CONTENTdm
British Columbia Historical Books Collection
Emmens, E. H.
Gellatly, Dorothy Hewlett
"Centennial (revised) edition: Kelowna, Printed by Orchard City Press & Calendar Co., 1958. 133 p." -- Lowther, B. J., & Laing, M. (1968). A bibliography of British Columbia: Laying the foundations, 1849-1899. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria, p. 189. "A history of Westbank and district. The last four chapters deal with the 20th Century. Also: Centennial (revised) edition: Kelowna, Printed by Orchard City Press & Calendar Co. Ltd., 1958. 133 p. illus., ports. 23 cm. Updated and considerably revised, with the addition of many photographs." -- Edwards, M. H., Lort, J. C. R., & Carmichael, W. J. (1975). A bibliography of British Columbia: Years of growth, 1900-1950. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria, p. 117.
80 pages : frontispiece, illustrations, tables ; 23 cm
application/pdf
A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY By DOROTHY HEWLETT GELLATLY PEN SKETCHES BY Ek H. EMMENS KELOWNA PRINTING COMPANY KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA 1932 9 J CONTENTS Chapter I. Page 1811 -1824. Fort Okanogan to Fort Kamloops 9 Chapter II. 1872 - 1884. Sunnyside's First Settlers 14 Chapter III. Natural Phenomena. Ogopogo 23 Chapter IV. Familiar Names. Wanderers Settle Down _ 26 Chapter V. "Pioneers." Armstrong-Phillips Tragedy. Isadore Boucherie, H. Hardy 31 Chapter VI. Well-known Rovers of Pioneer Days 37 Chapter VII. Permanent Settlement in Westbank Begins. Powers and Simms. Their Neighbors, the McLennans 45 Chapter VIII. Passing Years Bring New Settlers 49 Chapter IX. From Pack-train to s.s. "Sicamous" , 59 Chapter X. D. E. Gellatly and Family 62 Chapter XI. Later Years—1905 - 1930 66 * * * * * Postmasters at Westbank, Gellatly, and Glenrosa 78 Some Early Pre-emption Records _ 79 Chain of Title of Gellatly Sub-division t 80 1 FOREWORD Early in 1930, the Westbank Women's Institute offered prizes for essays on the subject of "Pioneer Days of Westbank." As a result of this contest two essays were received, and Muriel Colborne Gellatly, of Kelowna, and Victor A. C. Hitchner, of Glenrosa, were awarded first and second prizes respectively. The information contained in these essays, together with my own knowledge of Westbank, which dates from 1910, was incorporated, and read at Westbank's First Annual Fair, held on September 5th, 1930. From this small beginning came the idea of perpetuating the memory of our pioneers in the record contained in these pages. Very much more has been added; facts and stories have been traced to their sources, wherever possible; and dates of the principal events recorded and verified. A list of these will be found at the end of the book. None of this would have been possible, however, without the assistance of old-timers and friends throughout the Valley, and in different parts of the province. The generous response to my appeal for information, and the sympathetic interest I have met with on every hand, has made the work a pleasure indeed. My grateful thanks are extended to all who have helped in any way. DOROTHY HEWLETT GELLATLY. Westbank, October 20th, 1931. jdf^ THE PIONEERS Our fathers toiled, but in a glorious fight: The God of nations led them by the hand; With pillared smoke by day, and fire by night, They wrought like heroes in their Promised Land. The Wilderness was conquered by their might; They made for God the marvel He had planned— A land of homes, where toil could make men free: The final masterpiece of Destiny. How can I rest, when they will not be still? When every wind is vocal, and their sighs Breathe to my ear from every funeral hill, And from each field where one forgotten lies? They haunt my step, and burden me, until I plead, with hands outstretched, and streaming eyes: "I am not worthy! Let my lips be dumb! The mighty song and singer yet shall come!" The well-greaved Greeks and Priam's savage brood Were not more worthy of immortal song Than these in homespun, who alone withstood Hunger and Fear to make our Freedom strong; But till the singer comes, at least the good They wrought we must from age to age prolong. Learning from them, let this your watchword be: "Free from all tyrants, from yourselves be free!" —Peter McArthur. From the "King's Treasuries" Series, "FAMILIAR FIELDS/' published by J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., Toronto and Vancouver. A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY By DOROTHY HEWLETT GELLATLY CHAPTER I 1811 — 1824 FORT OKANOGAN TO FORT KAMLOOPS Memories of early days fade and are lost in oblivion if not recorded. There must be much of interest already forgotten that we can never know. Herein I have endeavored, with the generous assistance of old-timers and friends, to tell the story of one little section of the Okanagan Valley, that of Westbank. The story is, of necessity, incomplete. To a certain extent that is unavoidable, as so much has been lost. Some day there will be published a complete record of the Okanagan Valley, a record of the struggles and hardships of our pioneers; of thrilling adventure, of tragedy—a volume we shall all want to own. When John Jacob Astor*, of New York, decided to open up and develop the fur trade on the Columbia River, he organized the Pacific Fur Company, and sent * John Jacob Astor, born near Heidelburg, Germany, in 1763. Emigrated to North America in 1783. Engaged extensively in fur-trading. On June 23rd, 1810, formed the Pacific Fur Company. (See "Astoria," by Washington Irving). 9 10 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY out two expeditions, one overland, and one around Cape Horn, on the ship "Tonquin." On board of this vessel were Captain Thorne,* his crew of twenty-two, and thirty-three others, servants and partners of the Company. Four of the latter were Duncan McDougall, who was to be in charge of the Columbia until the arrival of Wilson P. Hunt,f leader of the overland expedition; Alexander Mackay, who had been Sir Alexander Mc Kenzie's right-hand man on the latter's overland expedition by way of Peace and Bella Coola Rivers in the summer of 1793; David Stuart, and his nephew Robert. They arrived off the mouth of the Columbia on the twenty-second of March, 1811, after a voyage lasting six and a half months. They here established a fort, and called it "Astoria." On June the first the Tonquin left Astoria for a voyage up the north-west coast. Finally they anchored off what is now Clayoquot, on Vancouver Island, and commenced trading with the Indians. Soon trouble arose between one of the chiefs and Captain Thorne, for the Indians bitterly resented the indignities heaped on their chief. Twa days later, while trading on board, the Indians seized the weapons which they had up to this time concealed, and fell upon the crew. The following day, while a number of the Indians were on board, the ship was blown up. History gives us conflicting versions of just what occurred, and how, and whether the explosion was accidental or not will never certainly be known. The Astor enterprise was seriously crippled by the loss of this ship and so many men, and the disaster went far towards bringing about its collapse. Had the * Captain Jonathan Thorne, of New York, to whom the command of the ship Tonquin was entrusted. ("Astoria," Irving). t Wilson Price Hunt, of Trenton, New Jersey. Mr. Hunt had been engaged in commerce at St. Louis, then a frontier settlement on the Mississippi, before joining the Pacific Fur Company. ("Astoria," Irving). A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 11 Pacific Fur Company, instead of the North-west* and Hudson's Bay Companies (after their amalgamation) developed the fur trade on the Columbia, the right of the American government to the country south of Shus- wap Lake would in all likelihood never have been questioned, and, as a consequence, would have been lost to the British. Hence arises our very vital interest in the Astor Company, which might have changed the whole future history of the Okanagan Valley. Meanwhile, among those who had remained at Astoria were David Stuart, Ross, and Montigne. In July they left on a trip up the Columbia. Near the mouth of a small stream called Oakinnakin, they built Fort Okanogan. In October of that year, 1811, David Stuart and Montigne made their way up the Oakinnakin, or Okanogan, and as nearly as can be ascertained, in the latter days of the month passed north along Okanagan Lake where Westbank is now situated. David Stuart returned to Fort Okanogan in March of 1812, and later in the same year, with a party of Astor men, made another trip, trading with the Indians as they proceeded north to Fort Kamloops, where David Stuart spent that winter. It is generally conceded by historians that Fort Kamloops was established by the Astorians in 1812. The Thompson River, on which Kamloops is situated, was so named, years later, by Simon Fraser, in memory of David Thompson, astronomer, and a partner in the North-west Company. Thompson himself never saw the.river which bears his name. There are evidences throughout the Okanagan leading to the belief that the Spaniards were in here many years before this time; but so far as there is any written record that we know of, David Stuart and his companions were the first white men to ascend the river and pass along the lake to Kamloops. * The North-west Company, established at Montreal in 1787. ("Astoria," Irving). 12 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY , Later, the Astoria interests on the Columbia were sold to the North-west and Hudson's Bay Companies, and the name "Astoria" changed to "Fort George." Tom MacKay, whose father is said to have met his death on the ill-fated Tonquin, is credited with blazing the Hudson's Bay brigade trail from Fort Okanogan to Fort Kamloops in 1824. Leaving Fort Okanogan on the east side of the river, this trail wound its way north to the forks of the Simil- kameen. Reaching the head of Osoyoos Lake, it crossed to the west side, climbed the open country above Oliver to Marron Valley, and on to Shingle and Trout Creeks to Three Lakes at the head of Garnett Valley. From here it followed the mountains down to the shores of Okanagan Lake at Deep Creek, a mile or so south of Peachland. It skirted the steep hills fronting on the lake, went through Westbank, and on to the crossing at the ferry. Then instead of crossing to Kelowna, it followed along the west side to the head of the lake, and took a westerly direction to Grand Prairie, Monte Creek, and Kamloops. The Hudson's Bay Brigade had camping grounds about a day's travel apart, approximately every thirty- five miles. There was one at the head of Osoyoos Lake, one at the crossing of Shingle Creek, and one at West- bank, on what is now Indian reservation.* Here, until a few years ago, stood a giant fir, under whose sheltering boughs the old traders opened up their packs to barter with the Indians who met them there as they passed up and down the valley. The Indians claimed that on approaching this crossing, and while still some distance away, they could plainly see a man and a boat, but that when they reached the shore, they could find neither man nor boat. Whether the name "Ix-kilka-how-ston" conveys the meaning of this mirage, or whether it simply means * Westbank can lay claim to this, the first trading post in the Okanagan Valley, as the camping ground at Shingle Creek was not actually in the Valley. r A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 13 "crossing at the narrows," I have been unable to determine. Here, at this crossing, on what is today known as Siwash Point, there stood an Indian village, with"Pan- therhead" as its chief. The excavations for the old fire-pits that formed the centre of the lodges may still be seen, and occasionally the discovery of a flint arrow or spear-head rewards the quick eye. In fact, at several places throughout this district numerous Indian relics have been found, and on the rocks adjacent to the former Gellatly ranch, south of Westbank,. may be seen several specimens of Indian picture-writing. Trade with the Indians being the chief business of these hardy fur-traders, the Hudson's Bay brigade trail was used continually from its establishment until the settlement of the boundary question in 1846. From this time on the brigades from the north took the Fraser Valley route to Fort Langley, and until the Cariboo gold-rush in 1856, the old trail was in disuse. So it is after a lapse of some years that we piece together once more the thrilling story of the Okanogan- Cariboo highway or trail, which followed, generally, the old trail over which thousands toiled and scrambled in their mad rush for the Cariboo—and Gold! And in the more recent days of '98 the same drama was enacted again, on a smaller scale, for by this time there were more direct routes to the coast. "Big Louis," the chief of the handful of Indians living today on Indian Reservation No. 10, at the ferry crossing, married Pantherhead's daughter. Her daughter in turn is Mrs. Tom Lindley, whose home is also on this Reservation. ^f CHAPTER II. 1872 — 1884 SUNNYSIDE'S FIRST SETTLERS Mr. and Mrs. John Fall Allison* were the first settlers to make their home at. Westbank, or Sunny side, of whom we have any record. They came from Princeton,*)" where they had lived since they were married in 1867. In November, 1872, with a pack-train loaded with supplies and belongings, they set out for the Okanagan by way of Dog,J or Skaha Lake. Mrs. Allison carried two of her three small children on horseback, one in front, and the other tied on the saddle behind. Marie and the Indian girl took charge of the third. Slowly they travelled over the perilous mountain trails from Princeton to Okanagan. Less than two months later, on January 2nd, 1873, Mrs. Allison's fourth child, Louise, was born—the first white child born on the west side of Okanagan Lake. Mr. Allison had wintered his cattle here for several years, and now Mrs. Allison had agreed to make it her home. At first she would have charge of about fifty head of pure-bred stock. What pluck and courage this * Mrs. Allison, born in Scotland. Sailed for B. C. in 1860, from London, England. Is at present living with a married daughter in Vancouver. t Princeton, a mining town in the interior of B. C. Mrs. Allison says in her "Reminiscences," that "Princeton was started by her son-in-law, S. D. Sandes," and that "Mr. Allison once owned the land on which the town now stands." $ Dog Lake, a small lake situated about three miles south of Penticton. 