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Osoyoos—Fairview—Oliver Chronicles

by Katie Lacey

(continued from O.H.S. 22nd Report)

In 1919 the British Columbia Government under Premier John Oliver and his Minister of Lands, Hon. T. D. Pattullo, bought out the Shatford interests, the Southern Okanagan Land Co. whose lands extended from Vaseux Lake to the International Border and comprised some 23,000 acres. About 8,000 acres of this land was irrigable, and was to be served by a gravity irrigation canal stretching from a dam at the outlet of Vaseux Lake near McIntyre Bluff to the border, and crossing the valley where the town of Oliver now stands. The town was named after John Oliver.

The first sawmill in the district was run by the Provincial Government to supply trestles and forms for the ditch. This was later sold to the Brophy Bros., who in turn sold to the Fairweather Lumber Company. In 1939 the Oliver Sawmills Ltd. purchased the entire business and assets of the Fairweather Lumber Co. This has developed into one of the chief industries of the district.

First choice for a townsite was across the river where the Engineers' Camp was. In 1920, through the efforts of the Engineers and public subscription, an Athletic Hall was built which became Oliver's Community Hall. It was officially opened May 2nd, 1921, and still serves Oliver as such.

In 1921 the Vaseux Lake Dam and Syphon across the river was formally opened, the syphon being considered one of the outstanding pieces of engineering work of that time -- 78 inches in diameter so that the men would work inside it. There were sixty miles of laterals, flumes and pumping areas.

The first lot sold in this new project was to D. P. Simpson on March 4th, 1921, followed by F. W. Nesbitt and C. Leighton. George Mabee, John Burns and Guy P. Bagnall bought the first lots south of town. These men all bought trees and planted out orchards the same year. They formed the Oliver Produce Association with H. Earle the first president and joined with the Oliver Cooperative Association in 1923. Their first warehouse was built in 1924.

The first store in the district was at the Engineers' Camp across the river. Later it was moved across to Main Street and became the S.O. Supply Company with A. J. McPherson in charge. The first building on Main Street was put up by a Mr. Muggeridge where the present Government office is and was the land sales office. The first Post Office was opened May 21, 1921, D. P. Simpson, Postmaster. The first store on Main Street was built where White's Pharmacy now stands by J. K. Andersen. He sold it to Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Griffin who opened a feed store and later sold groceries also. Anderson and C. D. Collen built a grocery store across the street next to the Oliver Hotel. However in a few months Anderson sold his share to Collen and built another store where the Okanagan Telephone Offices were and ran a grocery business there for many years. In 1921 Harry Fairweather was running a hotel in Queensboro, just outside New Westminster. He dismantled it, loaded it on flatcars, every last board and lath, and shipped it to Oliver. As Penticton was the nearest railroad it would have to he hauled to Oliver by truck. With the help of three or four men he reassembled it at Oliver to become the Oliver Hotel. R. W. Smith, Oliver's pioneer druggist, was the first guest in the hotel and he had to go in through the window as the doors had not yet been put in! Mr. Smith opened the drug store in May 1922. In 1926 T. W. Hall bought the hotel and ran it until he retired in 1948. In 1936 it was redecorated and modernized in order to become licensed premises.

Other names and places well-known on Main Street in those days were Dr. G. W. Kearney, Frank Elliot's Restaurant, Billy Raincock's butcher shop, Mrs. Hill's Cafe; Lawrence and Ede had the first hardware store and sold it to Victor Fairweather in 1922. There was Jack Warren's Bakery, Fosters Confectionery where on hot days Dr. Kearney's English Setter would take a nickel in his mouth, cross the street, and wait till someone opened the door; then he would slip in and get himself an ice cream cone! There was Elmer Johnson's garage next to J. K. Anderson's, Tait and FitzPatrick, real estate, the Canadian Bank of Commerce, ( J. D. Smith, manager), Charlie Jones's butcher shop. Mr. and Mrs. Pugsley had a café. Tom Roe, a carpenter on the ditch, built and owned the first house on the townsite and afterwards was the first Liquor Vendor and the first Liquor store was in the north half of what is now Tuck's Cafe. In the south half R. B. Thompson had a real estate business and Mrs. Thompson sold stationery, knick knacks and patent medicines. Downstairs in what was known as "The Grotto", ice cream was sold.

