed at intervals in the creek, then spanned with jittery long boards. I would never cross unless some one would take my hand. I imagine the water was never too deep there outside of the flood season, but then the bridge would be washed away, so there wasn't much danger. There was only one church here at this time, the little old English church almost opposite the old Ellis homestead. Rev. Green was the minister there when he was in town. He travelled and held services in different parts of the Valley. We attended services here a few times, but gave it up in time. It was a long dusty walk over the freight roads and we were all very young at that time. Also in winter the roads were either muddy or snow covered. At one time my father thought he knew a short cut through the woods but we became lost, so that spelled finish to our trips there. In 1901 a couple of young chaps arrived who opened our first real estate office here—a little building just north of L. C. Barnes' residence. This real estate firm was run by Winkler and Moore. Here we held our first church services in town, about once a month, with Rev. White our Presbyterian Minister. In 1902 a new family arrived, the Roadhouse family. Now we had high hopes of opening a school. But the Smith family moved away. Mr. Smith was succeeded by Mr. Townley and Mr. and Mrs. Townley didn't have a family. However, Mrs. Hood, whose daughter was attending school elsewhere, promised that if we could get a school started, her daughter would attend here, but even then that wasn't enough to solve our problems, but by squeezing in my brother Alf and Les Roadhouse, who were under school age, we finally got our school opened in the fall of 1902. We had to have an average attendance of eight to start a school. That meant that ten had to answer the roll call. Mr. Roadhouse and my father were the school trustees. They selected a little cabin 80 / Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 on the brow of the hill opposite the Penticton Hotel, a tiny one room affair. Miss Chisholm was our first teacher here. Our desks were a plank nailed to the side wall, and our seats were a long bench also made from a plank and placed to make it a little more comfortable. This meant that we were never facing our teacher. Our only books were the Primer and our writing book was a slate with a sponge attached to a string and looped into the frame of the slate to wash it off when necessary. Often there wasn't any water in the school bucket to dampen the sponge, so we did the next best thing, and that was to spit on the slate and even at times lick it with our tongues . . . but germs or not we all survived and were a healthy bunch. This surely would be frowned upon by the sanitary laws of today. In 1903 the Taylor family arrived and also the Randolphs with a school age daughter, Hazel. Also Bert Schubert joined our ranks. This created another problem. Our school was far too small. My father had just completed a dwelling on the corner of Ellis Street and what is now Nanaimo, so it was decided that that would be our next school. Miss Black then Miss Diamond, were our teachers then. There was always a fast turn over of teachers at this time. Social life was very dull for a young girl, with very little recreation and no eligible young blades; so they looked for greener pastures. 1904 saw a great change in our small community. Mr. Ellis was contemplating to sell out to the S. O. Land Company, which was under the guidance of the Shatford brothers. This meant a change over from the cattletown as Penticton had been up to this time. This of course, brought in more families—Martinsons, Richard- sons, Hudons, Roberges and the Edes, and now another school problem faced us. We had to seek a larger school now. This time a building was erected on the west side of Guernsey's pond. We called it "Turtle" pond as it seemed to be alive with turtles. Miss Carr was our teacher now, then followed by Miss Ashworth, who was a sister to Mrs. Townley. Soon she married Col. Herschmer, then Miss -Munroe took her place. Here also we held our first church services with Rev. Balderson, our first Methodist minister, and sometimes replaced by the Presbyterian minister. It didn't matter in those days what the denomination was as long as it was a church service and everybody attended. Here I would like to particularly mention the Hudon and Roberge families. They were of French descent and at that time could speak but very little English. Where they came from I do not recall, but before the family arrived a priest got in touch with 81 / Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 my father who knew he could read and write French, and it was arranged that they were to stay at our home until their's was ready for occupancy. They had bought property over on what is now Main Street on the west side in the 200 block. We couldn't imagine them wanting to build so far away out of town, and at that time it was such a muddy spot. Mr. Hudon was a blacksmith and his shop bordered on Penticton creek opposite what is now the Valley Hotel. Mrs. Hudon turned her home into a boarding house which later became the Papulas Palace Hotel. Mr. Roberge opened our first baking shop right next to the Hudon's home. The Hudons had eight children and the Roberges had three at that time. That meant there were twenty two people housed in our four bedroom home for several days, but everything ran along smoothly without any fuss or confusion. People were now flocking into town from everywhere, and houses and businesses were popping up all over, and this meant the social life was changing too. Lodges and Clubs were organized. Mr. and Mrs. McNeil who became our first dairy people, were great community workers. Mrs. McNeil organized our first children's club, called the Band of Hope, a temperance club. It petered out in a couple of years and then she organized the first troup of Boy Scouts, then the Girl Guides. She also held classes for some of the senior classes in her home—also she trained children for some of our early concerts. By 1905 our school was much too small, also our Sunday services were overcrowded. The town was growing rapidly. Many more families were coming into Penticton. Erauts, Hendersons, Latimers, which all added to our school population. We were still all in one room. That meant again we had to look for a larger school, but when and where was the question. Finally in 1906 it was decided a building near the corner of Martin and Eckhardt would be our next move. It was a private dwelling. The living room was to be used as one room and the kitchen as the other. Mr. Fred Tupper, a brother of Charlie Tupper who was a member of Parliament here for a number of years, was our first school principal, and Miss McKinley was the other teacher. It was a queer set up as the kitchen was really to small and there wasn't enough room for a stove which was badly needed in the winter, so a pot bellied affair of a stove was attached to the ceiling and hung above the children's heads, how it was stoked must have been a laughable task, but it served its purpose and everyone was warm during school hours. The old building by the pond