14 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 15 little woman possessed, to even contemplate living in such an isolated part of the country! She knew full well that she must be alone the greater part of the time, while her husband made his regular trips to Hope* through the summer. Too much honor cannot be paid to our pioneers; those brave men who dared every peril of a strange land, and those braver women, who not only faced the dangers of the trail, but who lived their lives amid constant danger. Calmly they accepted motherhood, and all that it imposed, fully cognizant of the primitive conditions of their surroundings, and braved with high courage those ordeals they must face alone. The Allison home, sturdily built of hewn logs by John McDougall (of whom more anon), still stands on the bench overlooking Okanagan Lake. As one gazes over the broad expanse of water to the brooding mountains beyond, one cannot fail to appreciate Mrs. Allison's love of the beautiful, and her deep, lasting affection for her Okanagan home. Doubtless, when the isolation and the cares and trials of every day pressed too heavily upon her, this brave little woman would leave it all, if only for an hour or two, to go alone into the silence of the hills, there to commune with Nature. Always she would find peace, and the strength to go on. About her home Mrs. Allison planted acacias, lilacs, apple trees, and a plum tree, the last named meeting the not uncommon fate of being chopped off by the child^ ren. After this experience, the branches persisted in growing like those of a weeping willow. Most of the trees she planted nearly sixty years ago are still living, though they have received no care for over thirty years. At that time, too, Mrs. Allison planted some tobacco seed, given to her by Johnnie McDougall; sorghum,, and sugar cane, all of which flourished, for her husband had constructed a stone conduit from the spring on the hill, * Fort Hope, a flourishing little town in the '60s, and the head of navigation, where the fur-traders from Fort Langley and Fort Kamloops gathered. A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 17 to convey sufficient water for domestic and garden use. The writer recently had the privilege of sending views of the old home, taken in 1930 and 1931, to Mrs.Allison, from which she said she could easily recognize the plan of the house as it was in her day. As the hot summer weather advanced it was discovered, to everyone's dismay, that the house had been built in close proximity to the dens of the deadly rattlesnakes. Mount Edgar, as they called Boucherie Mountain, seemed to be infested with them—as, indeed, it still seems! These deadly reptiles invaded every part of the house. They were found in the kitchen, amongst the cutlery in the pantry, in milk pans—even in the beds!— till it seemed that they must win the day. The household was not safe from them for an instant throughout the summer. Finally, Mr. Allison, in desperation, unable to locate a second St. Patrick, had recourse to pigs as a means of exterminating the snakes! But of the pigs Mrs. Allison says: "They were a greater menace than the snakes. They over-ran garden, field, and house, when no one was watching. Crops were destroyed, and the children were in as constant danger from them as they had been from the snakes. At last I declared I preferred the latter!" So the pigs were disposed of, upon which the rattlers renewed their activities; but in spite of their numbers, apparently no one was bitten. The Roman Catholic Mission directly across the lake at L'Anse au Sable, as it was then known, had been established in 1860 by Fathers Pandosy and Richards. From here, supplies and mail were secured, and here Mr. Allison got lumber to build a boat. For the ribs he used "o-lal-lie"* wood. On one occasion, the lake having been partially frozen over, they had received no mail for nearly two months. On a particularly calm day, Mr. Allison, accompanied by his son Edgar, decided to row across to the Mission. * "O-lal-lie" is the Indian word for saskatoon bush and berry. 18 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY On their way back, there being a favorable breeze, they hoisted a sail. It would be impossible to better Mrs. Allison's description of their race with death on this occasion, as gwen in her "Reminiscences," published in the "Vancouver Province" early in 1931: " About noon I saw the boat, sail up, coming home. There was quite a strong wind, she was just flying—but, to my horror, I saw the ice island, a solid field of ice which had receded from the banks previously, and floated down the lake, flying too, and if she was not quick enough, the boat would be crushed between the loose cakes of ice I ran down to the cliff above the lake, which was now in a terrible tumult, the ice closing in on the poor little boat, which seemed on wings. The passage had narrowed to a few yards, and, as I watched in horror, to a few feet. Then, with a terrible crash, the two cakes came together, sending a fountain of ice and water skywards; but the boat I could not see—only rough lumps of ice piled on the largest cake. "As I watched, two black dots seemed to emerge from the debris, and come towards Sunnyside each carrying something long. They proved to be Edgar and his father, each carrying an oar. The ice they were on was rapidly breaking up, and they jumped from block to block. They got nearer, and I saw a more solid mass upon which they could walk, but between it and the shore there was a long lane of water, which ran dark and deep. "Looking above me, I saw an Indian riding madly along the road I tried to call, but he took no notice. When I looked again at the ice, I could see neither Edgar nor his father...... My courage failed. I tried to retrace my steps along the deer trail, but it seemed too narrow, and my feet too big. I turned off the trail up a ravine. Then I threw myself on the ground, I don't think for very long. I struggled on to another trail above the lake, which was now seething in tempestuous fury. I stood watching the water, when A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 19 suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was my husband. I 'Edgar,' was all I asked. " 'With Chirumanchoot.' "Seeing their danger, the Indian had galloped to their rescue found a dead tree, which he pushed into the lane of deep water, got astride of it, and paddling with his hands, reached the ice, and made them come aboard the improvised boat, which they all paddled back." With the passing years, Mr. Allison acquired and raised a herd of eight hundred or more head of cattle, which necessitated the growing of large quantities of hay for winter feed. Mrs. Allison's household also increased. During the years spent here, four children were born: Louise, Rose, George, and Carey. The only help to be had was from the Indian women, whom Mrs. Allison found friendly and neighborly. Always ready to return a kindness, yet very sensitive to ridicule or slights. Never afraid to face either life or death, they seemed to have fatalistic ideas regarding both. When one of their number fell sick, and was near to death, their friends took it very calmly and stoically. So resigned to fate were they, that they had a custom of heaping many coverings on the head of the patient, and leaving him to "die at sunset." It would seem more than likely that such a course would hasten death by smothering! In the spring of 1875, which was mild and pleasant, the Indians nearby fell sick with an epidemic of flu. The few Indians in the village near the Allison ranch were under a chief named Saul. Several of them died, though their white neighbors made broth, gave them milk and other delicacies, and looked after them as well as circumstances would permit. Some of the women fancied Mrs. Allison's cooking, especially the cakes she made. They proved apt pupils, and soon were quite able to make them themselves. During the summer, 1875, the notorious McLean 20 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY boys kept the country in a state of terror and unrest. They were the sons of a Hudson's Bay Company chief factor, their mother being a chief's daughter. They were considered fine young men, but domestic tragedy and trouble had unsettled them, and after a wild career of death and destruction, these misguided youths, with a companion named Nick Hare, were captured. The eldest was only twenty, and the youngest but fifteen. One of the boys paid a visit to Sunnyside while Mr. Allison was absent on one of his trips. They were hanged at New Westminster on January 31st, 1881, for the shooting, on December 7th, 1879, of John Ussher, government agent at Nicola, and J. Kelly. Mrs. Allison was an exceedingly busy little woman. She ploughed and planted her garden, with the assistance of an Indian boy. In season, she caught and cured fish, and dried venison, when there was a surplus. She gathered straw and grasses, and braided hats for the family; made mocassins, and mended the little boots. Then, every night, there was a scramble to house the large flock of turkeys, which, if left to roost outside, would be carried off bodily by a huge white owl. When the men-folk were in need of ropes or lariats, the rawhide was brought to Mrs. Allison to cut into strands, and braid into lariats. Nor was this all. With all her multifarious activities, Mrs. Allison still found time to write Indian legends from the stories she heard the native tell. Two of these were published in one of the earlier reports of the Okanagan Historical and Natural History Society, of Vernon, recently. A poem on, or to, "Naitaka,"* and stories from English, Roman, and Grecian history for her children, were some of her writings, as it was impossible to get suitable books. The children had several tame deer, which were so playful, they followed them about like dogs. When the family was leaving the Okanagan to return to Princeton, * "Naitaka" is the Indian name for the "Ogopogo." A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY, 21 these deer were driven into the woods. No sooner was the pack-train of seventy-five horses well on its way, than the deer appeared, and bounded playfully backward and forward with the outfit, to the great delight of the children. When they reached Trepanier,* however, something frightened the horses, and they stampeded into the woods, the deer with them. When the horses were finally rounded up again, the deer were nowhere to be seen, and, to the children's sorrow, were left behind. It was not long before they were seen about the old farm again, where they lived for many years, for the Indians recognized them, and spared them for the sake of their former owners. While at Sunnyside, Mrs. Allison's sister and her husband, Mr. Edgar Dewdney, paid them a long visit. Mr. Dewdney revelled in the relaxation of such a life before taking up his duties in the House of Commons. On November 1st, 1892, Mr. Dewdney was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. While chatelaine at Government House, in Victoria, Mrs. Dewdney frequently entertained her nieces, Mrs. Allison's daughters, as her guests. The winter of 1880-81 was very unseasonable, with mild weather prevailing until well into January. Then a sudden change came, bringing the worst storm in years. This was followed by intense cold, which, combined with the extraordinarily deep snow, made it impossible to get the stock under shelter. At last a thaw came. The month of March was balmy and warm, and it seemed as though spring had come. The stock were once more on the range, for all the feed was exhausted. But April came in with a terrible storm, which, for intensity of cold and depth of snow, exceeded the January one. When it was over at last, and toll taken of their losses, Mr. Allison found that his splendid herd of eight * Trepanier, the creek and settlement between Peachland and Westbank. 22 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY hundred head had been reduced to half! Between three and four hundred of the poor creatures had huddled together in their endeavor to keep warm, and had been frozen to death, literally in heaps—starved and frozen. Apparently this was one of the worst winters ever experienced in the Okanagan since the coming of the white man. Discouraged by his tremendous losses, and feeling, as he had always done, that Princeton's future held brighter promise, Mr. Allison decided to dispose of the farm and the remainder of the cattle, and return to Princeton, where he still held a large tract of land. Reluctant to leave, Mrs. Allison begged hard to keep the Okanagan home she loved so dearly, the home where she had spent ten of the happiest years of her life. But her husband felt that with the extremely heavy losses they had suffered, he could not afford to keep the two places, and he sold his holdings at Sunnyside to John Phillips, an ex-cowboy. CHAPTER III. NATURAL PHENOMENA. OGOPOGO. Natural phenomena always arouse great interest, and while living at Sunnyside, Mrs. Allison witnessed several exhibitions of this nature, though she does not mention having seen the "Okanagan Arc,"* which is thought to be a form of the aurora. However, the family witnessed an almost unparalled exhibition of the Aurora one January, which Mrs. Allison describes thus: "Great curtains of light in all the colours of the rainbow danced and rippled as in a breeze for hours. Then, of a sudden, they would spin around as though being wound on a giant reel. All the while a continuous hissing sound was plainly audible." On one occasion, also in January, there occurred a loud report, seeming to come from a clear sky, and reverberating through the hills like a peal of thunder. Again, there was experienced a severe earth tremor, at which time a great point of rock was dislodged from the nearby mountains. This last occurred in 1882, however, after the Allisons had returned to Princeton, and was reported to them by friends. "Ogopogo"f may not properly be classed under the * "Okanagan Arc," described as a luminous arch, stretching from horizon to horizon, vizible at night, and apparently emitting a phosphorescent glow. (Okanagan Historical Society's Report, No. 4). t "Ogopogo," so-named in a spirit of fun several years ago (August 23rd, 1926, to be exact) at a luncheon for the Vancouver Board of Trade at Vernon. (See Okanagan Historical Society's Report, No. 4). A report of Mr. J. L. Logie's chasing "Ogopogo" in his automobile eventually found its way into the columns of "Punch." After that, of course, no one could say that "Ogopogo," of Okanagan Lake, was not famous. 