In 1921 Rev. H. Feir was sent by the Presbyterian Church to establish missions at Okanagan Falls and Oliver. He lived at the Falls until the Manse was built in Oliver. The first church service and communion was held in Collen's store (still unfinished), then in a temporary building that later housed Mr. Feir's cow and afterwards served as garage and woodshed.

A survey of fish and game at that time shows that in 1920 there were more mule deer in the hills than now and more white deer in the bottoms and along the river. The trumpeter swans were more numerous, some wintering on Vaseux Lake every winter. Pheasants had been imported during the first World War and had thrived well and were quite plentiful. The Burrowing Owls, small Mexican rabbits, Salamanders and Blue Tailed Lizards were often seen and Rattlesnakes, Blue Racers and Bullsnakes were common sights. There were more Willow and Blue Grouse too and at that time there were heavy runs of salmon direct from the Columbia River that included Sockeye, Dog and Spring. Kokanies (Kickaninnies) were plentiful in the fall.

May 24, 1923 was a Red Letter day in Oliver's past. On that day the first train arrived in Oliver and was greeted with fitting ceremonies, and the first May Day Celebrations were held. Alberta Wilson (Mrs. Henry Phelps) was the first May Queen. Her school mate, Queenie Peck, performed the crowning. That summer the first cantaloupes were put on the market and the response was so good that 44 car loads were put on the market the next season. There were large plantings of ground crops in the Oliver area at that time between the rows of young trees, that is tomatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, etc. In August of 1923, Dr. H. H. Heal opened the first Dentist's office. The first Oliver Golf Club was also formed in that year, and the first members were A. J. McPherson, R. Simpson, E. W. Mutch, John Marr, H. Porteous, G. Hill Wilson, and H. Earle.

In March of 1924 a joint meeting of representatives of British Columbia and Northern Washington towns was held and the Cariboo Trail Association was formed shortly afterwards. On September 3, 1924, the Oliver Board of Trade put on a free cantaloupe feed on Main Street to honor the members of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities in convention in Penticton at that time. In 1924, Les Smithers came to Oliver and opened the first gas station next to where White's Pharmacy is. This building was made of logs from the old church at Camp McKinney, and were hauled down by Ralph Overton and his partner.

The last resident police stationed at Fairview was William Lakeland and he was succeeded by Constable D. A. McDonald in 1923. However, he resided in Fairview for a year before the present police house was built in 1924, when he moved in there. He was also the first officer to don the uniform evolved for the British Columbia Provincial Police, about 1930. He later became a private detective, and died in North Vancouver. He was followed by Constable Meadow, later promoted to Corporal. He retired and resided in Oliver, and was later appointed Stipendiary Magistrate at Osoyoos. G. A. McAndrews, later absorbed into the R.C.M.P., attained the rank of Staff Sergeant, retired and is now living at Prince George. R. E. Sheill, now retired, is Police Magistrate at Cranbrook. He was in charge at Oliver at the start of World War II. W. B. Stewart came to Oliver with a lot of seniority, was transferred to Keremeos where he retired. Later he became Stipendiary Magistrate there. He retired from that post in 1959 and died shortly afterwards. Nels Winegarden, still in the war years, transferred to Powell River, left the force when the R.C.M.P. took over, is now retired. F. E. Nelson, an exceedingly capable officer, was transferred to Grand Forks and promoted to Corporal, absorbed by the R.C.M.P., promoted to Sergeant and moved to Trail and then to Cloverdale as Staff Sergeant. R. J. Jennings was at Oliver when the R.C.M.P, took over on August 15, 1950. He had a long service with B.C.P.P., went to Penticton as Corporal with the R.C.M.P. and is Police Magistrate there now.

Other R.C.M.P. officers at Oliver were Constable A. Baker, now Corporal; I. G. Thorsteinsen (now Corporal at Ft. St. John); Corporal M. W. MaGuire, still at Oliver.

April 1938

"Francis Baptiste has again won a Bronze Star at the Royal Drawing Society Exhibition at London, England. His painting "Indian Boys In Training" was one of two outstanding pictures which were taken to Buckingham Palace. The King and Queen thought the painting very interesting. Last year this boy won a silver star and this is the second time he has won a bronze award.