was towed down to the corner 82 / Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 of Eckhardt and Main, additions added and that became our first Presbyterian church, with Rev. James Hood our first minister. Rev. Ferguson Miller succeeded Mr. Hood here and continued after the churches were united. The Methodists built their church two blocks north on the same side of the street. Rev. Mr. Hibbert was the first minister there. Mr. Hibbert later married Hazel Lancaster who was our first music teacher. Mr. Hibbert was succeeded by the very popular Rev. G. O. Fallis. He went overseas and was Chaplin in the army in the First Great War. I do not recall what battalion he was with. The town was still growing rapidly. C. A. C. Steward built a two story structure on the east side of Main in the 200 block. The first floor was his place of business. He had a furniture store here. Also the Post Office moved in here as well from a corner in Shubert's store. The upper floor was used as a public hall. We held our first public dances here and any public meetings, etc. July 1st was the chief attraction of the year. The mornings were donated to children's sports and some swimming and boating races at the old C.P.R. Wharf. Then in the afternoon there were bicycle races, but the chief attraction of all was the horse-racing— Indian and whites would gather from everywhere, even as far away as Oroville, which at that time seemed so far. It was a quaint and picturesque sight to see those Indians decked out in all their gay colors. They really made it a day, took their lunches and all their kiddies and they would congregate in little huddles all over town. July 1st became so popular that in time it was made a two day event. Also in the summer we would have a wonderful Sunday School picnic, all the churches combined. We all headed for "Dog Lake" where the day was spent in games, races, etc. In the winter we would have an ice carnival at the old pond. There would be prizes for the best costumes, races and snap the whip. Our school was very sadly overcrowded by this time and a much bigger school was needed immediately, so this time we had our first real school—a four roomed affair erected on the corner of Main Street and Fairview Road in 1907. The first principal was Mr. Barker with Mr. Tupper, Miss Yuill and Miss Laird as the other teachers. This school still stands and I believe today is used as the primary school. In 1908 our village was incorporated with Mr. A. H. Wade our first Reeve. Main Street was now the business section of town, leaving Ellis right out of the picture altogether. Mr. Wade carried our first mail from the old wharf to the Penticton Hotel in a small canvas 83 / Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 bag. There he sorted it in his corner of the hotel. Later he used a wheel barrow to carry the mail, then horse and buggy. Now it comes in trucks, buses and planes. That is the growth of the Post Office over the years. In those early days there wasn't a dairy. Lots of cows but they were all for beef. We had to send to Kelowna for milk which had to come down the lake and only three times a week. How Mother ever got it to keep sweet I cannot recall. There were no basements nor refrigerators but we dug a hole on the north side of the house which seemed to help to serve for that time. We couldn't dig a cellar as we would strike water after digging a couple of feet. We were always in the path of the floods here. I recall one time Mr. Wade awakened us about 2 a.m. banging and shouting and when we go up our place was flooded with water. Dad had to carry us two at a time down Ellis, then we walked to the Penticton Hotel to seek refuge for the night. Mother wouldn't come with us, she wanted to save her chickens and ducks. When Dad came back for her he found her trying to save the ducks who were swimming around having a whale of a time. She forgot all about the chickens —I suppose she panicked. I believe it was in 1906 a circus came to town. While here it became broke, so they split up and left, but one of their members lingered behind, a colorful character we called Nigger John. John Norwood was his name. He was quite a baseball player and gave many of the young boys here their first lesson in baseball. He later married an Indian woman and the question arose as to where they were to live—the council finally gave permission that they could live in Penticton. Then again it was brought up in the council and finally they had to move to the Indian Reserve. Another colorful character was Apple Tree JoneS—better known as Nigger Jones. He was always dry and carried his bottle with him most of the time. On one of his binges he went for a boat ride. He had on a big heavy fur overcoat which he wore most of the time. Somehow the boat tipped over on him but he managed to get back some how, soaken wet of course. He went home and changed, then took all his clothes to Sam's Laundry, including the overcoat. Sam laundered everything, then ironed it all, even the coat which really now looked a mess—hair and all, but Mr. Jones still wore it after all that experience. When my youngest brother was born here in Penticton in 1902, Dr. White could not be located, so two Indian women came and stayed till after the baby was born and Mother was on her feet again. 84 / Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 When Dad died in 1931, some of these Indians followed his casket to his grave. One of the finest tributes ever paid I thought. There are few here know that I am an ex-convict—Yes, I was locked up in Penticton jail many years ago. Most people would like to keep this locked in their cupboards, but here I am more or less bragging about it. My crime? Hide-and-go-seek. After a prisoner left the jail it fell on my Dad to clean the place up and prepare for another client. On one of these occasions Dad took us children with him and left us outside to play while he went about his work. We played hide-and-go-seek and I thought it would be smart to hide in the jail. When my father was through here he locked the door and started for home with the rest of the children. I was missed but they thought I had gone home. When I didn't show up for supper they became anxious and started looking. Soon the whole town was looking for me. Some thought I might have fallen into Wade's pond which was quite close to the jail. However, about dusk some one passed the jail and noticed my face through the bars. I had paid my fine in tears, so was released, but Dad never took us up there again. When the S.O. Land Company took over in Penticton, they brought in a bunch of Chinamen to work as labourers. This really set off steam in town, so headed by some of the business men they were chased up the lake and told not to come back. A charge was laid against these business men, and four of their number were sentenced to two months in prison. The Chinamen didn't come back. Whether they were too frightened or what I cannot remember. The Randolphs I believe had the first orchard on the bench. Then B. A. Shatford near the middle bench. Two of his small daughters died within a week of each other in 1907. It cast a gloom all over town. Our first