23 24 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY heading of natural phenomena, perhaps, but Ogopogo has no correct classification as yet. Therefore, I am taking the liberty of including stories of this monster under this heading. Some day, when the mystery of Ogopogo, or "Naitaka," has been solved—then it will be time to extricate the monster from this anomalous position. The name of "Ogopogo" has certainly become familiar to us all in recent years, and deserves honorable mention among the very oldest of the old-timers of the Okanagan. During one of Mr. Allison's trips across to Okanagan Mission for supplies, a terrific storm arose, and prevented his return on schedule. Mrs. Allison became alarmed at his prolonged absence, and, as she was anxiously scanning the angry waters from her vantage point of the cliffs overlooking the lake, she suddenly caught sight of a huge motionless object, not unlike a log, some distance out. Presently it began to move against the storm, with an undulating motion. It attained a great speed, and, despite the wind, the waves were lashed to foam in the wake of the monster. After watching intently for a time, Mrs. Allison saw the creature submerge and disappear. When the storm finally subsided, and her husband arrived safely home, Mrs. Allison related her strange experience, only to be laughed at and ridiculed. And well do we today know that " 'twas ever thus," for he who fears ridicule will not dare to admit that he has seen Ogopogo! In the existence of this "lake-demon" the Indians have apparently long believed. Legend tells us that they made sacrifices to "Naitaka" to propitiate this monster of the deep, and thus safeguard themselves and their property. Failing in these sacrifices, calamity and disaster would surely overtake them. When a horse would disappear in mid-lake, as sometimes happened while it was being led behind a rowboat, the disappearance would be attributed to this creature, supposed by T% A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 25 them to have its habitation in the caves near the island at Squally Point, opposite Peachland. John McDougall was a firm believer in the existence of this monster, for he had the experience of losing his team in the manner described above. It happened when he was bringing his team across the lake to assist Mr. Allison with the haying. These were the horses he used in hunting, and, when crossing the lake, he always carried along a chicken or a little pig, which he dropped in the water as he neared the middle. Unfortunately, he had forgotten his "peace-offering" on this occasion. The horses were being towed on a long rope. Suddenly they were drawn down—down—by some great force from below. The canoe would have gone, too, had not "Johnny" quickly cut the rope with his sheath knife, and hurriedly rowed away from the scene. Not a vestige of his team was ever seen again. Of this monster, Mrs. Theodore Kruger,* "Grand Old Lady of the Southern Okanagan," who has lived in the Valley since 1873, says: "The Indians would not go in a boat that went anywhere near a certain place on Okanagan Lake, in the vicinity of Westbank. An evil spirit stayed in the water there, they said." * Mrs. Kruger, born in Schleswig-Holstein in 1857. Sailed for Victoria, B. C, at the age of fifteen. Married, in 1873, Theodore Kruger, H. B. Co. trader at the port of Osoyoos. Has lived in the Okanagan ever since. ("Vancouver Province," July 1931). CHAPTER IV. FAMILIAR NAMES. WANDERERS SETTLE DOWN. As has already been said, there were no other settlers at Sunnyside when Mr. and Mrs. Allison arrived. Though John McDougall had contracted to build their house for them, he did not live on the west side of the lake, and it was not until some years after this that he moved, with his family, from the east side. John McDougall was born at Fort Garry in 1827. His people, of mixed Scotch and Indian blood, were mill owners at Red River. According to John's own story, he came out as guide with Donald Smith (later Lord Strathcona), delighted at the opportunity, as he had early determined to make his way west. He entered the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company, and spent twenty years travelling back and forth with the pack-trains. During that time he married at Fort Kamloops. Later, he is said to have made a considerable amount of money mining on the Tulameen River, or one of its tributaries. This "lucky strike" was probably revealed to him in a dream, as he often affirmed such things were. Having visited Kelowna in the forties, he finally decided to settle there with his wife and family, and staked out land near the present site of Kelowna. Here he started trading for furs with the Indians. Here he also farmed, hunted, and mined. On one occasion, while up Mission Creek hunting with some of his sons, he said 26 I I A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 27 that God came to him in a dream and told him that gold was to be found close to where he lay. True enough, the gold was there, and it is said that he took over four thousand dollars worth from a rich pocket that he struck. John lived in Kelowna with his family for many years. The boys gained a high reputation as skilled guides and trappers, a reputation which has lasted to the present day. To illustrate the family pride, Mr. Buck- land* tells a story of one of the younger generation, who replied, when asked if he was a half-breed, "No, Sir! I'm a McDougall!" John prided himself on his ability at high-jumping, at which he was really an adept. Certainly he did not believe in hiding his light under a bushel. At celebrations of all sorts he could be seen earnestly endeavoring to beat his own record. However, the crowd sometimes got tired of the role of spectator, and one night, at a dance, quelled his enthusiasm by putting him outside and laying lumber from a nearby pile on the obstreperous athlete. Unfortunately for the victim, he was forgotten. The night was cold, and it was a very subdued McDougall who was finally freed. The Kelowna ranch was presently sold, and later came to be known as the Guisachan Ranch. It was one of those set out, under the direction of Lord Aberdeen, extensively in the Vernon and Coldstream districts. Some years later orchards and hops were planted there. From here, in 1890, John McDougall moved to the west side of the lake, where numerous of his descendants still live. Others are scattered throughout the Valley, In a few years he sold again to Joseph Brent.f Mr. Brent, however, never made his home on the west side * Frank Buckland, Okanagan old-timer, and second vice- president of the Okanagan Historical Society. t The "Brent" boys are well-known, and were born in the Okanagan. C - POWERS CREEK s% A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 29 of the lake, and, in 1903, sold this property to Neil McLennan. On one occasion, while working for Alec McLennan during haying time, John McDougall halted, and, with a far-away look in his eyes, told Mr. McLennan a story of an old Indian, long since dead, named "Prophet Jeremiah," who had told McDougall that he would some day be making hay for the white man on that very spot. "And," added John, "he was right, y'see!" John's son, Henry, was the original owner of the farm near the ferry, known as the "James place," when it later came into the hands of Mr. George James, who now lives in Vancouver. Another son, Dave, has his home on the east side, at Duck Lake, near Kelowna. Years after McDougall had settled in the Valley—it was during the South African War, in fact,—he was on one occasion making his way south with a pack-train, and chanced to stop overnight with Harry Hardy at the Lambly Ranch, on Trepanier Creek. During the evening, while the war and the Canadian troops in South Africa were being discussed, the Strathcona Horse were mentioned. His host, aware of John's story to the effect that he had come west as a guide to Donald Smith, passed a remark to the effect that he, John McDougall, would naturally feel a keen interest in that regiment. But not until Mr. Hardy informed him that Lord Strathcona was none other than the former Donald Smith, did McDougall see any reason for particular interest. Then, lost in amazement, he exclaimed at intervals throughout the evening, "Donald Smith—Lord Strathcona! Donald Smith—Lord Strathcona!" John McDougall met a tragic death by drowning while out fishing one day, quite alone. His boat was found, when search was made, with the body of the old man lying in the bottom, quite dead. Just how the accident happened will never be known. Another name familiar to us is that of Derickson. It is worthy of mention here that when Father Pandosy came here from the States to establish the mission at nl 30 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY L'Anse au Sable, since known as Okanagan Mission, among those accompanying him was William Pion, pack-master. He was brother to Baptiste Pion, of Pion's Prairie, near Spokane, and grandfather of "Mickey" Derickson, who, with his wife (who is a daughter of Dave McDougall) and children, live here today, a clever and industrious family. During the extremely cold winter of 1859-60, William Pion loaded his pack-train with food and supplies, and drove them to the Upper Nicola Valley for the Hudson's Bay Company. Against great odds, and in the dead of winter, he fought his way through snow and intense cold, and thus helped to prevent the starvation threatening a branch of the Nicola tribe there. This tribe, for some reason, had not shared in the bounteous distribution of Chief Chilahican, who, with a band of one hundred and fifty horses, had driven from camp to camp, leaving a few horses at each village to be slaughtered for food. Lindley, an Englishman, must have come down from the Cariboo about this time—1860—with a poke full of gold, worth a thousand dollars or more. Such was the irony of fate, that provisions were so short and difficult to procure, that although Lindley was almost starving, his gold would buy him no food. At last he rode into an Indian camp, and was fed. When other miners met him in camp on their way north, they traded flour and bacon for his horses. Having decided to stay in the Valley, Lindley took an Indian girl for a wife, and was married at the Mission. He settled in the Ellison district, and attempted to grow grain and vegetables, but his first crop was frozen in July, and his second, in the following year, was destroyed by grasshoppers. In disgust he gave up farming, and moved away. His son, "Tommy" Lindley, is now living on the Indian Reservation at the ferry crossing with his wife (the granddaughter of Chief Pantherhead) and their numerous progeny. CHAPTER V "PIONEERS." ARMSTRONG - PHILLIPS TRAGEDY. ISADORE BOUCHERIE. H. HARDY. About the year 1881-2, John Phillips, who had bought the Allison property, went into partnership with Hugh Armstrong. Phillips traded his place south of Skaha Lake for a share in this new farm, and here they lived together for several years. Before entering into partnership with Phillips, Armstrong had worked for some ten years for Tom Ellis* at Penticton. Mrs. Keefe tells us of this burly Irishman, with his wooden-soled shoes that never seemed to wear out. When he came to Westbank, he brought with him his ten years' earnings. Not knowing what to do with this money, he is said to have buried it, and to this day its whereabouts remains a mystery. Armstrong and Phillips did not live very peaceably together, and finally decided to dissolve partnership. It was arranged that the former should sell his share of livestock to Phillips, and move to Summerland, but further quarrelling arose over the division of the cattle. At last David Lloyd-Jonesf and his brother were called * Tom Ellis, pioneer cattle rancher. "Took up land in 1866, and increased his holdings till they reached the astonishing area of 31,000 acres" ("Romance of British Columbia."—Anstey). Recently, under the column of "Thirty Years Ago," appeared the following interesting item (from the "Vernon News" for October 10th, 1901) : "P. Burns, well-known cattle dealer, was married last month, in England, to Miss Ellis, daughter of Thomas Ellis, of Penticton." f The names of David Lloyd-Jones and his brother appear in the first Directory of British Columbia, dated 1882 (Okanagan Historical Society's Report, No. 4). David Lloyd-Jones is today a large mill-owner at Kelowna. 31 32 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY from Summerland to ensure fair play, and to divide the stock for them. Phillips was suffering severely from rheumatism at the time, being confined to bed in the house almost helpless. This fact did not tend to help matters between the erstwhile partners. Early one Sunday morning in the spring of 1886, March twenty-eighth, to be exact, Armstrong, still further provoked by something Phillips had said or done on the previous evening, and which had just come to his knowledge, was in a towering rage. Snatching up a club, he made his way to the house where the sick man lay, with the avowed intention of "putting an end to it all." Ill as he was, Phillips realized and saw his danger. With an effort he reached for his rifle hanging in its place over his bed, and fired point-blank at his adversary. Hearing the shot, the Jones boys ran to the house; but Armstrong was dead—killed instantly. Phillips was arrested on a charge of murder, taken to Kamloops, and tried at the spring assizes. He was acquitted on the ground of self-defence, and extenuating circumstances. It is said that he later moved to Bonaparte Creek, in Washington, where he has since died. Alex McLennan, one of the old-timers of the Okanagan, who still makes his home in Kelowna, served on the jury at Phillips' trial. Hugh Armstrong's was the second body to be interred in Priest's Valley* cemetery. Captain T. D. Shortsf took the body to Okanagan Landing in a row- * Priest's Valley was the former name of Vernon, and so named from the rest-house built there as a stopping-place by the Mission Fathers. t Captain Shorts was the first settler to pre-empt land on Shorts' Creek, Fintry, his record being dated 23rd July, 1883. He was also master of the first steamer on the Lake (Okanagan Historical Society's Report). A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 33 boat, where L. Norris* met him with a team, and together they conveyed the body to the cemetery. A year or two passed before any further development of the property belonging to these two partners was made. Their estate was then sold by auction, and bought by Mr. Isadore Boucherie.f Even today it is generally known as the Boucherie Ranch, and the mountain immediately behind also bears that name, though the Allisons had called it "Mount Edgar." Settling here, Mr. and Mrs. Boucherie had as near neighbors their married daughter and her husband, Clement Ortland, whose family were old-timers in the Okanagan. After Mr. Boucherie's death, caused by exposure, this young couple made their home with the widow. Later, Mrs. Ortland was also left a widow, for both her husband and brother were drowned while crossing the lake in a storm. Some little time later, Mrs. Ortland married Donald McLean, of McLean's Creek, Okanagan Falls. Donald McLean was a brother of Mrs. Keefe, who later made her home at Westbank. They continued to live here until their home was destroyed by fire, several years later. Then the household moved away to the southern end of the Valley, and the ranch was sub-divided, and sold to different people. A few logs, a one-time cellar, several apple trees, which still may be said to yield a crop of sorts, and a little further back the crumbling logs of the old corrals used by these original ranchers, are all that remain today of the old Boucherie homestead. An old legend still survives to the effect that Mr. Boucherie also buried a large sum of money near his home (or perhaps he discovered Armstrong's cache.) Apparently no one has had sufficient faith either in this * Mr. Leonard Norris, pioneer, and former government agent at Vernon. President of the Okanagan Historical and Natural History Society. t Boucherie—another Okanagan pioneer, farmer, and stock raiser. 