Johnnie Stalkia, aged twelve, was also awarded a bronze star for his buckskin picture of an Indian boy with a group of wild birds and animals of the Okanagan. Other children of the Inkameep school were also successful in winning in other sections all first class:  Francis Baptiste, 18 years, Mary Baptiste, 15 years, Frank Stalkia, 10 years, Edith Kruger, 8 years, Elizabeth Stalkia, 7 years, Bertha Baptiste, 7 years. (From the Oliver Echo, April 13, 1938).

"Two 1st prizes, a 2nd, and 5 ribbons for excellent work were awarded to the women of the Inkameep Reserve at the Annual Canadian Handicrafts Guilds Exhibition at Montreal recently.

Mrs. John Baptiste got a first prize for a beaded buckskin dress which took two years to complete. Mrs. Felix Stalkia won the other first prize with a silk work picture portraying a young boy painting a rock picture as one of his tests of courage. Mrs. A. Atkins awarded her a second prize with her silk work study of an Indian spearing fish. The five ribbons were won by Mrs. N. Baptiste, Mrs. J. Baptiste, Mrs. E. Baptiste, Mrs. J. Kruger and Mrs. E. Stalkia." (From the Oliver Echo, December 8, 1937).

Mr. Anthony Walsh was teacher at the Inkameep school at that time and achieved outstanding success with both the children and parents.

The first Scout and Cub troops were organized in Oliver in 1932; the first Scoutmaster was the late P. C. Coates, followed by Bert Hall, who in turn was succeeded by J. H. Mitchell who held that position for many years. The First Cubmaster was Lance Tayler. The girl guides were organized in 1934-35.

During the 30's activities slowed down because of the hard times. A lot of road work was done with relief crews and one of the major tasks done with relief work was the removal of a famous land mark, the Overhanging Rock at Vaseux Lake. With automobile and truck traffic increasing very rapidly this corner was becoming hazardous and high loads were not able to pass underneath.

In 1934 St. Paul's Lutheran Church was built, Rev. A. Krahenbil in charge. He was the first Lutheran pastor in the South Okanagan, serving Oliver and six other communities besides, until 1945, when he was transferred to Chicago. The call of the Okanagan was too strong and he returned in 1956.

In 1935 a small boom in mining was noted with the reopening of the Morning Star at Fairview and the Dividend at Osoyoos. The present building of the Canadian Bank of Commerce was built that year. The Home Cash Grocery (Berne Pickering) was offering Ontario cheese 20¢ per lb., Kellogg's Corn Flakes, 3 pkgs for 25¢, pink salmon 11¢ per tin. The Co-op Exchange was selling Five Roses Flour at $3.15 per 98 lb. sack and at the Star Meat Market, fresh salmon was 25¢ per lb. Collen's Department store's mid-summer sale offered bathing suits $1.89-$2.95; silk hose 2 pr. for 89¢; pastel colored silk dresses $2.79; men's blue denim overalls, 89¢, work shirts 79¢, wool socks 19¢, and work shoes $2.69. Fairweather's hardware was selling 1 gal. Thermos jugs $2.25; galvanized wash boilers $1.55; big preserving kettles .98¢ and a gasoline camp stove for $7.50. Paving (black-top) from the Border to Oliver was completed that year.

In 1937 the Oliver-Osoyoos Hospital Society was formed to raise funds for a much-needed hospital. When sufficient money had been raised, together with a Government grant, a building was started at Oliver and on November 29, 1942, St. Martin's Hospital, under the capable supervision of the Sisters of St. Ann, was officially opened. On November 30th the first patient, Mrs. J. Barmy, gave birth to a son, Martin Barmy.

On May 16, 1935 an historic event took place in the Oliver-Osoyoos area. Colonel Pragnall, escorted by five red-coated R.C.M.P, officers representing His Majesty King George VI, came to the Inkameep Reservation to present to Chief Baptiste George a silver jubilee Medal. Mr. Coleman, the Indian Agent, was present, as was Magistrate G. F. Guernsey of Penticton, who had been for many years with the North West Mounted Police as that body was originally known, and other interested persons.