street lights here were coal oil lamps, and it was the policeman's duty to see that they were lit at night and put out in early a.m. and I suppose he had also to see they were clean and filled with oil as well. Before concluding I would like again to bring in that historic name of the Ellis's. Some people think of Mr. Ellis as a hard, shrewd business man, but he had his kinder side too. When we arrived here in late 1900, we had no provisions stored away for the winter. On different occasions on going to our front gate we would find a bag of potatoes or apples, and we knew the Ellis's had been there. They never announced their presence, just tossed the bags over the fence and were gone. I do not believe he singled us out any more than the other few families. I believe we were all treated alike. Needless to 85 / Remember Penticton from 1900-1908 say they were greatly appreciated. Then at Christmas he would send up his team and sleigh and pick up all the families of Penticton and then we would be off to spend the rest of the day at the Old Ellis Homestead. There would be a turkey dinner awaiting us, then a Xmas tree laden with gifts, candy, nuts and oranges for all the children. There would be singing, carols and games, and then all too soon, at the end of a very happy, exciting day, we would be bundled off home again. This went on for several Xmases, 1900-1-2-3. It couldn't have continued or there would have to be more than one sleigh as the town was growing. However, after the S.O. Land Company took over, the Ellis's retired to Victoria, where they spent their final days. The parents of those children are all gone as well, but the children, for those of us who are left, old and gray like myself, must still remember this Ellis family which helped to make our early Xmases here so much happier in those first years of 1900. I left Penticton in 1927 and when I returned a few years later I was amazed at its growth. It didn't even look like the place just a few years before, and I even became lost on its streets. A few times I have taken the odd stroll down into the old part of town on Ellis Street just by myself. I still see the house that Billy Blance built. Mr. Blance clerked for Mr. Wade who had just built a store on the corner of Front and Westminster, after Mr. Ellis sold out. Sam Kee's old laundry was just south of those on Robinson Street. I found the little old real estate office of Winkler and Moore, also the Barnes and Wade homes. Harry Hilliard and Jim Campbell's abodes and our old home as well as one or two other homes my father built well over sixty years go. They are all there; their faces lifted and all renovated, but I still recognize them and they seem to call out to me as I pass by, and it all brings back my childhood days and so many happy memories of so long ago. I mentioned before we had a little boat—One Good Friday, being a holiday, my Mother packed our picnic basket and told us we could go on a picnic by ourselves, but we were to be home by six o'clock. We started off, got into our little row boat which had just sprung a leak. We rowed and baled all the way to Naramata, the same route the steam boats took. After arriving in Naramata and looking the town over, we ate our lunch and started back the same way, and just got into Penticton as the Okanagan came in—so we just rolled into shore with her wake. Why we were not drowned I don't know . . . our guardian angel must have been with us. However, we arrived home right on the dot of six—none of us were over ten years old. 86 Uernon LA-nited {-church By Guy P. Bagnall Editor's Note : The article that follows is the third in a series of three articles telling the story of the United Church in Vernon. The first of these articles dealt with the early history of the Presbyterian Church and is to be found on page 125 of the O.H.S. Report No. 17. The second similarly outlining the early history of the Methodist Church up until the time of union in 1925} appeared in the 26th Report. In the following pages the reader will be told the history of the present day United Church from that time. Church Union between the Methodist, Congregational and Presbyterian communions took place in 1925, and was suitably con- sumated by observances at the various churches throughout Canada and Newfoundland, but local union was something quite different, which had to be worked out by local church outhorities. This was the position at Vernon. Here, were two churches which had each filled an important place in the life of the community for about 25 years, families had gone full cycle of the sacraments, births, marriages and deaths; and there were strong attachments for the forms of service to which they had become accustomed. There were two solutions to the problem: One was to continue with the polity (form of constitution) of their existing church; the other being to adopt the polity of The United Church of Canada. As an important preliminary to local union, each church adopted the polity of The United Church. This cleared the way for discussions relative to local union. Meantime, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church changed its name to "St. Andrew's United Church," and Vernon Methodist Church became "Central United Church, Vernon, B.C." Four years were to elapse before local union became a fact. These were years of preparation—not unlike the time spent by a couple contemplating matrimony. — However, it soon became apparent that if these 2 churches meant business, the subject would have to be studied closely by a committee. On February 4th, 1929, St. Andrew's United Church formally communicated with Central United Church, expressing its approval, in principal, of the amalgamation of the 2 local churches and asking, if Central United Church were in agreement, that they would appoint a committee of seven (7) to meet with a committee of like number 87 Vernon United Church from St. Andrew's. The Central United did agree, and the lists of the joint committee are given below,— Presbyterian Methodist Wm. Forrester, dec. G. P. Bagnall N. R. Brown, dec. W. L. Pearson, dec. J. T. Mutrie, dec. Thos. Hyland, dec. John White, dec. Geo. Woods, dec. C. Fulton, dec. A. B. Godfrey, dec. H. K. Beairsto A. J. Stephenson, dec. W. S. Harris, dec. A. S. Hurlburt, dec. These names were consolidated to make the committee on local union. W. S. Harris was elected chairman, A. B. Godfrey, deputy chairman and G. P. Bagnall, secretary. The committee duly completed its task and its report was formally adopted by each congregation, meeting in separate buildings, and then communicated by one body to the other. There were rejoicings. Integration was to begin at once. It was not an easy program to follow. The two ministers would be continued for a full year; they were expected to co-operate, and they did, meanwhile the scores of changes—disturbing to some members—were quietly carried out and the year passed all too quickly. Then the time came to say goodby: Not just an ordinary "Good- by." It was the end of a peculiar type of religious experience. A new day had dawned, and the two ministers, now leaving, symbolized for each congregation those very dear family ties