34 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY story or in the one regarding Armstrong's reputed wealth to start a search for hidden treasure. Mr. Harry Hardy had arrived in the Okanagan ere the tragic episode related in the foregoing pages had transpired. And how vivid are the stories he tells, wherein he makes his characters live again in the telling I One can almost see the old picturesque scenes he describes, and live with him through the hardships and adventures of those earlier days. Born near Chatham, Ontario, Mr. Hardy, himself a pioneer, has the gracious manner and bearing of an old- time gentleman. As soon as he reached young manhood, he set out for the land of his dreams. At that time the "end of steel" reached no further than Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. He joined a band of brave men and a few intrepid women, and together they wound their way, with Red River carts, pack-trains, and Indians as guides, over the broad prairies,—in the long procession, westward, ho! Leaving Maple Creek on the ninth of April, 1883, this particular little band of pioneers, after many adventures, reached the summit of the Selkirks three months later, on the twelfth of July. On they journeyed, until, footsore and weary, they reached their several destinations. Mr. Hardy decided to stay in the Okanagan, and organized his own pack-train to carry supplies from post to post, as occasion required. Once, with a pack- train of forty horses loaded with flour, and bound for Granite Creek,* the party ran out of baking-powder as they travelled down the west side of Okanagan Lake. They stopped at the first ranch-house they reached, that of Phillips and Armstrong, to get some. The latter happened to be at home, and let them have what they needed ere they resumed their way. Mr. Hardy tells of the Christmas mails coming in, * Granite Creek, a tributary of the Tulameen River. Gold was discovered on this creek in 1884 (Okanagan Historical Society's Report). A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 35 when perhaps seven or eight horses were required to carry the precious cargo of letters and parcels from the "Old Land," or "back east," perhaps—the one as in^ accessible as the other in those days of primitive travel. As he talked, one could vision it all: the exile, lonely at this season, though he would scorn to admit it at any other time, and with eyes alight as he receives his share of the mail. Then, seeking the solitude of his cabin, with hands that tremble in his excitement, he opens letters, and, perchance, parcels, from Home! Tidings of loved ones far away,—of joy—of sorrow. Of the loss of a dear one, perhaps,—gone on that last, long journey from which there is no return. Then his hope of returning home when he "strikes it rich" (which he must surely do at some not far distant date) dies as he visions a hearth more desolate than his own. For Death has entered, and left a void that will nevermore be filled! Presently, with a sigh, he gathers up the scattered pages, folds them carefully away—and with them, his dreams of Home. But what of those who look longingly for news that never comes ? No mail! Nothing 1 Have they forgotten so soon? Has his place been filled so easily? Silently he turns away, and seeks the solitude of the hills, which never change! There he conquers the overwhelming loneliness—the bitterness that is worse than death, to return anon and take up once more the tangled threads of his existence. So, there are many stories within that one story of the Christmas mail—the pack-train that carried so much of joy and sorrow! Old scenes re-lived, hopes crushed, old scars bleeding anew, in the letters from far away. But to return to our story. Mr. Hardy, in 1890, worked on what we now call the Lambly Ranch, at Trepanier, but the following year decided to pre-empt that piece of land lying along the Okanogan-Cariboo highway, bounded on the south by the tiny lake which still # 1 36 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY bears his name, and is some two miles from the present townsite of Westbank. Here he plowed land, and planted about two hundred fruit trees. These trees flourished there until later, after Mr. Hardy had moved to Peachland, they were dug up by other settlers, and replanted. Mr. Hardy and a widowed sister still make their home at Peach- land. CHAPTER VI. WELL-KNOWN ROVERS OF PIONEER DAYS As is always the case before the onward march of civilization, this part of the country had its share of wild and lawless characters. Mrs. Allison mentions one of these in her "Reminiscences" as "Wild Goose Bill'* Perkins, and it is evidently of this man that Mr. Hardy says: "Wild Goose Bill was quite a tough character." In 1886, Wild Goose Bill "located" on the Lambly Ranch, where he kept a string of pack-horses, travelling to and from the boundary with them. He also operated a ferry on the Columbia River, probably before he penetrated into the Okanagan. Mr. C. F. Welling, now of Oakland, California, brought this fact to light recently during an interview with the "Vernon News/' Mr. Welling, in August, 1931, motored over the Okanogan-Cariboo Trail from his home in the south, to renew old acquaintances that he had formed some forty-two years before. When he first entered the Okanagan, Mr. Welling says that he left Spokane by wagon, with supplies and powder. He ferried across the Spokane River, and used Wild Goose Bill's ferry to cross the Columbia River. Slowly, Mr* Welling proceeded north, and spent the following summer on the Monashee, but left Vernon in 1889 for California, where he has been a resident ever since. On one occasion, at the boundary, a man with whom Wild Goose Bill had had several altercations, threatened him, and trouble ensued, which terminated in a fight, during which Bill shot and killed his opponent in self- defence. Bill apparently was quick tempered, and very 37 M d 38 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY handy with a gun, a rather dangerous combination. Later, during a quarrel, he wounded a second man, and for this received a sentence of ten years. Whether he made good his escape, or what became of him, is not known, but he was never seen in this part of the country again. Such a pseudonym as "Wild Goose Bill, however, was not to be lost in oblivion by his disappearance, as one William McLaughlin, apparently envious of either the reputation or the title, or perhaps both, promptly stepped into his predecessor's shoes, claiming the title as his own. So we, who by reason of some twenty odd years of residence, call ourselves old-timers, yet laying no claim to being pioneers, became acquainted with "Wild Goose Bill' the second, not being aware that he was but an imitation—that sincerest form of flattery—of the original. He proved, however, to be an excellent imitator, and was at one time arrested after an Indian, named Cultus Joe, found lying on the ground in his shelter with his legs full of buck-shot, blamed his condition on Bill. The culprit was soon found in another Indian tent further up the beach, quarrelling violently with its occupants. All of them were promptly marched to the magistrate, who gave Bill a sentence of two years. In a drunken rage, some time after his release, Bill attempted to stab "Joe" Weeks, then first mate of the s.s. "Aberdeen," and now captain of the s.s. "Sicamous." Luckily, Mr. Weeks was able to dodge in time, and Bill thrust his knife, hand and all, through the glass of a gangway door, just missing his intended victim as the latter shut the door. Naturally this earned for Bill another term. Captain Weeks relates another incident in which Wild Goose Bill played the role of, shall we say, hero? A group of men, Bill amongst them, were on the verandah of the old Okanagan Hotel in Vernon. While some of the gang went in to drink with him, others, including a lfW= INDIAN TOM DOMINIQUE jff 40 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY man named Pooler, who was quite a wag, emptied the magazine of Bill's rifle. When Bill came out again, the men commenced to argue about the improvements in the newer rifle models. One word led to another, as Pooler meant it should. Those in the "know" denounced the model Bill owned. Roused to anger, Bill grabbed up his rifle, and with the words, "I'll show you how good it is!" pointed it at his tormentor, and pulled the trigger—of course without result. "Didn't I tell you it was no good ?" exclaimed Pooler in triumph. Without more ado, Bill threw the rifle down, drew a knife, and shouting, "Here is something that is good!" stabbed Pooler in the ribs. Captain Week's father served on the jury which convicted Bill on this occasion, when he was sentenced to another two years. Bill's saving grace was music, of which he was passionately fond. Seldom was he seen without his fiddle, and nothing made him happier than to have an audience. Bill's boast was that he would die "with his boots on," which he did, in a rather pathetic way. It was the dead of winter. Poor Bill was ill and alone. Apparently fearful of becoming too weak to look after himself, he managed to drag his clothes on, and set out for the nearest neighbor, some distance away. But he never reached his destination. His body was found at the foot of a tree, to which he had no doubt crept for shelter. Then there was "Cultus" Cameron, of whom not so much is known. He lived for some time on "Bad-eye" Mary's farm, on the reserve here, now owned by Donald Abel and his wife, a granddaughter of John . McDougall's. "Cultus" is an Indian word meaning "nothing," and in reference to such "good-for-nothing" characters, the appellation often fitted only too well. "Cultus" Cameron was shot during a quarrel over a card-game in the boundary country some twenty-five years ago. No history of the Okanagan would be complete with- A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 41 out particular mention of Tom Dominique, a widely- known Indian, and the possessor of a wonderfully vivid imagination, to which he gave full scope in his flair for story-telling. We cannot but wonder to what heights, of fame Tom would have climbed had he received an education. As it was,—well, those of us who knew Tom, and have watched the animated face and twinkling eyes of this born story-teller, while he related yarns, of which he was always the hero—know that he possessed both ability and imagination. And some one has said that these two qualities combined are tantamount to genius. Tom would call promptly on every new-comer, without fail. After enjoying a hearty meal—Tom's genius showed itself here again—he would sit back, and, with eyes alight, recount the most remarkable stories. True ? Without a doubt, if one took Tom's word for it! Tom was the hero of all his stories, the centre around which every character rotated, no matter when each particular incident took place. Questioned as to his age, Tom's invariable reply, with an expressive shrug and a smile, that showed his wonderful teeth—of which he was justly proud—was: "Oh, mebbe fifty, mebbe forty—sixty—seventy—I dunno!" One night he appeared at the door of a cook-tent, smiling as usual. The cook, who knew him well, set down a plate of steaming hot supper, and invited him to eat. But with a longing look, and in a tone of pious resignation, Tom said sadly, "Me no eat meat, today— Friday," and contented himself with cheese in its place. The following day Tom turned up again, and, with a twinkle in his eye, and a flash of those wonderful teeth, suggested that "Me eat meat today—Saturday!" Or,again, at the store one day, he was experiencing the greatest difficulty in mounting his horse, and the reason for his difficulty was quite obvious. Fearful lest he be hurt, the person in charge exclaimed, "Oh, Tom, Tom! You're sick! Whoever gave you that dreadful 42 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY stuff?" Tom turned to her with a knowing grin, and replied,"A-ah, my girl,—me NEVER tell!" Poor old Tom,. It is but a few years since he was found dead in a sweat-house," such drastic treatment, or remedy, proving too much for. even his rugged constitution at last. A "sweat-house," to the Indians, is a sort of panacea for all ills, and is built of boughs in the form of a little round hut or dome. A fire is built outside, and a number of rocks brought to an intense heat. These are rolled into the little house, which is roofed with green branches, and covered closely with blankets to conserve the heat. Water is thrown on the heated rocks, the patient crawls inside, covers the opening, and remains there until he has "sweated" sufficiently. Then he emerges, to plunge into the nearby creek or lake, as the case may be. There are others, characters all, worthy of mention. Tomat, chief of the Indian Reserve here, and father of "Big Louis"; "High-toned Mary," of Whiteman's Creek, Tomat's wife; Donald Abel, a happy-go-lucky Indian with a philosophy of life that is quaintly original —these, and many others, are well-known, and their lives are bound up with the history of the Okanagan Valley. Did space allow, many stories of the ways and superstitions of these simple people might be told. One instance of the superstitious awe in which many of the older Indians regarded modern machinery, or, in fact, anything that could not be easily explained to their child-like minds, might be mentioned here. It happened in 1904. Chief Pantherhead's wife, "Hummingbird," was very ill, sick unto death, indeed. Captain L. Hay man, aware of her plight, took her across the lake to Kelowna in his motor launch, that she might receive medical attention. During the crossing, the poor woman lay moaning and grovelling in the bottom of the boat. Turning to one of the Indians accompanying her, the Captain, who