"The old chief, nearing ninety, and his wife, Cecile, were very proud that day. Baptiste was not an hereditary chief, but Cecile was the daughter of the previous chief, Gregoire, and at his death in 1907 Baptiste had been appointed chief. He had been a loyal and generous citizen and during the first World War had been presented with a Union Jack for his generous subscriptions for Liberty Bonds. He was a good farmer and cattleman and his reservation was upheld as a model one.

On behalf of the "'TYHEE GEORGE" Colonel Pragnall had come to present the Silver Jubilee Medal to the old Chief. He stood very straight and tall while the Colonel pinned the medal on and then saluted him -- the only Indian in Canada to receive this medal. Colonel Pragnall then presented a jubilee medal to Dr. R. B. White of Penticton, who after graduating from McGill had come to Fairview where he had ministered to Indian and white alike; the medal was "for long and faithful service to the state." For many years the Indians had called him their "white brother"; now with the dual ceremony performed he was a "blood brother" of the Chief.

The Chief then came forward and through his son, Narcisse, who acted as interpreter, spoke fittingly for the occasion, standing straight and tall despite his many years, his large black hat in his left hand, gesturing with his right. His kind are gone, we will never see them more -- truly one of nature's noblemen. (O.H.S. Report No. 21, 1957, pages 21-22.)

Mr. J. H. Mitchell, the present Magistrate at Oliver, was appointed to that post on October 16, 1930. At that time he was the youngest magistrate in British Columbia, and this year (1960) will have had 30 years continuous service in the same post, which will also be a record.

In 1928 it was felt there was an urgent need for a district nurse and through the efforts of the late Grote Stirling, M.P., and Major Fraser of Okanagan Falls, a nurse was appointed. Miss Martha Twiddy, a graduate of the Peterborough General Hospital, with a certificate in Public Health nursing and a member of the Victorian Order of Nurses, volunteered for the appointment. Stationed at Oliver, this meant travelling north to Okanagan Falls and south to Osoyoos, west to the almost deserted town of Fairview and east to the Inkameep Indian Reserve, where at that time there were about 150 Indians living. A car was supplied her but it meant travelling over roads that were little more than trails and even the main roads at that time were dusty, full of chuck holes and washboards. On call 24 hours a day, the nurse's duties included besides nursing, maternity cases and the Public Health work in the schools, T.B. and Child Welfare, a rather phenomenal task for a young woman from the city. Two years later Miss Twiddy was followed by Miss Kitteringham and in turn by Miss Isobel Craig (Mrs. Tom Nichol), Miss Mahon (Mrs. McFarland, Naramata), Miss Anne Hall, Miss Lucy Crafter (Mrs. F. W. Hack), Miss Pliska (Mrs. Fletcher). In 1934 Major Fraser built a small clinic in Oliver in memory of his mother. After using her bedroom for office work and the clothes' closet for baby scales and other equipment this was indeed a red letter day for these hard working women. Miss Mahon was the nurse in charge when the clinic was opened. In 1945 the V.O.N. was succeeded by a public health nurse supplied by the Department of Public Health.

With the establishment of a church in Oliver by a Presbyterian minister, Mr. H. Feir, services were held in the school twice monthly. Mr. Feir's means of transportation was a Model T Ford which he called his "Presbyterian Jitney". It had hard tires and the washboard roads of those days did not add to the comfort of the good man and his wife, who always accompanied him. A portable organ was carried in the hack seat at which Mrs. Feir officiated. There was pioneering in 20's and the 30's as well as in the 1800's. In 1932 a new school room was built on what is now Main Street and the church services were held there until the Community Hall was available. In 1931 the first women's organization was formed, the W.A. to the United Church, some of the Protestant churches having united by then. The Pentecostal adherents took over the old school until the erection of their own church, made possible by the purchase of one of the government tobacco sheds. Rev. A. Grieve was the first pastor. However the German Baptists with a small following had the honor of building the first church in 1936, Rev. H. Rumpel, pastor. They were followed soon after by the Catholics in 1937 who built a hall and church combined, Father A. L. McIntyre in charge. Father Cullinan was the first missionary priest in Osoyoos. Mass was said in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Atherton for two or three years before. In 1938-39 the United Church was built. In 1948 the Lutheran Church was built. In 1949 St. Christopher's Anglican Church was built; previous to that services had been held in the United church or the Community Hall, whichever was available. The first service was held in the basement January 1, 1950, and the first service in the new church was a confirmation service, April 16, 1950, Bishop Clark officiating. As St. Christopher is the patron saint of travellers and as Osoyoos is situated on the crossroads of highways 97 and 3, Bishop Clark in naming the church felt it was fitting to remember the travellers of our highways thus. About the same time the Jehovah Witnesses acquired a building for their church.

