Stories From the Past
Ladies & Gentlemen:
Lynn Alaric persuaded me to make a
contribution
to Archives Week with a few thoughts and memories of bygone days.
I will try not to say much about myself. I do
not
have to be too careful about what I say as there are not many here who
can
contradict me!
I came to Oliver as a boy in 1926. During the
early
1920s the Southern Okanagan Lands Project had been completed. This
ambitious
and challenging plan was conceived and completed by the provincial
government
with Honest John Oliver as Premier. When Oliver was named, it was only
necessary
to drop the Honest John.
The project being completed, it was now necessary to attract settlers to occupy the land, pay irrigation rates and pay land taxes to help defray the large expenditure.
My father was a school teacher at the time. I
recall
his interest in some of the colourful brochures promoting the great
potential
for fruit growing area in the South Okanagan. The big cattle
country
and desert of the South Okanagan was to be converted to the Garden of
Eden.
So I was not surprised when he announced to the family that he was
interested
in fruit growing. I was quite flattered to be asked if I was interested.
Oliver at that time was teeming with
pheasants.
There were grouse and deer in the hills and fish in the lakes. As a boy
I
enjoyed hunting and fishing and the outdoors, so was not hard to
convince.
We came to Oliver in 1926, 75 years ago.
Choosing
and deciding on the right orchard property was a very important
decision.
Whether an orchard was to be successful depended on location and soil,
with
location most important. Good location means good air drainage where
spring
frosts were generally escaped and fruit crops were assured. The land
agents
may not have been aware of this but the situation became quite obvious
with
experience as the years went .on.
Weather and marketing conditions result in
success
or failure in fruit growing. With the failure of crops due to spring
frosts,
orcharding is disastrous. Frosts not only kill the blossoms but cause
inferior
grades of fruit. In my opinion, there was one serious flaw in the
government's
planning. Land in low-lying areas that were frost pockets should never
have
been sold as orchard property.
Starting an orchard from a piece of dry land
was
close to pioneering. There were no modern facilities such as running
water,
electricity or phones in the beginning. Modern facilities were
gradually
acquired
and much appreciated. A family farm in many cases was self-supporting
with
a cow, chickens, a garden and a couple of pigs. Wood had to be cut and
stored
for winter. Spuds and fruit were stored in the basement. In winters,
ice
was stored in the ice house for summer use.
It takes years for trees to bear fruit
depending
on variety. Ground crops such as tomatoes and cantaloupes were grown
for survival
until the orchards produced. Oliver was known in those years as "The
Home
of the Cantaloupe."
After a couple of years helping the family
get
organized I left for the big city and ended up in the paper mill at
Power
River. When the big depression hit in 1929, I was laid off, as I had no
seniority,
and was a single man. I returned to Oliver and got work with Major
Harry
Earle at 30 cents per hour. He owned a 20-acre orchard in a good
location
and was a progressive grower. This is where I served my apprenticeship
as
fruit grower. In 1931, I became the owner of 10 acres of land with a
down
payment of $250.00. I also bought a horse and harness and a stone boat
for
$50.00.
I borrowed money from the Farm Credit
Corporation
at 5%, got married in 1938, built a house and raised a family of three.
I
retired in 1974 after 43 years as an orchardist, and am still working
on my
1stmillion.
My wife, Margaret McConnachie, was a school teacher at Osoyoos when we met. She first came to Oliver in 1920. With several other girls she came from Penticton to the Maypole dance on the gravelly Main Street of Oliver on May 24th, this was for many years Oliver's annual festivity.
The girls came from Penticton by motor boat
down
Skaha Lake. Oliver was served by the Kettle Valley Railway at that
time. There
was a barge service on Skaha Lake and Okanagan Lake. The rail cars were
transferred
from the barge to the rails at Okanagan Falls and then to Oliver.
My wife's father, Mr. McConnachie, was a
retired
prairie farmer and came to Penticton in the early 1900s. His oldest
daughter,
Jessie, attended the first school in Penticton on Westminster Avenue in
1907.
In 1917, Mr. McConnachie, Mr. Dawson, and Mr.
Fraser
formed the Osoyoos Land Company and purchased all the land on the east
side
of Osoyoos Lake from the Indian Reserve to the border --a good
speculation
if they had lived long enough. They finally sold the property in 1944,
and
probably recovered their investment. Today, this area is all prime and
valuable
property, good orchards and vineyards and many modem homes.
In the early 1920s, Oliver had a population
of about
200, gravel roads, board sidewalks--outdoor plumbing was the norm. In
1934,
Oliver's first stop sign appeared at the junction of Road # 7, and
Highway
97. Mr. Laird, the Government Agent, said Paddy Kellagher was the only
person
who ever stopped at the sign,
Paddy had a brand new Model- T pick-up that
we all
admired. The first trip I made to Osoyoos in a Model-T Ford was in the
late
1920s. There was no sign of habitation, just miles of sagebrush and
cactus--not
a building to be seen. As we approached the US border, we heard a siren
and
had to turn back to find and report to Canadian Customs. This was the
only
building in the area and was located near the bridge. The Customs
Officer
was the well-known Perly Simpson. I realized later that there was at
least
one home on the east side of the lake belonging to the Fraser family.
So, in 80 years, the ambitious plans of the
government
have materialized. Two beautiful towns and a successful orchard
industry are
the result. Honest John Oliver would be elated to see the success of
the
government's plans.
I must comment on the evolution of golf in Oliver. One enterprising man, Sandy McPherson, owner of the South Okanagan Supply Co., the only general store in Oliver at that time, was a keen golfer. With his brother Bob, an orchard owner, Major Harry Earle and Reg Tait, they approached the Provincial Government in 1926 for property for a golf course, stating that it was desirable and necessary for the recreation and enjoyment of the settlers. They must have voted the right way, as they acquired 148 acres of ideal land for $1.00. This became the first golf course, "The Oliver Golf & Country Club."
I played the course with a borrowed iron with
Sandy
McPherson and Ted Tasker in 1928. Then, the course, being the only one
in
the district, was played by Oroville, Osoyoos, Oliver, Okanagan Falls
and
Kaleden players. There were no golf courses in Oroville at that time-
It was a dry course, with sand greens,
cactus,
sagebrush, rattlesnakes, and range horses frequently .on the course.
Green
fees were $1.00, and they were voluntary .The first water was available
from
SOLID in 1972 and several greens were prepared--all work was done by
volunteers.
Arrangements were later made with the Town of Oliver for a water supply
and
the course has evolved over the years into a championship golf course.
Much
credit must be accorded to the men and women golfers who have
contributed
time, work and money to see their efforts rewarded. This is now
Fairview Mountain
Golf Course.
The last orchard I owned adjoined the golf
course
with a commanding view of the valley. After making a living in the
valley
for 75 years, I take the liberty of calling it My Valley.
Note: This is a copy of Jack Coates original
transcript
done for "Archives Week-Stories from the Past." Jack Coates was one of
our
guest speakers, November 21,2000. There is also a tape recording of
this story
.
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Aug/09