Similkameen History

Keremeos c1977
Aerial View, Looking East over Townsite
Image enhanced by Vintique
Original from Beautiful British Columbia Magazine

Keremeos c1910, Looking West
Notice the train station, and the train where the smoke is.
Image enhanced by Vintique.
Original from South Similkameen Museum Collection.

Allison Homestead, c1920, Princeton BC.
In the background, KVR rail bridge and confluence of Similkameen and Tulameen rivers.

Image Enhancement by Vintique.
Original from Princeton & District Museum Collection

Similkameen Pre-History!

Local fossil hunter discovers fossil of ancient bird-sized flying ant.

The species, now extinct, is known by its Latin name Titanomyrma, and this is its first discovery in Canada. SFU paleontologists say the fossil shows a giant queen ant, with "the body mass of a wren and a wingspan of half a foot."

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/415092/Massive-bird-sized-ant-fossil-found-in-Princeton-part-of-puzzle-unlocking-how-ancient-life-spread?fbclid=IwAR0AMlesTy0Fb26YZ8hGRFRZoDn7UJF2Bbb5CSsjmS1IlL9sKR0cAM3omI0 #.ZAngbR271pg.facebook

Massive bird-sized ant fossil found in Princeton part of puzzle unlocking how ancient life spread - Penticton News A Princeton woman who discovered the fossil of a giant, ancient ant, the first of it kind found in Canada, has contributed to new questions in research.

In my building of the Similkameen History page and Similkameen History group, I quickly came to realize that there is a huge gap where there should be rich knowledge and tradition, and that gap was specifically because of the actions of the Canadian Government — notably the residential schools and the ‘cultural genocide’ perpetrated by the Federal Government of Canada upon the indigenous peoples.

I think up until I found that ‘gap’ in the history, I did not quite realize how profound the impacts of those federal programs were.

Since that time, I’ve been digging, and every time I pickup another handful of dirt, I find more and more to sift through. It’s really quite shocking.

Anyways, as I learn more and read about the experiences of indigenous persons, I will be posting separately on the page shared below (unless it is specifically related to Similkameen History). This new page will help serve as a record for myself and hopefully will allow others to learn as well and make it easy for them to share with others as well. The goal is for aa many as possible to understand what was done to indigenous persons in Canada.

As my knowledge is filled in, I will continue posting the ‘Time Before’ series here on the Similkameen History page and in the Similkameen History Group. I hope to be able to continue on that as we get closer to summer. Of course I will post other articles in the mean time and in the Similkameen History group will continue to share various pictures and posts I come across.

Please note: If you (or someone you know) would be willing to discuss any indigenous experiences, especially as it relates to happenings in the Similkameen Area, please contact me through this page via messenger, or reach out to me personally. Also any insight into the way of life for indigenous peoples of the Similkameen / area, prior to European colonization, would be helpful. I have several books on my list but would appreciate further recommendations or an introduction to anyone who is willing to share what they know or experienced.

Sean Beebe

This page is about my journey, and I invite anyone who wants to come along to do so. I’m not indigenous, and this is not a sanctioned page. I am simply someone who wants to understand more, and as I learn, I want to document that learning and summarize it for others to follow along or review later at their convenience.

At the time of this writing, I would say I have become acutely aware that within ’Canada’ and throughout most of our history, there has been such a grotesque and sustained persecution of indigenous peoples, sanctioned and promoted at the highest levels of government, that it effectively amounts to democide — the killing of a country’s own people by their ‘government’. This has been labelled in Canada as ‘cultural genocide’, but having learned what I have so far, it’s hard to see the things done as anything but genocide pure and simple — and I highly suspect we don’t ‘know the half of it”.

Whatever their reasons or reasoning, whatever their motivations and aims, whatever they told themselves, whatever they believed, there is no doubt that it was wrong, not just now, but then as well. And wrong is just too muted a word — pure evil is probably more appropriate. Vile, spitting evil incarnate.