Continued growth of the district necessitated further school accommodation and in 1932 a one room building was erected, quickly followed by a second, a third and a fourth room, later added to by two rooms from the abandoned Testalinda school. On May 12, 1951, a 13 room Elementary School was opened and in 1955 four more class rooms, home economics and industrial arts rooms and gymnasium/auditorium were added with an enrollment in 1957-58 of 522 pupils and an additional 115 at the Oliver High.

The first building on the new townsite (not yet opened) was the Osoyoos Co-Operative packing house, erected in 1932 at a cost of $1,200.00 which has grown to become a structure worth more than a quarter million dollars. In 1946 the privately-owned McLean and FitzPatrick house was opened and in 1947 the second co-operative organization built the Monashee packing house. Both of these houses have had extensive and costly improvements added to their buildings and cold storage plants since.

In 1934 a Community Hall approximately 70 x 90 feet, costing $5,000.00, to provide a place for sports, recreation and meetings was built under the supervision of Harvey Boone of Oliver. The funds for the building were raised by subscriptions, volunteer labor and by dances, concerts, teas, etc., and over the years has proved that the farsightedness of the citizens of that time was not too optimistic. It has weathered many financial storms and reorganizing but it is still one of the most valuable assets of the Community.

In 1936 a small sawmill was started on the east side of the lake where numerous motels are now located. N. W. Barnett, who had been running a mill at Sidley, moved it down there; the next year Jorde Bros. of Greenwood took it over; two or three years later they moved it to Peanut Lake and in 1945 it was purchased by the Osoyoos Sawmills, Ltd. At that time it had a capacity of from 12,000-15,000 B.F. per day. In 1946 it burned down but was rebuilt and two years later was moved to a site on the west shore of Osoyoos Lake. In 1950 extensive improvements, including change over from diesel to electricity, stepped production up over 100 percent of the capacity of the original plant. However, another fire, in 1959, together with the increasing scarcity of available timber, caused the share holders to sell to the Oliver Sawmills Company and the mill is now closed down.

Increasing pressure was being put on the government in 1934 to open up the new townsite which had been reserved in the original survey for the Southern Okanagan Lands Project. In 1935 the survey was started and in 1937 the first lots were put on the market. The first was bought by Albert English and he was also the first to move on to the new townsite from the old one. He opened a cafe and confectionery, garage and auto court. Walter Spencer bought the garage shortly after. George Carlson opened the first general store in 1938 and sold the same year to K. Samol who joined the Red and White chain. He also built a 13 room hotel with licensed premises and coffee shop which was opened that same year. He sold the next year to Nat Bell of Vancouver who in turn sold to Harry Little of Burns Lake and in 1945 he, Little, sold to J. C. Armstrong. One year later Armstrong sold to Yusep and Stokes and in 1947 Stokes sold his share back to Armstrong. In 1950 a new wing was added, giving 28 fully modern rooms and in 1955 the first cocktail lounge, the Bamboo Room, a new coffee shop and dining room and air conditioning in the beer parlor gave Osoyoos one of the most modern and up-to-date hostelries in the Interior. W. Yusep is now the sole owner.  In 1948 the Santos Hotel was opened: it includes housekeeping rooms.

The Osoyoos Evaporator Company was formed in 1935. H. P. Mahler was in charge and P. D. Huxley ran the operation successfully until in 1945 fire destroyed the plant. As the Tree Fruit Board could not give assurance of sufficient apples to carry on the company did not rebuild. Also in 1938 A. W. Gilmour of Gilmour Flour Mills, Kamloops, in company with George Hannington, started a small grist mill to produce whole wheat flour and breakfast cereal. In 1939 they sold out to Eric Lohlein of Bridesville and it is now known as Lohlein and Gyles, Flour Feed and Farm Machinery.

Dawson and Plaskett had the first hauling and transfer business with offices on the new townsite before it was opened.