and associations which had grown up over the years. Reverend G. G. Hacker, the former Methodist minister, and Reverend T. J. S. Ferguson, the former Presbyterian minister, were each presented with a beautiful historic scroll, signed by representatives of the United congregation. The scroll began in a somewhat legal form with "Dominion of Canada, Dominion of Newfoundland, To Wit:" et. seq. As these 2 men of God left to take up a torch in another field, Vernon United welcomed to the pastorate,— Reverend Jenkin H. Davies, B.A., LL.B., Ph.D. who remained to serve his calling here for fifteen years. This seems the right place to tell a little more about the committee on local union, because from this vantage point it can be seen how efficiently their work had been done. The success of local union committee from inception to consumation, may in a very large measure be attributed to its chairman, the late W. S. Harris. His candour, reasonableness, his thorough grasp of the matter-in-hand, and his amazing friendliness with every 88 Vernon United Church member of that committee worked wonders. Of course there were divergent views—doctrinal, procedural, historical and sentimental. Many a time it looked as though any agreement which had been reached would be forthwith dissolved—but Mr. Harris held firm to first principles, and at the last meeting had won all essential points. The writer has been a member of many church committees but never before a member of a committee where business acumen and spiritual requirements were held in such perfect balance. Mr. W. S. Harris completed a task which few men could equal in performance, and Trinity United Church has every reason to hold his memory in deep respect. It is not the purpose of this digest to bring in current events, important though these undoubtedly are, but we wish to pass onto the kaleidoscope of church life as presented about the time of 1925- 1930, and even later. The great achievement of union, when the new congregation, with the pooled resources of 2 churches, began to move unitedly, problems mounted: A new church must be built, overcrowding of the Sunday School must be faced and remedied. First the commodious assembly hall and Sunday Schol was built, to be followed by the new church. These facilities have become a living testimony to the faith of an energetic and far-seeing congregation. It was an immense undertaking but a more satisfying one could not have been devised. The congregation was mobilized for the effort. How can one select a name or even two as leaders in this mighty program without causing offence to people who have right of claim for recognition in the pages of history. I feel the choice must be with the writer, and his responsibility as well, to introduce the two who gave the congregation such brilliant leadership at this period of its life—Messrs. Ralph T. Bulman and Harold K. Beairsto. Early and late, often in disagreement, more frequently synchronized as a team, but always jealous for the welfare of the church, they labored assiduously, until the job had been finished and a temple, worthy for the worship of Almighty God, stood erect in all its beauty, transcending all previous efforts to meet the growing needs of church life in the city of Vernon. HISTORIC DATES The Clergy: Reverend Jenkin H. Davies, B.A., B.D., L.L.B., Ph.D., 1929- 1945 Reverend Gerald Payne, B.A., B.D., S.T.M., 1945-1952 Reverend George Affleck, B.A., 1952-1957 89 Vernon United Church Reverend W. B. Roxborough, B.A., B.D. For 7 months supply, 1957-8 Reverend Arthur W. Dobson, B.A., 1958- Continuing Assistant Minister—Mr. James Ford, 1961- Continuing STUDENT MINISTERS Originating at Vernon United Church: Reverend Allan I. V. Dawe, B.A., Ordained 14th October, 1954 Reverend Thomas W. Bulman, B.A., D.D., Ordained May, 1954 Reverend Harry Johannes Mullins, B.A., Ordained May, 1962 Reverend Gordon W. Brown, Ordained May, 1961 Reverend Donald F. Baldock, Ordained May, 1962 Building Program: Construction of assembly hall and Sunday School began in 1949 after a sod turning ceremony in which the late W. C. Pound and Howard Thornton, Jr. took part. When completed in 1950, at a cost of $39,486.95, the dedication was conducted by Reverend E. D. Braden, D.D., President of British Columbia United Church Conference, assisted by Dr. Switzer. Construction of Vernon United Church was also initiated by a sod turning ceremony, when Mrs. W. L. Pearson handled the spade. This was on October 18th, 1953. At the corner stone laying event, Hugh Ramsay was honored and Reverend Allan C. Pound, M.A., M.Th., participated. It will be recalled that Rev. Mr. Pound's father had been present at the opening of both the first Presbyterian and Methodist Churches in Vernon (1892). They were opened within 12 months of each other. The building of Vernon United Church was completed, and an elaborate celebration took place. Numerous clergy from outside points were present and participated in the proceedings. In 1961 a fire-proof vault was built to house the church archives. Property Value: Total value of church land and buildings now stands at $339,150.38. There is a bonded debt of $23,700.00. Organizations: This church is highly organized: there are 91 on the membership roll of young people. It sponsors a troop of Boy Scouts, Cubs, C.G.I.T., Camp Hurlburt, Sigma "C", Explorers' Group, and a Couples' Club. The Women's Association has 13 units, formerly known as circles. There are three choirs, the Chancel Choir for adults, the Choristers Choir for boys and the Chorallers Choir for girls. A Bursary fund was set up some years ago to assist student ministers attending university. It has proved a veritable God-send at times. There is a Memorial Committee to give guidance to all proposals 90 Vernon United Church for gifts and memorials. This committee does much to conserve the beauty of original design, as it appears in the interior of the church. History tells us that where there has been no such provision, a church tends to become a museum—something less than a consecrated place of worship. The church budget is in the range of $40,000.00 per annum. Recent statistics record the membership at 652 Resident and 178 Non-resident, for a total of 830 members. The modern Sunday School, led by Superintendent Stanley Dawe has five departments, 686 scholars and 115 teachers making a total of 801. Buses are used to bring the children from a distance. Mr. G. S. Dawe has been identified with Sunday School work for over fifty years. A NEW NAME: The Vernon United Church after 33 years decided to change its name. A congregational meeting was called and the matter discussed. This was on Sunday, May 11, 1962, Reverend A. W. Dobson presiding. When the benediction was pronounced it supplicated a blessing on the new name, which had been adopted — TRINITY UNITED CHURCH. This church, with the new name, is "pressing forward." Champing at the bit, it cannot go back, it may not stand still, it is geared for forward movement only, and destiny is calling. What a prospect! It was John Wesley who coined the phrase "The world is my parish" but the Apostle Paul seems to summarize the situation with even greater precision: "Fogetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Much is behind, still more is before this Trinity United Church, we will endeavor to summarize the information available, it will be as official as we can make it, projected upon a stupendous screen— because the backdrop is the world. Into this vortex of changing elements, Trinity United Church has plunged, to become a part of a vast organization, working round the clock, in the sweltering heat of the tropics, upon the frozen tundras of the far north; among savage people in Africa, and the civilized in Asia; inside bamboo, iron and other curtains, where ever the night of darkness prevails, it seeks to bring the gospel of light. It joins battle with the evil forces which would break and crush the will of mankind to rise, shaking the shackles of doom and despair, to embrace liberty, truth and justice. For this task the church must prepare, we will tell of that too. Here we 91 Vernon United Church would like to quote a few lines from a mariner which depict the Churches need. "Build me straight O worthy Master Staunch and strong, a goodly vessel, That shall laugh at all disaster And with wave and whirlwind wrestle." THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Designed, 37 years ago, for the integration of Christian faiths in Canadian Churches . . . Toleration: Introduced in the United Church Basis of Union, has become a stepping stone to Co-operation . . . Co-operation: Is now in general acceptance, with its full effect being felt in the foreign Mission field and, to a lesser degree, in the home churches in Canada . . . The Ecumenical movement, built upon the spirit of co-operation abroad, has led to a greater and more profound understanding of all Christian faiths upon a world wide basis. This is progress. It is history . . . The United Church of Canada has a vast spread of activity at home and abroad; its budget for 1960 was $7,250,000.00, with supplementary estimates bringing the total to $10,000,000.00. Of recent record, there are 3,286 ordained ministers in the U.C.C, of this number 850 are on pension. The Church has 2,694 Pastoral Charges and 6,192 Preaching Places: There are 59 ordained Overseas Missionaries, 56 Chaplains with Her Majesty's forces—Navy, Army and Airforce—49 are on full time educational work, while 33 are engaged in administrative work at United Church headquarters, Toronto. In Angola (Portuguese West Africa) the U.C.C. participates with the Council of Evangelical Churches in operation of 3 hospitals, 19 rural dispensaries, 1 "T.B." Sanitarium, 200 elementary schools, 1 secondary and 1 normal school, 3 girls' vocational schools and 1 theological college. In India there are similar assignments for 69 Missionaris (29 evangelistic, 21 medical, 17 educational, 2 agricultural). In Japan, Formosa, Hong Kong and Korea the work goes on. In Trinidad the Partner Church is Presbyterian; new mission fields were opened up recently in Central Africa and Brazil, South America. There is a department for Overseas Relief: In addition gifts of clothing and other supplies are distributed on the Home Mission field. In Canada the U.C.C. operates 2 universities and 1 college 92 Vernon United Church where degrees are granted: There are 8 theological colleges, 8 secondary schools, a training school for women and 4 lay leadership training schools. The U.C.C. interest in education in Canada may be focussed through statistics—702,000 pupils, 70,000 teachers, with 245,000 other persons receiving instruction with groups through-the-week. The Home Mission field embraces a wide assortment of activities: Missionaries preach in 20 different languages. A fleet of Mission boats serve on Atlantic and Pacific seaboards. Special work is carried on among the Indians. The fall and rise of immigration through Canadian ports of entry is scanned by padres, whose function it is to meet the arriving immigrants and be of service to them. Homes for senior citizens, for girls and unmarried mothers are provided in a number of centres of population. In the province of British Columbia there are 1 Indian residential school, 5 hospitals, 2 homes for senior citizens, 1 home for girls, 2 down-town institutional churches, 8 Oriental churches, 3 foreign language churches, 4 Mission boats, 13 Indian Missions, 1 Lay leadership training centre, 1 theological college; 211 pastoral charges, 545 Preaching Places, 378 Ministers. This lengthy catalog is not included here to trumpet the magnitude of this church's commitments, nor to suggest that there is any virtue in being a mammoth organization, but rather to make an historic record—that it exists; that we have seen it in operation, that it is a growth of our times. Very little of it existed one hundred years ago and another reason for mentioning it—as a program of past, present and future Christian effort—is to tell our readers that this radiant picture is all a part of TRINITY UNITED CHURCH, an integral part of its very life. Sprung from the loins of our own people, cradled in the Okanagan Valley and brought to maturity amid the beauties of a land flowing with milk and honey, these early churches have emerged as from a cocoon, to be assimilated by the larger organization of the national church, a mighty colossus which never sleeps but offers direction and inspiration as it reaches out to worship God, to serve mankind, demonstrating the practice of the Seven Virtues and resisting the vices, which retard or negative the exercise of spiritual forces which, forever, must be in active conflict with evil. This is history at its most inspiring best; and ours in a ring-side seat to con the conflict, relentlessly drawing to a close. 93 L~ahi >$ <*~°ds °u (1910) By Gordon Dale Editor's Note—The following is the prize winning essay in the 1963 Essay Contest sponsored by the Okanagan Historical Society to encourage the youth of the Valley to seek out and record bits and pieces of the rich history of area they call home. The writer of this essay is a Grade VIII student at the Enderby Secondary School and the content of his story was told him by one of the men he writes about. River driving was the only way of transporting logs over long distances from the forests to the sawmill in those early days. The River Drives were very popular with all the people. To the drivers, or "River Hogs" as they were often called, it meant wages of three dollars a day, seven days a week and free board. To the young boys in their teens it was a challenge; if they went through a drive it was accepted as a sign of maturity. To the homesteaders it was an annual event to look forward to; it gave them a chance to sell their logs and exchange news and gossip. To the men at the sawmills it meant a steady job for the coming year. To the merchants it meant bills paid on time. The men, 35 in all, were hired by the A. N. Rogers Company in Enderby and were placed under foremen Albert Johnston and Angus Woods. The men loaded the batteaus, tents, cooking supplies and necessary tools on the wagons and started the three-day journey via Vernon and Lumby to Cherryville which was the starting point. Undecking the logs (rolling them into the river), was the next undertaking. The crew worked 10 to 12 hours a day sweating with their peavies. Dynamite, of course, was not used. A blast of it was capable of destroying hundreds of logs. The logs when freed from shore went down the river, shooting through canyons and rapids. The men followed the logs down, pushing, prying and rolling the logs off rocks, shoreline and other obstructions as far as a boom strung across the river mouth at Mabel Lake, 23 miles away. The main means of transportation during the drive was the "batteau." A batteau is a 22 foot boat pointed at both ends. These strongly made boats were manned by six or eight men; a bow man, stern man, and four or six oarsmen. During the river part of the drive the headquarters of the men 103 Driving Logs by River and Lake (1910) C(.