INDIAN SWEAT HOUSE 44 A BIT OF OfcANAGAN HISTORY was puzzled by her behavior, asked what troubled her, and why she acted thus. "Oh, she scared of boat—engine; thinks devils make it go! She very scared," was the reply. , CHAPTER VII. PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN WESTBANK BEGINS POWERS AND SIMMS — THEIR NEIGHBORS THE McLENNANS William Powers, an Englishman, born in 1866, came to the States with his father in 1880. He spent several years in the cattle country of Montana before coming to the Okanagan. R. D. Kerr, who came to the Okanagan from Kamloops in 1885, and who is now the customs collector at Midway, met Mr. Powers in Vernon, which was at that time known as Priest's Valley. Of Mr. Powers, Mr. Kerr says: "A kindly soul was Billy. Life was very interesting to him, and when misfortune overtook him, as it often did, he met it with a smile. He could laugh at everything, and, as a consequence, had many friends, no one disliking him." In June, 1888, Powers pre-empted "Powers Flat," as it was known for years, on the Creek which bears his name. Later, the site became "Gellatly." Here he and Charles D. Simms built a cabin. The latter had taken up that land which now constitutes the village of West- bank, and lived with his partner on the flat below. It is understood that William Garnett, of Summerland, had an interest in the Powers property also, and built a much larger cabin, with the help of Alex McLennan, from the ferry district. Mr. Garnett did not remain here long, however, as the settlers were harrassed by the Indians, who claimed the ranch as their property. In 1891, Mr. Powers had a contract to carry the 45 46 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY government mail from Kelowna (then Okanagan Mission), via Penticton, Osoyoos, and Rock Creek to Grande Prairie, now Grand Forks, by pack and saddle, for still there were no roads in the country. In winter the horses had to flounder through the deep snow. In summer they had to swim rivers and creeks swirling with the freshet. There were many difficulties to contend with, yet the mail took but four days from Kelowna to Grand Forks, and generally came in on time. The Brent boys had had the contract previously, and packed it over the mountains, via the Okanagan Mission, to Naramata. In the winter of 1892, Mr. Powers cut logs on the Midway Flat, and in the following summer, built a sawmill. From that time until his death in June, 1922, at the age of fifty-seven, he operated sawmills at various points on the Kettle River. "Some time about 1895," relates Mr. Kerr, to whom I am indebted for these notes, "Billy had a sawmill on Boundary Creek, and I made a verbal contract to cut and roll into the creek so many logs. This was done, and the logs caught in a dam he had built; but the high water took them down stream—a total loss. I was to have received so much lumber for the logs, so when next we met I informed Billy that I wanted my lumber. He replied, "The loss is yours. The logs were to have been measured on the sawmill carriage." "Instead of going to law, and giving the lawyers everything, I stood half the loss, and Billy the other half. That is merely an incident of Billy's good nature, and how he managed to keep friends with everybody," finished Mr. Kerr. In 1894, Mr. Powers married Miss Lulu Hopper. Their only child, born the following year, is now Mrs. Charles Bubar, of Beaverdell, B. C. Mrs. Powers still lives at Midway. Mr. Powers had abandoned his pre-emption on Power's Flat in 1890, and in that same year it was preempted by Mr. G. H. Rashdale, who installed, at A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 47 Enderby, one of the first grist mills in the Valley. . Mr. Rashdale later moved to the Kootenay Valley. The land which Charles Simms pre-empted at West- bank, he traded later to partners, by name Fred Finlay- son and Dick Watson, for goods amounting to approximately four hundred dollars. When Alex McLennan, who had lived previously at Trout Creek, Summerland, married an Ontario girl, he staked out a pre-emption a little beyond the present ferry wharf, on the west side. Here they built a home and planted an orchard. Their two children, Annie and Ewan, were born and brought up here, and attended school at Westbank. The little bride "roughed it" in earnest, but entered whole-heartedly into the spirit of western life, as she found it. Before their home was ready, Mrs. Mc Lennan cooked outside in a hastily built little shelter. One day, while preparing dinner, she saw, to her horror, coiled up beneath the stove by which she was standing, a huge rattle-snake. "I couldn't kill it," she says, "but of course I screamed, and that brought the men. They made short work of the horrid thing." Mr. and Mrs. McLennan extended hospitality to one and all who passed their way. Everyone was made welcome, and many a time Mr. McLennan rowed travellers to Kelowna—always willing to lend a hand, and always refusing to take payment of any kind. ^Eneas McDougall also had a scow and oars to ferry travellers across. For several years, Peachland, as a community, held an annual picnic in the McLennan orchard. "For that day the place was theirs. They were welcome to everything we had, and what wonderful times those were!" exclaimed Mrs. McLennan recently, as she showed me snaps of those days of long ago. After some fifteen years, Mr. and Mrs. McLennan sold out to R. A. Pease, and moved to Kelowna, where they still have their home. Mr. and Mrs. Garbutt and 48 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY family are at the present time living on the old Mc Lennan place. Though Mr. and Mrs. McLennan left the west side to make their home in Kelowna, I think I am right in saying that Westbank still holds a very warm place in their hearts. CHAPTER VIII. PASSING YEARS BRING NEW SETTLERS Families settling in Westbank in the early nineties bring us very near the present, as they, or some of their families, are in many cases living amongst us still. One of the first families to take up land on the benches was Mr. and Mrs. John Davidson, who arrived from Vancouver in the spring of 1892, with their three small children, Will, Annie, and Allan. Here, in a little valley northwest of Shannon Lake, they made their home, and here their fourth child, Clarence, was born in 1893, and Lily, their youngest child, in 1901. John Davidson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1850. Mrs. Davidson came from Huron County, Ontario, and was born in 1868. The family operated a small dairy farm in Westbank. Mrs. Davidson, who was a wonderful housekeeper, became famous for the quality of her butter, and those who were able to secure their supply from her counted themselves fortunate. Mr. Davidson was a ship's carpenter by trade, and often went out to work for the C. P. R., when they were building or repairing steamers. Mrs. Davidson passed away on May 22nd, 1920, after an operation. Mr. Davidson died on November 31st, 1929, at the age of seventy-nine years. But though these pioneers have passed on to their last rest, their memory is still green in the hearts of those who knew them. Miss Annie Davidson makes her home with her brother Allan and his wife, formerly Miss Esther 49 > 50 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY Thompson, of Salmon River Valley, whose family pioneered in that district. Clarence lives at Princeton. Lily, now Mrs. Ingram, is in Aberdeen, Washington, and Will lives near Olympia, Washington. Walter D'Aeth pre-empted land in the district about the same time as John Davidson, but does not appear to have stayed in one place very long. Mr. D'Aeth owned extensive property from the ferry to the Westbank townsite at various times, including the Lewis and Bailey properties. He also bought the land which Joseph Brent had sold to Neil McLennan, which is now a part of the Stevens property. Mr. D'Aeth built, in later years, the home now owned by Mr. E. C. Paynter, and lived there with his wife before the war. D. S. Strang appears on the scene about the year 1892. He chose to settle in the meadows west of what is now known as Glenrosa, these being known as Strang's Flats for years. Mr. Strang gained the reputation of being eccentric, and even yet one may hear tales of his strange ways. Others arrived about this time, amongst them the Nelson, deLatour, and Nash families, Shannon Marsha^ for whom the Lake is named, Mr. Hall, with his wife and her sister. These new-comers all settled in the vicinity of Shannon Lake, as the settlement in those far-off days promised to develop near its shores. As is frequently the case, however, conditions changed, and the village is now situated on the broad benches overlooking the Okanagan Lake, about two miles south of Shannon. 1894 saw the arrival of James Silver and family, of Bear Creek, originally from eastern Canada. They settled on the bench-land north of the present settlement, where their log house still stands on what later became the Garraway property. Here Mr. Silver took logging contracts. In later years he was made road foreman for the district. Tragedy entered the home of this family when Mrs. Silver, unable to stand the isola- A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 51 tion and loneliness longer, took her own life. Needless to say, this tragis episode cast a gloom over the scattered little community, which was not dispelled for many a long day. The Westbank property which Charles Simms had disposed of soon came into the hands of Robert Goldie. He cleared land, and erected a home by the old spring, where plenty of good water was available. The original logs of this house are still intact, though it was entirely remodeled a few years ago by Mr. E. Johnson. An interesting item appeared in the "Vernon News" of July 9th, 1931, under the heading "Forty Years Ago," which read: "R. Goldie is going to plant 150 fruit trees of all varieties on his ranch opposite the Mission on the west side of Okanagan Lake." A man by the name of Simon Peters also had a cabin near the source of the small stream by which Mr. Goldie had built his home. Mr. Peters' bete noir, however, was rattlesnakes, and as these flourished abundantly on his pre-emption, he finally, upon discovering one beneath his door-sill, decided it was time to leave the snakes in solitary possession. Mr. Strang lived in this cabin later. It is still in good condition, and stands on the old R. S. Pelly farm, Mr. Pelly having bought the land from Mr. Peters. After the war, S. J. (Pat) Hewlett took this property up under the S. S. B. It is now owned by Allan H. Davidson. Mr. and Mrs. Keefe came to Westbank in 1899. They bought half of the old McDougall farm, where Mrs. Keefe grew large quantities of garden stuff. Her husband found work during the greater part of his time in the cattle country of the Nicola. He had been a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary in the old land. Mrs. Keefe was a daughter of Roderick McLean and his wife, Chief Francois' daughter. Roderick McLean, who, by the way, was not related to the notorious Mc Lean boys mentioned elsewhere in these pages, was in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company. He built the H. B. C. Post at Keremeos, some of the buildings 52 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY of which are still standing. To digress for a moment. The writer quite recently had the privilege of visiting this old H. B. C. Post, which is close by the little town of Keremeos. Part of this trading post, occupied by Mr. Christie and family, has been transformed into a living-room. The varnished wainscoting and panelling on walls and ceiling are mellowed with time, and the room, with its old-fashioned fireplace, pleads for the past more eloquently than any words of mine. Nearby, built over the bed of a creek, long since dry, is the old flour mill. The machinery, on which may be seen the patent dates 1858 and 1872, the hand-hewn shafts and timbers, are all there; and the log building, which houses it all, testifies to the sturdy fashion in which it was built by the pioneers. A mile or so distant stands the old Daly homestead. Here Mrs. Daly herself showed us the interior of the house. Some of the rooms are lined with three-inch planks, whip-sawn—a process done entirely by hand,— and the wainscoting is made from the packing-cases which were carried over the Hope Trail by pack-train. Even the window-sash has been painstakingly made by hand. It was a privilege indeed to meet Mrs. Daly, as well as Mrs. Cawston, for whom Cawston is named. Both of these pioneers are intimate, almost lifelong, friends of "our" Mrs. Allison, for all of them pioneered in the Similkameen Valley when neighbors were few and far between. Mrs. Keefe tells us that her father spent ten years in the Cariboo, and in one summer made $60,000 placer- mining. But, like many another, he walked out penniless. After this adventure, he took up land near Okanagan Falls, where Hugh Armstrong had a pre-emption before he bought the Allison property at Sunnyside, and which he planned to abandon. However, Armstrong agreed to hold it until Roderick McLean could take it over. V_ A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 53 On March 6th, 1910, Mr. Keefe died quite suddenly at Westbank, of heart trouble, leaving his widow with a family of eight children, seven of whom had been born here. The following year, on June 7th, 1911, they left for Okanagan Falls, where they have since resided. Mrs. Keefe sold half of her property here to Walter D'Aeth. The other half is still owned by the family. John Bailey, his half-brother, George Collins, Mr. and Mrs. William Lewis, and several others, were the next to arrive. The steamer "Aberdeen" landed them on Boucherie Point. Almost before the boat had pulled from shore, there was a campfire burning, and preparations for the night's shelter begun. Thereby they proved their qualities as pioneers. Mr. Bailey planted a small orchard. His children attended the school at McDougall Creek, or North Westbank, as it is so frequently called nowadays. Even today, as one motors by on the highway, Mr. Bailey's little cabin may be seen by a spring near John Faulkner's home. Mr. Lewis made his home by Powers Creek. He set out an orchard and garden, and cultivated some of the bench-land now owned by W. H. Thacker. George Collins lived with them until he married an Indian woman. His land consisted of all the property adjacent, to the north end of Hardy's Lake, once owned by Mr. Hardy. He traded this later to Mr. Greata, of Greata's Ranch, Peachland, for a horse. Then he moved to McDougall Creek, and built a home on land which today adjoins that of C. E. Bartley. This he is also said to have parted with for a horse. In later years, after the death of his first