The Osoyoos Mines, in the foothills west of Osoyoos have had an interesting career. Discovered by Jack and George Bowerman of Oroville, Washington, in the 1890's, it was worked intermittently for years. In 1908 Paul McDermott and Arthur Madden worked it for some months and again in 1917 Charlie Antonsone and another man from Oroville, worked it on a percentage basis for the Frank Syndicate of New York. Hand-picking it, they averaged $800.00 a carload, but missed a solid block of rich ore by inches; this was located later by diamond drills. Frank was the father of the boy killed by Leopold and Loeb in Chicago about 1920 "for a thrill". In 1931 Professor J. O. Howells of Calgary became interested in the property. A syndicate was formed of 7 Calgary citizens known as the Northern Syndicate and included R. B. Bennett, former Premier of Canada, Pat Burns of Burns Meat Packing Co. and John I. McFarlane of the Canadian Wheat Board, and in 1933 preliminary operations were commenced. New machinery was brought in and the West Kootenay Power and Light Co. ran a power line to the mine in 1936. At the height of operations some 65 men were employed. Extensive diamond drilling was carried on and a cyanide plant was installed to recover the ore from the tailings. The first gold brick was shipped in 1938, weighing 28 ¾ lbs. Gold being worth $30.00 an ounce at that time, the brick was valued at $11,000.00. The concentrates were hauled by Dawson and Plaskett by truck to the Haynes siding, 4 miles south of Oliver, and shipped by C.P.R. to Tacoma, Wash., to the smelter there. This mine was a big factor, in the early development of Osoyoos. At the height of operation the payroll there averaged as high as $8,500.00, per month. Many of the miners purchased orchard land and with the help of their families raised tomatoes, cantaloupes, melons, etc. between rows of young trees. After the mine closed most of them stayed with their orchards. Unfortunately the gold-bearing quartz became exhausted and on March 1, 1940 the mine closed for good. The machinery and buildings were dismantled and sold.

Constable L. Newington was the first R.C.M.P. officer stationed at Osoyoos when the first detachment was opened there in 1939; he was assisted through the war years by Constable Wallace Ireton. Constable Newington was later transferred to Alberta where he rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and is now out of the service. Constable M. Marcus was the first B.C.P.P. at Osoyoos. He succeeded Constable Newington, was taken over by the R.C.M.P., promoted to Corporal, transferred to Dawson Creek, promoted to Staff Sergeant and is now at Kamloops. Constable Newington was followed by Cpl. Ken Bond, Cpl. Wm. Wallace, (now Staff Sergeant at Chilliwack,) Constable Al Quinn from the B.C.P.P., appointed Corporal at Osoyoos; transferred to Grand Forks as Sergeant. The present officer in charge is Cpl. Zorn from North Vancouver.

In 1940 McNaughton's Canners, Ltd., was formed and operated on what is now 1st Avenue until 1944, but as there was no room to expand there the cannery was moved north of the sawmill and alongside the railroad. A new company was formed with authorized capital of $100,000.00 and a 400 percent increase in capacity. However the plant found itself unable to operate and in 1956 sold out to York Farms (Canada Packers). They put in considerable improvements, and it was their only fruit processing plant in Western Canada. Their volume output was reduced so much because of low-priced American fruit and tomatoes on the Canadian market that they, too, were forced to suspend operations. William Hocksteiner and Harvey Ross were the first butchers in the new townsite. In 1942 Ross decided to go ranching and Hocksteiner carried on under the name of "Pioneer Meat Market" and although "Bill" is not with us anymore the family still carry on the business which now also includes an up-to-date locker plant, meat curing and sausage business.

In 1940 the first Board of Trade was formed, H. C. Dawson, president, and Victor Samol, secretary-treasurer. Over the years the Board of Trade has been instrumental in bringing about many improvements and has accomplished numerous developments that have resulted in the progress and growth of Osoyoos both in the town and rural areas. Such things as increased fire protection, railway service and the lowering of differential freight rates, the first policeman, the first doctor, paving of Main Street and farm roads, trees on Main Street, the International View Point, electrical power, Christmas Light-up, signs and pamphlets advertising Osoyoos were all projects the Board of Trade sponsored or worked for.

Published in the Okanagan Historical Society's Twenty-Fourth Report (1960), pp. 87-97.