£#«YV<«£ was a "cook wagon," which hauled all the food and equipment. At some places, getting from the river to the wagon road at dusk was difficult, with various back-channels which had to be traversed by foot. As a result the men had to wade through water and swamps after a hard day's work and repeat this to return to the boats and work the next day. After the 23 miles of the Upper Shuswap have been cleaned out the men split up. Part of them would go round the lake to the Lower Shuswap and undeck the logs found there. The rest of them would take the boom across the lake. The boom is closed and then hitched to the source of power, the "headworks." The headworks consists of a large raft with a capstan 104 Driving Logs by River and Lake (1910) mounted on it. The capstan is about six feet in diameter. Connected to the centre of the capstan is a large sweep. Hitched to this sweep is a horse who winches the boom up to the headworks. The anchor rope is then placed on the capstan and winched aboard by a horse. The head- works is then rowed forward by the oarsmen in the batteaus to the end of the tow rope. The anchor is dropped and the winching repeated. This slow but sure method was repeated until the 11 miles of lake crossed. During the stretch across the lake the headquarters and cook shack were transferred to the "Wannigan." The "Wannigan" is a cook shack mounted on a stout barge. We have now reached the final part of the trip, the Lower Shuswap, 24^2 miles of river along which are the treacherous Skookum Chucks Rapids, now known as the "Chucks." The logs were fed down the river. Along the stretch of Water men were stationed at selected spots to prevent the logs from jamming. After the logs were sent down the river the process of "rearing" began. Rearing is the term used to describe the method of following the logs and rolling them off the rocks into the river. The Chucks had to be portaged. From there on down towheads and jams were frequent. Finally the logs were collected in a back channel at one of the Enderby saw mills. Eighteen million board feet of logs in all, the year's supply. The drive was concluded by a two-day celebration; loggers, drivers, towns people, and saw mill employees participating. However, no matter how inspiring it sounds, it was hard, slow, dangerous work. There was always a chance of a storm, a log jam, or of death. There was the cold, the wet, and the swarms of mosquitoes. e^_^ Before the advent of the railway the mail was brought in in summer by steamer from Sicamous to Enderby and from Enderby to Lansdowne, Vernon, Okanagan Mission by stage; in winter from Sicamous by stage all the way. Previous to the completion of the C.P.R. main line, mail was brought from Kamloops to O'Keefe's by stage and thence on to Priests Valley (Vernon) and Okanagan Mission. Residents then north of O'Keefe's had to go to that point for mail. 105 J he r^everend ^hilip ¬±Stock< By Kathleen S. Dewdney WS&9n In a peaceful valley high in the mountains overlooking Okanagan Lake is a solitary grave with a tall white monument which reads: REV. PHILIP STOCKS DIED JULY 31, 1916, AGED 61 YEARS. LORD REMEMBER ME This mountain, Stocksmoor, fringing the western side of the lake opposite Okanagan Centre, and the grave thereon, are closely linked wth the early history of the Okanagan Valley. The Reverend Philip Stocks, B.A., M.A., was born on November 7th, 1854, in London, England. He was the sixth son of Lumb Stocks, R.A., Historical Line Engraver, whose steel engravings of historical subjects hung in the Royal Academy. He was noted too for his water-colors and oil-paintings. The Rev. Stocks was educated in London, England, and received his degree at Hertford College, Oxford. He was ordained at Peterborough Cathedral about 1885. For some years he was Vicar at Great Bowden, Ketton and Twickenham; Rural Dean in Rutland; Rector at Ridlington and at the "Church of the Resurrection" in Brussels, Belgium. He was a talented musician and frequently conducted choir practice. In his parishes he implanted the joy of singing lovely church music, and he encouraged young men to do hand-bell ringing and sing carols outdoors during the Christmas season. It was said of him, "Wherever he went he did good and left each place the better than when he came." Five children were born to the Rev. Stocks and his wife, the former Miss Emily Frances Fisher: Lumb, Alfred Edward, Arthur Michael Browning, Mary (May) Emily, and Ellen. 106 . The Reverend Philip Stocks Grave of the Rev. Phillip stocks His wife, Emily, died in Penticton on Mav 1st 1Q4A a *-. ssjia Kiss srysr s>xteen gran children; and twenty-sevet great '^ZZ ^ Lake, TO," *I«T_^£\££« £ £33 and fiT A PITM:. °f thC abUndan« of wild fowlf big gLe and fish; and of the «row-or-sailing" boats' that could be b____-'t McN _ f3 ($4°-00) fr°m M client boat-bui dT Ian McNair, who hved on the lakeshore nearby ' years younger than his brother, canae _rom ^S__£fS £ in _yu«. He sailed on the Fmi\rP« ..f t-_,i j r T . tt-.r.r j , impress ot Ireland from L veroool to H^and thence by Canadian Pacific Railway across CaL. to rowingYrXgr"SailinS" "Mt " °ne th3t C°Uld te ^ fM Cither 107 The Reverend Philip Stocks The Rev. and Mrs. Stocks at Stocksmoor Sicamous, B.C. From here he travelled down the Okanagan Valley to Okanagan Landing where he took the S.S. Aberdeen to Nahun? The brothers filed claims on adjoining pre-emptions on the west side of Okanagan Lake almost opposite Okanagan Centre. These were among the earliest recorded in that district. Lumb came to Canada in 1910, and having inherited the artistic talents of his grandfather, opened a photographic studio in Kelowna. Later he moved to Penticton where his son, Jack, still carries on the business. The name, Stocks, is synonymous, with excellence throughout the Okanagan and Similkameen. While the Rev. Stocks was vacationing with his wife in Scotland in 1914, the World War broke out and he was not allowed to return to his parish in the British section of Brussels. Failing health caused by a weak heart decided him to go to his sons' homestead in Canada. In the Autumn of 1914 the Rev. and Mrs. Stocks with teen-aged daughter, Ellen (May had already gone), arrived by the S.S. Sicamous 2 Nahan Winock: An Indian name meaing "rock with child." Nahan, "rock," was a large precipice near the wharf in the bay. Winock, "child," was a small island across the lake, where the Indians spent their honeymoon. The Indians had moved away from Nahun before the Stocks' arrival. 