wife, Collins married an Englishwoman, Miss Richards, from the Royal Hotel, in Kelowna—the popular hostelry of that day. In 1915, George Collins enlisted in the 172nd Battalion (Rocky Mountain Rangers). While he was in camp at Vernon, Mrs. Collins adopted a war-baby, whose widowed mother was unable to secure work unless she would consent to give up her child. Mr. Collins 54 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY died without reaching France, and before long his widow took their foster-child back to England with her. About 1899 Shannon Marshall and Mr. Hall decided to rent the "Goldie property," and promptly plowed and prepared the land for seed grain. Mr. Hall bought the necessary equipment, even to a binder, in anticipation of the harvest. The implements were landed on the shore in due time. Later, he built a small wharf at this spot, that they might ship their grain. When the seed was planted, the ground was exceedingly dry, and it did not come up until after a heavy! rain in July. Being so late, they were advised to cut for green feed, but could see no reason for doing so. In October the grain was cut, and every sheaf bound. But just at this time the weather turned so wet that the grain spoiled, and could not be used for anything. So ended their first adventure in grain-growing! Mr. Legge presently bought this property from Mr. Goldie, and he in turn disposed of it to Ulysses S. Grant, nicknamed "Useless" Grant by some of those to whom he later sold fruit lots. Mr. Grant was a land promoter and real estate agent from the States. He may be said to be the actual founder of the present settlement, as he had the land surveyed, and sub-divided into fruit and town lots, and installed a domestic water system, using the spring on the S. Peters pre-emption as a source of supply. Mr. Grant sold to advantage, and before long, with the arrival of more settlers, the present townsite began to take concrete form. It was during Mr. Grant's operations that his sister and her husband, L. L. Lake, lived in the Goldie house. In the interval it had been occupied by S. Marshall and his family, and later by two bachelors, by name Slayback and Murray, of whom little is known. However, we are getting a little ahead of the story, and must hark back a few years. In 1901, Leonard Hayman arrived in the district from the Commonage, near Vernon, where he had lived for a little time. At Ik WESTBANK S FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE 56 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY the age of twenty years he pre-empted land near the Campbell ranch, but later traded this for land on the Boucherie Flat, where Isadore Boucherie had lived previously. Mr. Hayman owned the ferry some years later, and is at present one of the genial captains on the government ferry. Now, with a little group on the benches, the settlement at Shannon Lake, and Mr. Strang at Glenrosa, greater opportunities were offered for social intercourse. In the winter of 1902-3, a Literary Society was formed, the only one of its kind for many males around. Among the "charter" members were the Marshalls, Nelsons, deLatours, D. S. Strang, George Collins, and last, but by no means least, L. Hayman, whom we know so, well, and who is universally liked. Shannon Marshall was elected president, and E. Vane deLatour, secretary, at this time. When the Literary Society was formed, a school was felt to be an absolute necessity. Accordingly, a small log building was erected, not far from the present McDougall Creek bridge. This building is still standing, and may be seen to the right, as one motors north and is about to descend the little hollow just before reaching McDougall Creek. Mr. Hall accepted the position of teacher, which he held for several years. Included amongst his pupils were Annie, Will, and Allan Davidson, John Marshall, Jim, Will, and Phcebe Bailey, Ewan and Annie McLennan, the Bouvette, Keefe, and McDougall children. Mr. and Mrs* Frank Bouvette came to Kelowna in 1885 from Pembina, North Dakota. Frank married Rose Smithson, of Okanagan, Mission in 1886. In the spring of 1903 they moved to Westbank, where they built a log home near Henry McDougall's farm. For the next seven years Mr. Bouvette went in extensively for logging. During three of those years he served on the school board. Mrs. Bouvette passed away at Westbank in 1910. The family returned to Kelowna soon afterwards, where they still reside. A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 57 In the little schoolhouse mentioned above, divine service was conducted later. The Rev. Mr. Whyte, of Peachland, officiated, and Mr. Hall led the singing. The need for a post office was next felt. Different parts of the district claimed the privilege, but it was finally located at Shannon Marshall's house, the larger settlemnt bing near there at the time. Now, a name must be definitely decided on. Hence, a meeting was called at Mr. Marshall's house. Each of the several persons attending was convinced that his or her name was the only suitable one, with the result that after hours of fruitless argument, it was finally given up as hopeless. A little later, John Davidson, who, by the way, had not attended the meeting, suggested "West- bank," and his choice met with approval. So Westbank received its name. The post office was established on the first of May, 1902, with N. S. Marshall as postmaster. This office was in later years transferred to Westbank townsite. At first the mail was brought from Peachland, where the mail-carrier met the steamer at regular intervals. An amusing little side-light on the political situation of those days is given us, as follows: Mr. Marshall, meeting the Hon. Price Ellison, then member for the large Okanagan riding, informed him that he had the Westbank vote "in his pocket." But they wanted to know what was going to be done for the west side. The promise was made—and fulfilled, which is more to the point—that a grant of a thousand dollars would be made to improve the old trail from the Indian Reserve to Peachland. The grand total of nine votes was polled in that election at Westbank! Mr. Marshall was widely known as a stock-raiser. In fact, throughout the North Okanagan he was generally known as "Professor," on account of his remarkable ability as a horse-breaker and trainer. In those days increasing herds of stock meant the people's livelihood, just as the price of apples affects us today. Then, a man with a good horse, or horses, was J € Tl 58 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY in the same class as he who owns a high-priced car today. Shannon Marshall had such a one, but its pedigree had not been clearly established. The neighbors, as one family, were troubled. Their world threatened to collapse, and would certainly come to an end if the line of descent in the animal world was not soon established ... The time passed on. It was getting serious, and "nothing could be done about it!" ..... But at long last, their waiting was rewarded; the line of descent established. Their little world was saved! One of Mr. Marshall's teams he humorously named "Journey and Sing," relates Captain Weeks. When asked the reason of such peculiar names, he would briefly reply, "As we journey, sweetly sing." What led him to name them after this old-fashioned hymn, no one seems to know. The men mentioned in this chapter who lived on the benches overlooking Okanagan Lake, including Jim Silver, Mr. Peters, R. Goldie, William Lewis, and J. Bailey, are entitled to the credit of installing the original ditch for irrigation purposes. This ditch, at that time little more than a single plow-furrow, was the forerunner of the present extensive system of the Westbank Irrigation Company. CHAPTER IX. FROM PACK-TRAIN TO S.S. "SICAMOUS" Transportation in early days was necessarily of the crudest and most primitive kind. By land one travelled with pack and saddle over the rugged mountain trails; by water in Indian dugout or rowboat, with perhaps a sail when the wind was right. Settlers had to go many miles for supplies. Great was the rejoicing when, on April 21st, 1886, a little boat, christened the "Mary Victoria Greenhow," was launched by Thomas Greenhow* and Captain T. D. Shorts. She sailed on her maiden voyage from the head of the lake to Penticton, with Captain Shorts as master. She was thirty-two feet in length, and was driven by a two-horse-power coal-oil burning engine. On this trip she carried five passengers and five tons of freight. Upon arrival at Penticton, the settlers, triumphantly gathered together for the occasion, fired a salute of twenty-one shot-guns, there being no cannon available. But alas! Long before they had completed the return trip, they ran out of fuel! Captain Shorts, however, possessed of a ready wit and a persuasive tongue, as well as being a great favorite with everybody, borrowed from the settlers as they went along. When they reached their home port, there was not a tin of coal oil left on the lake! In the fall of that year, 1886, Captain Shorts beached the boat at Kelowna, while he went over to LeQuime'sf * Thomas Greenhow, another pioneer farmer, stock raiser, and trader, whose name appears in British Columbia's first directory. t The LeQuime boys, pioneers of the Valley, lived at Okanagan Mission and Kelowna. Gaston and Bernard were farmers, and Eli a trader, hotel keeper, and postmaster. 59 60 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY store for more coal-oil. When he returned, she was on fire, and burned down to the water's edge. The Captain managed to get her to the Landing at the head of the lake under her own power, however. The engine from the "Mary Victoria Greenhow" was salvaged, placed in the "Jubilee," the second boat on Okanagan Lake. Charles D. Simms worked on this boat with Captain Shorts. While towing a scow-load of "shakes"* to Penticton for Tom Ellis, they once more ran out of fuel. On this occasion they had resort to their cargo, which served the purpose excellently. It is said that either this boat or the "Mary Victoria Greenhow" took two weeks to make the trip to and from the head of the lake. The "Penticton," a larger and faster boat, made regular runs for several years. Two men named Gillis and Dow, who spent several years on the lake boats, worked on the "Penticton," and Jules Magwah, a noted character, was the engineer, under Captain Riley. In 1889, Gillis and Dow ran the "Red Star," which was later renamed the "Lucy," when bought by M. C. Cousins. In 1893, the Canadian Pacific entered the field with the stern-wheeler, "Aberdeen," making tri-weekly trips from Okanagan Landing to Penticton and back. Captain Weeks has "memories" connected with Westbank. He recalls an incident which happened while he was serving on the "Aberdeen," and which he relates as follows: "I remember in the dark ages when Purser Watson and myself were on the 'Aberdeen.' One dark night we . had to find our way, with a cycle lamp, to a sawmill up there some place, to get a shipping bill for some lumber that was on the wharf. We found the mill-owner ill in bed. We were nearly ill ourselves by the time we got back, as it was after a heavy rain, and the mud was of * "Shakes," a hand-made substitute for shingles, and very much larger than the commercial shingle. They were used in the early days, and were made by splitting cedar blocks. ^ A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 61 that loving kind that sticks like a poor relation." About the year 1907, the larger and more comfortable s.s. "Okanagan" was launched, making daily runs until July, 1914. Then the imposing, steel-hulled s.s. "Sica- mous" took its place. This latter vessel has a gross tonnage of 1,786 tons, and is two hundred feet in length. Rather different from the little coal-oil burning boat ©f less than thirty years before! Of course there are many other boats which have seen, and are still doing, duty on the lake; but their story does not belong here. Lake travel has been superseded, largely, by bus and motor car, and recently it was said that the daily loss of keeping the s.s. "Sicamous" on her run is almost two hundred dollars. We are warned by the signs of the times that soon, perhaps, the daily passing of this stately vessel will be only a memory—a thing of the past— the close of another chapter in the history of the Okanagan. Then, too, we have a vastly improved ferry service at the old crossing, "Ix-kilka-how-ston," since the days when Alex McLennan so often used to row travellers and their belongings across. It was not until April, 1906, that H. B. D. Lysons, of Kelowna, obtained a charter to build a ferry-boat, which he named the "Skookum." This name was later changed to "Tut-tut," L. C. Aviss making the runs. Leonard Hayman bought this boat in February, 1907, and with the aid of a government subsidy, at that time one thousand dollars a year, gave the people of the west side more or less regular service, depending, largely, of course, on weather conditions. The service has greatly improved with changing conditions. Today we have a fine, modern type of ferryboat, operated by the Provincial Government, which gives continuous service every hour of the day. CHAPTER X. D. E. GELLATLY AND FAMILY Early in 1900, David E. Gellatly bought the land then known as Powers Flat. The chain of title of this subdivision will be found at the end of this book. Mr. Gellatly came originally from Dundee, and was born at Montrose. Mrs. Gellatly, formerly Eliza Ure, was born at Kippen, in Stirlingshire, Scotland. They came to Canada in 1883 with their eldest son, David, who was hut a year old. From 1883 until 1893 they lived in Northern Ontario. Then they moved to Vernon, and from there to Short's Point, in 1895, where they farmed until 1899. Upon their arrival at Powers Flat, with their family of nine children, they occupied the cabins already there, and built a third one. These served as their home until the erection of the "big house" in 1908, where they lived until after Mr. Gellatly's death in 1922. A post office was opened at "Gellatly" in 1903, but was closed on June 30th, 1926. Mr. Gellatly may well be called the father of the produce business in the Okanagan, having had the honor, as early as 1897, of shipping the first car of new potatoes from the Valley. From then until 1905, both at Short's Point (now known as Fintry), and at Gellatly, he went in extensively for potato growing. He also bought and shipped large quantities from growers throughout the Valley. In about the year 1903, the ifirst apple-trees were set out, and in the following year, 1904, a greenhouse 62 \ m* OLD CHURCH ON THE INDIAN RESERVE 64 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY measuring some twenty by forty feet, took the place of a smaller one built a couple of years previously. From this time on he shipped cars of mixed vegetables, which later also included fruit. From that he went into tomato growing on a large scale, and before long was known throughout the western provinces as "The Tomato King of the Okanagan." This title he held until 1917, when various factors practically put him out of business. In 1910 he acquired the Boucherie Ranch. In the fall of 1905, the erection of the largest greenhouse in the interior was commenced, measuring fifty- three by two hundred and fifty feet. By April of 1906, the building was complete, and seeding was to be started on the following day. But early that morning a veritable gale arose, and just before the men arrived on the scene, the whole thing, with a terrific crash, collapsed—a total wreck. New glass was ordered, and by the spring of 1907, the house was once more ready for the starting of the thousands of tomato and other plants which were required. In 1915, Mr. Gellatly opened his wholesale business in Calgary, which was closed in 1919. In 1919, the wharf and large buildings, the stables, box-factory, with complete equipment, were destroyed by fire. Broken in health, Mr. Gellatly later entered the Vernon Jubilee Hospital for an operation from which he never recovered, passing away on March 7th, 1922, at the age of sixty-five years. Of the family, few are left at home. The two eldest sons, David and Jack, each own an orchard, part of the old farm. The rest of the Gellatly property has passed into other hands. Mrs. D. E. Gellatly lives here with her eldest daughter, Margaret. David, in 1912, married the writer, whose family came to Westbank in 1910. David's hobby for over twenty-five years has been the growing and developing of hardy nut trees, suitable for the Okanagan. Jack spent a number of years in the States, where he married. Of the remaining three sons, two are married. A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 65 Will is at Powell River, and Arthur and Jim at Kelowna. Two daughters are married: Jeannie, at Peace River, and Pearl, at Winnipeg. Two are deceased. One of the latter, Grace, married Charles Butt, now of Westbank, in 1915. She died, in 1921, after a lingering illness, leaving one little girl, Clara. I CHAPTER XL LATER YEARS—1905 - 1930 Westbank's growth has never been spectacular in any way, and for some years was very slow. One by one most of the old settlers left, and new ones took their places. In 1907, Shannon Marshall's mother passed away, one of the first of the little community to be called by death. Her body was laid away on the hillside north of Westbank, the Rev. Mr. White, of Peachland, officiating. The Okanagan-Cariboo Trail passes close by this sacred spot, though it is hidden from the gaze of the casual motorist. Soon after her death, the Marshalls returned to the State of Washington, and I am told that since that time both Mr. and Mrs. Marshall have passed away. Leonard C. Fetherstonhaugh came into the Valley some time before this, and lived at one time on land belonging to Walter D'Aeth. It was about 1907 that Curtis Hitchner came to West- bank, soon being joined by his brother, L. D. Together they opened a real-estate agency. They sub-divided the hillside below Strang's Flats, and named it Glencoe. Then they attempted, with no marked success, to irrigate the land thus opened up. The name of Glencoe has since been changed to Glenrosa, and the few families that live there raise cattle, grow hay, and, in winter, cut wood. Hitchner Bros, also went in extensively for logging, and established a sawmill at Glencoe, which they oper- A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 67 ated for several years. Incidentally, they owned the ifirst car in Glenrosa, a French model. Curtis was the first of the brothers to marry. In 1911, Alice Sinclair, whose parents owned an orchard in Westbank at that time, became his bride. For her he built a pretty home near the mill. L. D. brought his bride from Vancouver, and built a home not far from his brother's. Later, when Curtis and his family moved to Edmonton, L. D. disposed of his own home, and took over his brother's. They live at Glenrosa still. A third brother, Bert, also lived there for a time. A few years ago, the latter left for the family's original home in Kansas. From this time more families arrived, and a post office and store was opened at the townsite. The first merchant was Wesley Collins, who, by the way, was not related to George Collins. Mr. Collins opened a general store in 1905, on the site of the building now occupied by Hewlett Bros. Delia and Dora Collins were among the pupils who attended the first school established on the townsite. This school was held in a building erected by Mr. Strang years before. He built it almost entirely at his own expense for a community and dance hall. Though small and rough, it served the purpose for which it was intended very well, and was used as a school from 1910 to 1912. Miss Ethel McGee, of Kelowna, was the first teacher. Later, it was used as a packing-house by Rowcliffe Bros., of Kelowna. At the time of writing, it is in process of being torn down. When, in 1911, Mr. Collins' home and store were destroyed by fire, the post office was taken over by William G. Hewlett, who also opened a general store. Mr. Hewlett passed away in 1915, after a long illness; but most of the family still live in the district. The four youngest sons have entered business as "Hewlett Bros.," and they, with the youngest daughter, live with their mother on the townsite. Mr. Collins'property was later sold to John Robinson, a veteran of the Riel Rebellion. Mr. A. Town, of 68 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY Peachland, bought it from Mr. Robinson, and built a much larger store. A. J. Fouracre (a new-comer) was installed as manager, for Mr. and Mrs. Collins and family had left for Tofield, Alta. Some of the earlier settlers in Glenrosa included H. Oliver, Mr. and Mrs. McKellar, H. C. Last, G. Martin, the Turnbull boys, A. Murchie, and later, Grieve Elliott and M. G. Hussey. Mr. Elliott now lives in Westbank in the home built years ago by J. M. Campbell. E. H. Smith and family also lived at Glenrosa for several years before they bought M. G. Hussey's orchard and moved to Westbank. Their youngest daughter, Ruth, is Mrs. James Ingram, of Westbank. C. J. Tolhurst, another of our old-timers, came to Glenrosa in 1908, from England. While in Glenrosa, he lived with Mr. and Mrs. G. Martin. Lou Sinclair, with his wife and family, made his home at Glenrosa for a time. They lived on the farm owned afterwards by Mr. and Mrs. Bradford. Mr. Bradford passed away recently, and Mrs. Bradford has since sold her land and moved to Kelowna. Mr. L. Sinclair was a brother of Mrs. W. C. Hitchner. During the years 1905 to 1910, Westbank and Glenrosa, like the rest of the Valley, were in the throes of a land boom. Consequently, there was quite an influx of settlers, some of whom are mentioned here. Mr. and Mrs. John Dobbin came from Calgary in 1906. Mr. and Mrs. Washington Brown, with their young children, arrived at this time. Mr. and Mrs. S. Clarke also came during the boom. Their son, Cecil, is still a resident here, but his parents have passed on. Of the daughters, one, Mrs. Maitland Fetherstonhaugh, lives at Trepanier, but the other, a nurse, died several years ago. Clarke and Brown own considerable acreage in orchard now, including the former Gellatly farm, which came into the hands of A. B. Knox after Mr. Gellatly's death, and from whom Clarke and Brown bought it. Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Campbell and family came from A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 69 the prairies at this time, as did Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Gore and their three sons. When Mr. and Mrs. Gore first came they settled some two or three miles from the settlement, up Powers Creek. They were born and brought up in Nottinghamshire, England, in the heart of the famous Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood's country. Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Thacker came originally from England, and lived in Australia before coming to West- bank. Masson Russell and his wife arrived here about this time. Mr. Russell had been in Australia also. A. S. Nicol and his two sons, John and Alex, bought several lots, and set out a large number of trees. John died soon after their arrival, and Mr. Nicol passed away some ten years ago. Alex, with his wife and family, live in Penticton. Mr. and Mrs. Nicol were the proud possessors of the first motor-car in Westbank,— a Ford. The Nicols arrived in Westbank on May 17th, 1908. Then there were Mr. and Mrs. Hurlburt, who built the house and planted the orchard where T. B. Reece lives. Mr. Hurlburt opened a blacksmith shop here, which he operated for some years. One of the sons married Miss Jean Gellatly. Their daughter, May, is the wife of Norman Day, of Kelowna. David Mandeville, another prairie man, bought quite a lot of land, and set out orchards. He built the house now owned by M. Taneda. Mr. and Mrs. George Bughman were Americans. Mr. Bughman set out the orchard and built the home which now belongs to W. B. Gore. Mr. and Mrs. Scott Blackwood also had their home here for a time, and sold out to John Faulkner. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Fetherstonhaugh were close friends of Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood. Mr. Fetherstonhaugh owned a part of the property now belonging to J. Moffat. Mr. and Mrs. Percy Dundas owned the orchard where Mr. and Mrs. John Faulkner now make their home. One sad day, the former's little four-year-old son, Lawrence, was drowned in the tiny creek which runs 70 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY through the place. During the war, Mr. and Mrs. Dundas left for England. Mr. and Mrs. Faulkner bought their property, and later acquired the Scott- Blackwood place, and are, financially, our most successful fruit-growers. Mr. and Mrs. Faulkner formerly lived up McDougall Creek, where Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Bartley now reside. As before mentioned, John Dobbin came to Westbank in 1906, from Calgary. He was born in Belfast, Ireland, on August 3rd, 1833, of Norman-Irish stock, and was a veteran of the Indian Mutiny (1857). His daughter, Miss Mamie Dobbin, can relate many interesting incidents regarding her father's life. On one occasion, during the Mutiny, she says that the troops Mr. Dobbin was with lived for seven days on dry rice... Often they enjoyed their supper while on the march at night." Mr. Dobbin married Elizabeth Douglas on July 24th, 1866. Mrs. Dobbin was born on May 27th, 1841, at Sisnasco, co. Fermanagh, Ireland. "Her ancestors, the Grahams and Douglas', of Scotland, migrated to Ireland during the rebellion," says Miss Dobbin. The young couple lived in Glasgow, Scotland, for several years before they sailed for Canada, where they settled at Bracebridge, Ont. (Bracebridge was the home at one time of Robert Dollar, of the steamship line of that name). Here Mr. Dobbin took a very active part in promoting education. He was called the "Settlers' Friend," for the way in which he assisted new settlers while he was in business there. After losing everything in a fire at Bracebridge, the family moved to Morris, Man., where they engaged in farming. Here Mr. Dobbin was a Justice of the Peace for a number of years. Always a keen observer, and a great reader, the old gentleman had a fair idea of the immensity of the Great War. The political situation and the battle front were a source of great anxiety to him. On December 6th, 1916, the evening of the fall of the Asquith government, A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 71 and the German drive on Bucharest, he went out for a walk, from which he never returned. The household presently became alarmed, when the husband and father did not return. Search parties were organized on the following day, and the surrounding country scoured, but without avail. Almost brokenhearted, his ageing wife waited at home—for the news that did not come. At last the search had to be abandoned. The weary months dragged by. The word "missing" has a terrible significance, as we who read the casualty lists during the war, knew. Summer came, and one day a party of boys out for a day's fishing, miles up Powers Creek, came suddenly on the body of the missing man. Probably tired out, he had sat down on a log to rest. Perhaps he had fallen asleep, and, mayhap, in his distress, his heart would stand no more. We can only know that he passed on peacefully. His widow, a great Bible student, passed away on October 27th, 1924. Of the family, one daughter, Miss M. J. Dobbin, lives here, and is the owner of the store which bears her name. John has a large acreage in orchard, and Art spends his time between logging and farming. A daughter, Mrs. G. H. Watts, lives in Vancouver. Dr. W. J. D. Dobbin, of Portland, Oregon, is a son. Westbank had a sawmill for several years, operated by John Wheeler, on the site of what is now George Kingsbury's orchard. John Robinson was the sawyer, and here also worked Charles Marren, who built the Lakeview Hotel in 1910. Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Jones, with their three boys, lived on the Shannon Marshall farm for a number of years. Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Clews, the latter a sister of William Ball, our well-known road foreman, lived in Westbank for a number of years. Mr. Clews set out the orchard which J. M. Jones bought, when the former moved to the prairie. Mr. G. M. Steele, a brother of the late Sir Sam 72 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY Steele, and a member of the original group of men who formed the original Royal Northwest Mounted Police, arrived in Westbank on May 28th, 1910. His daughter Lily is Mrs. Alex Nicol, of Penticton. Another daughter was Mrs. Charles Marren, and a third, Mrs. Jack Nicholls. The latter's husband was second engineer on the s. s. "Sicamous" for years. Mr. Steele passed away in Kelowna Hospital on May 15th, 1928. Mr. and Mrs. J. Moffat, and Halpin Moffat, came to Westbank from Vancouver, and bought an orchard set out some years before by Bob Bennett, who, however, did not stay in Westbank long. Mrs. Moffat passed away some years ago, but Mr. Moffat and his son still make their home here. Mr. James Duncan has also lived here for many years, and although he is in his nineties now, still lives alone. His daughter, Elsie, married Bert, John Robinson's son. Mr. and Mrs. Art. Raymer, now of Kelowna, lived in the district for a number of years, in the vicinity of North Westbank. Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Lake, after making their home here from about 1908 to 1918, returned to the States with their two children, Grace and Ben. Others, too, have come and gone. Among them were Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Verne Armstrong, and Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Carruthers. Their children all attended school here, and we look back to many good times spent together. Of course, those of us left behind, have spent many enjoyable hours together, but we often speak of the old days, of those who have passed on, and of those who have left the Okanagan for other lands. Even at this late date, Westbank did not present a thriving appearance, by any means. Perhaps one arrived in the dead of winter, with little ones to think of. There were no cars to bear one swiftly to the new home—a home perhaps made only of the stuff of which dreams are made! Well, to relate our own experience. It was the afternoon of New Year's Day, 1910. The A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 73 mercury registered ten degrees below zero—and cars were not! We stepped off the s.s. "Okanagan" at Hall's Landing, as Westbank was frequently called at that time, and were driven up the steep, winding road to the dreary waste that was Westbank! Imagination was at a particularly low ebb, due in part, no doubt, to the state of same mercury. Had it been otherwise, however, it would have served only for bitter disillusionment, for as we looked in vain for the village that we had hoped to see, our spirits fell lower than ever! A few orchards had been planted, but scarcely one had reached the age of bearing. Packing-houses, and their accompanying payrolls were unknown quantities. True, there was a home or two to be seen, a number of little shacks, and a post-office and store combined. Here one could, if one were fortunate, obtain the bare necessities of life. On we went, until, topping a rise, we were driven swiftly down a winding trail, called, by courtesy, a road. After what seemed to us city-dwellers, several miraculous escapes, we arrived at the old Lewis homestead, down in Powers Creek. Here we lived for several months, and never was home more cosy than "Mother" made those little rough cabins! There followed months and years of adjusting, of events big and little, of tragedy and humor, with all their minor chords and cadences. Once, a thrilling man-hunt filled my girlish heart with hero-worship—until, late one night, a brave posse of men were found in a barn, fast asleep ! Whether the night was really too dark to continue the search for the murderers at large; or whether ? But no, I dare not put such disloyal thoughts into words! Needless to say, my idols crashed, and deep in my heart remains a question,—forever unanswered. On the following day, a lone rancher arrested the fugitives from justice. Weary with cold and hunger, they had stopped to rest in a sparsely settled district a few miles north of the ferry. 74 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY Then, during a particularly hot, dry summer, a bush fire threatened to wipe out the entire settlement. Everybody experienced a few anxious hours, and worked feverishly to save their homes. The wind changed in time, however, and all was well. The winter of 1915-16 was extremely cold. The lake was frozen over from end to end. Boat and mail service were seriously interfered with. During that winter, George Hewlett walked on the ice, a distance of nine miles, from Westbank to Kelowna, to join up for overseas service. On March the eighteenth, 1916, a party of men, with their families, left Westbank for Pangman, Saskatchewan. They were W. H. Clews, Lou Sinclair, William Turnbull, and two others who had but lately come into Westbank, Horner and Watchorn. They loaded three cars of settlers' effects at Gellatly wharf. After very great difficulty, fighting ice-floes every yard of the way, the barge which carried these cars reached Okanagan Landing. Under such conditions, this party of settlers doubtless believed, for a time at least, that they had left the Okanagan for a "better land." August, 1914, and the War years that followed, were fateful ones for Westbank. Loved ones were called up from almost every home, some of them never to return, and whose places will never be filled. One of the first to enlist was Stewart (Pat) Hewlett, who joined the 2nd B. C. Horse in October, 1914. The following winter, 1915-16, George and William Hewlett enlisted in the 172nd Battalion, and, as soon as he reached his eighteenth birthday, Edward Hewlett made the fourth from that family to join the colors. Mr. and Mrs. Gore's two eldest sons, Fred and Cyril, also served overseas, where Cyril made the supreme sacrifice. Others of the little community to go were Mrs. Thacker, whose rank was that of colonel in charge of a military hospital in England. Her husband joined up in the 172nd Battalion. The three Davidson boys, Will, Allan, and Clarence; two young men, new-comers to the A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 75 district, Gay and Richmond; William Ball, Art Dobbin, Bert Robinson, Leonard Fetherstonhaugh, Charles Marren, George Roberts, A. R. S. Campbell, Halpin Moffat, Angus Thompson, Ed, Dan, and J. A. Mc Dougall. Walter D'Aeth and C. J. Tolhurst also served overseas, though they had left Westbank at the time of their enlistment. Both Richmond and D'Aeth made the supreme sacrifice. Thus, even in this tiny place, the war took its toll. The weary years of waiting were long indeed, though friends and neighbors took a deep and personal interest in all of our boys overseas. "Tempus does fugit," as the Irishman said, and every year it seems to fly more swiftly. Many more families have settled in Westbank now, and conditions are very different from what they were a few years ago. Nowadays, when the stately s. s. "Sicamous" makes her regular calls at the wharf twice a day, where, perhaps, one sees loads of "O.K." apples being loaded quickly and efficiently into the waiting cars on C. P. R. barge, or the new Canadian National car-slip; or one may see along the shore millions of feet of raw timber waiting their turn to be boomed and hauled by tug-boat to the sawmill at Kelowna—then, it does not take a very vivid imagination to follow, in fancy, the broad, well- travelled motor-road, which winds its way upward besides a prettily-wooded draw, until lost to view where it rounds a curve, and to picture the broad acres of bearing orchard beyond. Here grow apples, peaches, pears,—in fact, all of the luscious fruits for which the Okanagan is justly famed. Here too, the more humble, but very necessary, tomato, onion, and potato are extensively grown. And here, still, "hope springs eternal in the grower's breast," and every year brings its quota of settlers. Here grouped together are the large Co-operative Growers' packing house, and the smaller Independents'; the stores, garage, and the neat little building where His Majesty's mail is taken care of. Nor must we forget to 76 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY mention our one church, St. George's Anglican, and near by, the Community Hall, built recently by means of community effort. Here one also sees modern, comfortable homes, while through the vista of orchards, one glimpses, here and there, the smoke coiling lazily up from the hearth of some fruit-grower's cosy home. And last, but by no means least, there are the gas pumps, which flaunt their colors, so fearfully and wonderfully vivid! So we must leave the record of the trials and vicissitudes of the little village of Westbank. But not without the reminder that, though we have perpetuated many of the names of our earlier settlers by naming various points of interest in their honor, our very first settlers, the Allisons, have so far been accorded no recognition of any kind. This is due, perhaps, to the fact that during their stay here, they were quite alone. As a consequence, their name has been overlooked, though not forgotten. This omission will, without a doubt, be rectified at the first opportunity, that we may keep always green the memory of our first pioneer family, and of the brave little mother who spent ten of the happiest years of her life at "Sunnyside." Since the foregoing was completed we have lost two more of our old-timers: Leonard C. Fetherstonhaugh and William Ball. Born in Ireland, the late Mr. Fetherstonhaugh had lived in Westbank since about 1908, and was responsible for the planting of several orchards in the district, both before and after the war. While in Winnipeg during the war he enlisted in the Strathcona Horse, and served overseas. In January, 1930, he married Miss Norah Drought, of Trepanier. While working in his orchard on Saturday, November 14th, 1931, he was instantly killed by a premature blast, leaving his young wife and infant daughter, Patricia, to mourn his loss. New Year's Day was saddened for many of us by the A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 77 passing of William Ball at Kelowna Hospital, after an illness of little more than a month. Coming from his home in North Devon in 1914, "Billy," as he was affectionately known, made his home in Westbank. He served overseas in 1917-18, and soon after his return Was made road foreman for this district, which position he held until his death. Ever ready to lend a helping hand, Billy was beloved of all. No appeal was ever made to him in vain. His loss will be keenly felt in the community, where every progressive movement was assured of his staunch support. He was particularly fond of the children, and will be greatly missed by them. Still another loss to the community occurred on Thursday, January 14th, 1932, when Cecil T. Garraway passed away very suddenly from heart failure. A member of an old-time Peachland family, deceased was born at Pense, Saskatchewan, on January 29th, 1889. About ten years ago he came, with his two motherless boys, Jack and Arthur, to Westbank, and settled on property which was part of the family estate. A leader in all games and sports, the late Mr. Garraway was prominent in the local Community and Badminton Clubs. The funeral was held from St. George's Anglican Church on Tuesday morning, January 19th, the Rev. H. A. Solly officiating; burial in the family plot at Peachland. 7S A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY POSTMASTERS AT WESTBANK, GELLATLY, AND GLENROSA The following is a list showing the names of Postmasters at Westbank, Gellatly, and Glenrosa since the date of establishment, the dates of appointment, and the length of time they served in that capacity. WESTBANK Established May 1st, 1902 N. S. Marshall (at Shannon Lake) 1902 to 1903 W. M. Collins (at Westbank Townsite) 1908 to 1911 Wm. G. Hewlett (at Westbank Townsite) 1911 to 1915 Mrs. M. A. Hewlett (at Westbank Townsite) 1915 to 1919 Alex Nicol (at Westbank Townsite) 1919 to 1920 E. C. Paynter (at Westbank Townsite) 1920 to — GELLATLY Established June 1st, 1903; Closed June 30th, 1926 C. D. Osborne 1903 to 1904 D. E. Gellatly (from January 1st) 1904 to 1922 Mrs. D. E. Gellatly U -1922 to 1926 GLENROSA Established January 1st, 1912 L. D. Hitchner (from January to November) 1912 H. C. Last 1912 to 1915 W. C. Hitchner 1915 to 1917 L. D. Hitchner 1917 to 1922 G. H. Gates ,. 1 1922 to — A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY 79 SOME EARLY PRE-EMPTION RECORDS Lot No. Name Pre-emp. No. Date 434 Allison, John Fall (Kaml'ps Dis.) June 26, 1872 (Crown Grant issued to him September 10th, 1884). 486 Simms, Charles D P.R. 985 June 27, 1888 Aband'd Goldie, Robert P.R. 985 Dec. 29, 1890 D'Aeth, Walter L. _A. to P. 2252 May 3, 1904 505 McDougall, LeSime ......P.R. 973 Dec. 15, 1890 Aband'd Keefe, Arthur P.R. 2232 Dec. 13, 1895 1184 (Peach'd) Hardy, Harry P.R. 1193 Nov. 3, 1891 Aband'd Hardy, Harry P.R. 2463 Nov. 9, 1897 778 McLennan, Alex&John P.R. 1257 Nov. 3, 1892 D'Aeth, Walter L P.R. 1025 Mar. 9, 1891 Aband'd (Afterwards known as W^2 Sec. 23, Tp. 7). 523 D'Aeth, Walter L P.R. 3452 Later in 1891 2606 Davidson, John P.R. 1496 May, 1893 807 Lewis, William Milton JP.R. 2267 Feb. 26, 1896 805 Bailey, John A P.R. 2831 Mar. 31, 1899 806 Peters, Simon .' P.R. 2807 Feb. 3, 1899 1117 McDougall, Henry P.R. 2865 May 19, 1899 804 Silver, James _ P.R. 2880 May 20, 1899 3190 Strang, Mary E P.R. 3352 Nov. 13, 1900 Crown Grant issued to Dave S. Strang). 3191 Strang, Dave S P.R. 3191 June 15,1900 3743 Strang, Dave S P.R. 4718 Strang, Dave S P.R. 2010 3189 DeLatour, E. V. D _P.R. 3345 Nov. 7, 1900 3486 DeLatour, H. de C JP.R. 3822 July 10, 1902 1934 Hayman, Leonard P.R. 3539 July 15, 1901 Aband'd (Taken up later by W. L. D'Aeth. Was just north of Lot 581). 80 A BIT OF OKANAGAN HISTORY Lot No. Name Pre-emp. No. Date Hayman, Leonard P.R. 4949 (Later Abandoned). 4089 Hayman, Leonard P.R. 5653 (L. H. settled here) 2683 Marshall, John Shannon P.R. 4248 Dec. 7, 1903 Aband'd Kerr, J. E _ P.R. 4510 Aug. 25, 1904 Dobbin, John (sr.) P.R. 4943 Apr. 19, 1906 2684 Marshall, J. S P.R. 4334 Mar. 28, 1904 Aband'd 2685 Powell, George ..._ P.R. 4335 Mar. 28, 1904 Faulkner, John P.R. 4764 May 8, 1905 3189 Collins, George P.R. 3190 Aband'd Collins, George _P.R. 1745 Collins, George ..P.R. 2344 Collins, George JP.R. 3046 Collins, George _P.R. 4874 522 Wood, J. W. H __A. to P. 1853 Nov. 29, 1901 3483 Hitchner, Lewis D P.R. 4156 Oct. 7, 1903 3864 Hitchner, W. Curtis P.R. 4580 Oct. 31, 1904 CHAIN OF TITLE OF GELLATLY SUBDIVISION June 27, 1888—Pre-empton Record No. 636 issued to William Powers. Oct. 25, 1890—P. R. No. 636 abandoned by William Powers, and P. R. No. 944 issued to George Herbert Rashdale. Feb. 2, 1892—Crown Grant No. 1738-59 issued to G. H. Rash- dale. Feb. 13, 1892—Mortgage to secure $1,000.00 at 10 per cent, interest: G. H. Rashdale to Rt. Rev. George Hills, Lord Bishop of British Columbia. Nov. 1, 1892—Assignment of above Mortgage: Rt. Rev. George George Hills, Bishop of British Columbia, to the Anglican Synod of the Diocese of British Columbia. June 1, 1900—Conveyance in fee: The Anglican Synod of the Diocese of British Columbia to David Erskine Gellatly. This land, when it was first surveyed, was known as Lot 16, Kamloops District, but is now known as Lot 487, Osoyoos District.
Other copies: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/18541737
Books
F5848.O4 G3
English
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Kelowna : Kelowna Printing Company
Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy, or otherwise distribute these images please contact digital.initiatives@ubc.ca.
Original Format: University of British Columbia. Library. Rare Books and Special Collections. F5848.O4 G3
Okanagan Valley (B.C. : Region)--History
Westbank (B.C.)--History
Okanagan Valley (B.C. : Region)--Biography
Westbank (B.C.)--Biography
A bit of Okanagan history
Text