108 The Reverend Philip Stocks at Kelowna. They brought little more than their clothes, the Rector's vestments, and some precious books. They could not get their furniture from Brussels, then occupied by the Germans. The American Ambassador in Brussels, who was a friend of the Rev. Stocks, took charge of some of his cherished pieces of furniture during the war years. One of these, a Grandfather's clock, is now in possession of his son, Arthur in Penticton and still faithfully tells the time. Arthur has a letter from the U.S. Legation in Brussels, dated January 20th, 1916, written to the Reverend Philip Stocks, Stocksmoor, Nahun, B.C., and signed by Brand Whitlock. Arthur, who had gone to England and Belgium for a short time in the winter of 1911-12, and while visiting his parents in the Rectory at Brussels, met a friend of the family, Nurse Edith Cavell, Matron of the Berkendael Medical Institute in Brussels. It was largely because of Brand Whitlock's urgent advice in 1914 that Brussels did not resist the Germans, and thus escaped devastation. His activities on behalf of Edith Cavell who had been sentenced to death by a German court-martial for giving aid to Allied soldiers were unavailing, and she was shot by a German firing squad in 1915. "Mount Edith Cavell" in the Canadian Rockies was named in her honor. The Rector, his wife and daughters, spent the winter of 1914- 1915 in Kelowna. In the spring, upon the advice of the well-known Dr. W. J. Knox, they moved to their sons' pre-emption where a comfortable log cabin had been built for them on the mountain. Over this mountain had travelled David Stuart and a few companions of the John J. Astor Pacific Fur Company, the first white men in this area, when exploring for furs in 1811. Thereafter, the North West Company which absorbed the Astor Pacific Fur Company, used the Okanagan route for several years. From 1826 to 1848 through the long, narrow valley above the mountain, where a few years later the Stocks brothers built their cabins, passed the well-trodden Fur Brigade Trail of the Hudson's Bay Company with which the North West Company amalgamated in 1821. Over this trail travelled the picturesque brigade of the Hudson's Bay Company, with the Factor wearing a tall beaver hat, a junior officer or a missionary at his side, a kilted piper, sometimes as many as three hundred pack horses with twenty packers, and occasionally some of their families. From Fort Alexandria to Fort Okanogan (Wash.) they brought out valuable cargoes of furs gleaned from the far-north reaches of 109 The Reverend Philip. Stocks New Caledonia (now northern British Columbia and the Yukon) to ocean-going vessels at the mouth of the Columbia River, and on the return trip brought in provisions for their forts and trading goods for barter with the Indians. To reach the homestead the Stocks family travelled north on the S.S. Sicamous from Kelowna to Nahun where there was a post office and a small store, both in charge of H. B. Kenard. A steep climb on horseback on a narrow, zig-zag pack trail led to a beautiful valley almost 1,900 feet above the lake. From 1908 to 1914 the pioneering brothers had cleared the land and built their log cabins. A sparkling mountain stream ran through the clearing. At the southern end of the valley where poplars flourished was another stream where beavers thrived. In the early days of the century visitors were few. Two well- known personages of Okanagan Landing, B.C., were friends of the Stocks family; Major Allan Brooks, D.S.O., writer, traveller, naturalist, and painter; and James A. Munro, Chief Federal Migratory Bird Officer for the Western Provinces. When the Rev. Stocks had his fatal heart attack, Mr. Munro was visiting Stocksmoor. He helped Arthur make the coffin and he attended the funeral. The settlers who had taken up pre-emptions along the lake were mostly young English bachelors, veterans of the Boer War. On the outbreak of war in 1914 most enlisted at Vernon and their land was deserted. Alfred joined up in 1914 and went overseas. Before enlisting in June 1917 Arthur had taken the monument up the hill. Weighing 280 pounds it was in two pieces, pedestal and cross, one on each side of Buck, his sturdy, white-faced, buckskin horse. Life on the homestead was a new experience for the scholarly Rector who had lived in tastefully furnished rectories, a Scottish mansion, and was the incumbent in spacious, graceful churches of finest architecture. From 1888 to 1897 he was Vicar of S. Mary-the- Virgin, Ketton, Rutland. Following is a short quotation from a detailed description of the church at Ketton: "The remarkable similarity between the churches of S. Mary-the-Virgin, Ketton, and S. Mary's Stamford, seems to indicate a relationship. The 13th century towers are contemporary (they were probably built by the same master-builder), and the capitals and bases of the tower arch of S. Mary's, Stamford, are quite similar to those at Ketton. The curious position of the door in the chancel was the same—. 110 The Reverend Philip Stocks "There is a delightful story that when Sir Walter Scott made the journey along the Great North Road from London to Scotland he always bared his head to the superb tower and spire of S. Mary's, Stamford, as being the finest sight of the whole journey—. "The development of Ketton Church is exactly similar to S. Mary's, Stamford, but Ketton is of more slender proportions and of a more feminine grace." The Rector's sensitive and artistic nature still appreciated the simple and healthy joys of the Canadian countryside. Alfred and Arthur had built their parents a comfortable, roomy cabin of pine logs with a double roof of pine logs, split and hewn with an adze and broad-axe, covered with split cedar shakes. The furnishings were few but sufficient for the family's needs. An airtight heater and plenty of fir and cedar wood cut and hauled to the cabin by Arthur kept them warm on the coldest days. The Rector was contented sitting in his round-backed wooden "Captain's chair" reading his books and papers or writing at his study table illuminated with a coal-oil lamp. His energetic wife and helpmate was always close at hand doing the many household chores required on a farm, or reading in her comfortable rocking chair. His children enjoyed the freedom and social pleasures of country life—going on hikes, picnics, or riding over the hills. Occasional parties were held at the homes of the scattered settlers, then Arthur played his portable harmonium, one youth played the violin and another the banjo. They cultivated the soil and planted a vegetable garden, strawberry plants, and black currant bushes. They had a cow and some chickens. For fresh meat there were deer, blue and willow grouse; fish; and kokanees (in season) were plentiful in the bay at Nahun. Fruit could be obtained across the lake from the first orchards which were easily reached by "row-or-sailing" boat. The homestead now bore the proud name, "Stocksmoor." Daily family prayers, grace at table, and Sunday services were observed at Stocksmoor. Services were held on special occasions such as Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. After the Rector's arrival in Kelowna in 1914, the Rt. Rev. Alexander J. Doull, Bishop of Kootenay, had authorized him to hold services in the diocese. In May 1915, he officiated at the wedding of his son, Lumb, to Miss Marion (Bunny) Bourne of Twickenham, England, in St. Michael's and All Angels' Church, Kelowna. At Stocksmoor in the spring of 1916, in cassock and surplice, he officiated at the wedding 111 The Reverend Philip Stocks of his daughter, Ellen, to George Moubray, a young man of the district. Also, at Stocksmoor in June 1916 he baptised his first grandchild, Peter, son of Lumb and Bunny of Kelowna. Peter, then six weeks old, had been taken in the arms of his mother and father up the hill on horseback from Nahun. The beauty of each season with its own gift gave joy and comfort to the ailing Rector. The miracle of spring's awakening—the fresh, bright greenness everywhere, the bursting of buds, and the singing of nesting birds— kept strong his faith. The warm sunshine of summer encouraged him to take leisurely walks to admire the beautiful wild flowers that carpeted the hillsides and meadows—the tiger lillies, orchids, peavine, Indian Paint Brush, lupines, and delphiniums. The gorgeous red and gold leaves of autumn, the fruits of the harvest, and the honking of Canada geese winging their wedge-shaped flight southward for the winter drew forth his admiration. The eerie howls of the coyotes echoing from the hills had a fascination all their own. A three-foot blanket of snow brought the quietude and rest of winter days. Then he would read and write in the comfort of the cabin. The Rector sensing more than beauty in the handiwork of God gave thanks for life itself and for the many blessings bestowed upon mankind. He prayed earnestly that peace and goodwill might come upon the world which was being ravaged so sadly by war. On July 28th, 1916, a severe heart attack brought a hurried visit from Dr. Knox who left his patients in Kelowna and spent a whole day at the bedside of his friend. But, three days later the tired heart ceased to beat and this sojourner in the sunny Okanagan found his final resting place beside a fur brigade trail in a peaceful mountain valley far from his native land. The sorrowing family and a few friends of this saintly messenger of God attended the funeral service which was conducted by his son, Lumb, a lay reader. He was buried in his surplice and red hood. The hymn was his favorite—"The King of Love my Shepherd is." Later, the Venerable Thomas Green, Archdeacon of the Okanagan, consecrated the grave and dedicated the white granite cross with the silent prayer: "LORD REMEMBER ME." 112 tZ/Qrmstrong s fiftieth Father Pandosy Church on the Penticton Indian Reserve 129 JL^ong-time Valley fKesident, Jjertr <-_!_'Ģ_ \*^richton, <=Li am les By Primrose Upton The Okanagan lost another of its really old-timers on September 25, 1963, when Bertram Edwin Crichton died in the Kelowna General Hospital at 96. He had resided at Resthaven for a number of years. His wife, who predeceased him in 1957, was Maud L. Mair, daughter of Charles Mair, well known Canadian Poet. They were married in Mr. Mair's store in 1893. This store stood on Bernard Avenue on the south side, near the lake. Mr. Crichton was born in Herefordshire, October 3, 1866 and came to the Okanagan Valley in 1892 and purchased land at Benvoulin. He moved to Ellison and built a house on Mill Creek near where the Rutland packinghouse now stands. Moving back to Benvoulin, he farmed for a number of years with his brother Alan. In 1903 he purchased two quarter sections at Okanagan Mission, and in 1904 built a home which he sold in 1905 to W. E. Mitchell. In 1906 he built "Sylvan Heights," and sold this later to H. T. T. Gore-Browne. For some years he lived at Fort Steele and at Nanaimo, returning to the Okanagan in the early twenties, building another house at Okanagan Mission. "Bert," as he was known to his many friends, was an expert fly fisherman, and an excellent shot. Mr. Crichton is survived by two sisters residing in England, seven nieces, including Mrs. Austen Willett and Mrs. Clifford Renfrew of Okanagan Mission. The funeral was held at St. Andrew's Church with Rev. J. E. W. Snowden officiating. Burial followed in the St. Andrew's Church Cemetery. Pallbearers were A. Willett, G. B. Ford, A. F. Paitner, T. B. Upton and G. Goldsmith, all of Okanagan Mission. 130 n <=>L)aiis in the *Similhi loneer <=^rw <^*arlg J^etitio n Editor's Note: The following petition was received in the Provincial Secretary's office and stamp-dated January 26, 1875. "To the Honorable Executive Council of British Columbia. "The Petition of the undersigned residents of the Okanagan District humbly sheweth:— "That the present wagon road fails to meet the requirements of the settlers, and from the fact of its termination 30 miles distant from where the majority of the settlers reside, is of little use to the section at large. "That altho the settlers in Mission Valley pay taxes at the same proportional rates as those living immediately upon the main road, no money has ever been expended by the Govt, nor has any assistance whatever been rendered by the Govt, towards roads, trails, bridges or schools in that section. "That the continuation of the present wagon road from the head of Okanagan Lake to Mission Valley, and the construction of a good bridge over Mission Creek would tend immediately towards the further settlement of the section and would render available for occupation a large area of good land suitable for agriculture and grazing, and which, from its present isolation is comparatively useless. "That altho Mission Valley has been created a School District and Trustees appointed by the settlers as required by law, no steps have been taken by the Govt, towards the construction of a school house and consequently no school house exists. "Your Petitions humbly pray the appropriation for this building may be at least One Thousand Dollars, as it is found impossible to construct a building suitable for the purpose and capable of accommodating the number of children for any less sum. "Your petitioners humbly pray the appropriation for this building road from the head of Okanagan Lake be continued to Mission Valley next summer and that instructions may be issued for the building of a suitable school house this winter in the Mission Valley and your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray, etc., etc." Eli Lequime William Postill George Leblanc A. Y. Kirkpatrick Jos. Christian William Smithson Alfred Postill A. Gillard L. Christian Jules Biondau Edward Postill F. Ortelan Thomas Wood John Y. Phillips 153 An Early Petition Jose U. Lemee Wm. Dolinson Theodore Lorance Frederick Brent John McDougall C. C. Garifeel J. M. Boudre R. S. Cormack Ch. Groundilier C. W. Simpson Ch. Pandosy J. B. Mooir Ch. Brewer David McDougall Chas. A. Vernon E. J. Tronson Forbes Geo. Vernon A. L. Fortune T. G. Christian Luc. Girouard A. McNeil P. Denis Ignace McDougall Andrew Brown Celestine Verney George Whalen J. Buchman Thomas Jones D. Versailles J. Burdee H. Larguen Emanuel Lawrance CJL_^ 154