Words do not describe well the experiences which have been documented. Whenever possible, I will attempt to convey my opinions and thoughts. My only warning is I may not pick the softest language. I may not leave out the most brutal details. My goal in this is to grapple with the matter of the reality of the situations that were faced, and for many, that were ‘survived’.

I hope indigenous persons will excuse my mistakes, of which I have no doubt there will be a few, and I hope they will not think I am dealing lightly with these experiences. I hope this page will be a place of learning and of understanding.

I suspect from time to time the comments will be horrible. As I am able I will police them, but I encourage anyone who sees something which violates Facebook’s policies to report any hateful or inappropriate comments directly to the censor bots for review. I apologize in advance for not being able to review all comments, much less filter them. Please know, the ONLY views which are mine are those expressed by me on this page or in the comments. Everything else I do not lay claim to nor support.

May the creator bless this endeavour and use it to help bring understanding to the ignorant and kindness to those who were afflicted, and to their decendants.

——

“Oh Great Spirit whose voice in the winds I hear,
And whose breath gives life to all the world-
Hear me.
Before you I come
One of your many children.
I am small & weak.
Your strength & wisdom I need.
Let me walk in beauty & make my eyes ever behold the sunset.
Make my heart respect all You have made,
& my ears sharp to hear Your voice.
Make me wise that I may know all You have taught my people,
The lessons You have hidden in every rock.
I seek strength, not to be superior to my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy – myself.
Make me ready to stand before You with clean & straight eyes,
So when life fades as the fading sunset,
may my spirit stand before You without shame.”

Similkameen History wants to recognize Truth and Reconciliation Day.

The horrors experienced by indigenous peoples across Canada as a result of government policies and practices amount to nothing short of an intentional effort to destroy their cultures and way of life — a practice now recognized as cultural genocide. The actions by the Canadian government for over a century included removal of indigenous children from their families, and institutionalizing them at the now-infamous ‘residential schools’. These young children, far from home, were then forced to ’learn the ways of Canada’ — a practice that would rightly be labelled ‘re-education’. At these schools children were treated harshly as a baseline practice, and in countless cases these CHILDREN were starved, beaten, s*xually assaulted (that means r***d and/or forced to perform s*x acts with, on and for their ’captors’), and in some cases murdered. It is reported that in some cases babies which were born as a result of r**e and other s*xual abuses were murdered as well including being burned alive in the furnaces which heated the schools. While these experiences were not universal, the fact they happened at all is beyond shocking.

As a country, we MUST chart a different course. This is what truth and reconciliation is about — acknowledging what really happened, and finding a way forward. This includes evaluating and rectifying systemic racism within Canada’s federal and provincial governments, including education, policing, health-care, etc.

The truth is.. this is just the first step. We have a long way to go before we ‘achieve’ some semblance of reconciliation, and it will require all of us working together towards it to see it realized.

In the Similkameen, most indigenous families were affected, beginning in the late 1800s, and continuing at various times through to the ‘Sixties Scoop’ and the following decade (A time largely overseen by former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau and ‘Indian Affairs’ [sic] Minister Jean Chrétien — who also went on to become Prime Minister in the 1990s. Those interested in the policies and mindset of these two Canadian leaders should review what are known as the ‘White Pages’ for details of their ‘assimilation’ plans).

The result locally is generational trauma (that’s when trauma experienced by one generation results in actions that affect the next generation), missing culture, su***de (in some cases), and self-medication through drugs and/or alcohol (in some cases). It also created a ‘historical void’ where nearly all of the oral history and traditions prior to about 1850 have been lost forever — very little remains.

What can you do? If you are not indigenous, you can start by listening. Listen to the stories. Read (at least some of) the truth and reconciliation report. Acknowledge that these things happened. If you are indigenous, I would say please, if you are willing, keep telling yours and your families’ stories. I recognize it’s not my place to ask this, but if you are willing to tell what happened, please do.

Here in the Similkameen, we can also take a step towards reconciliation by recognizing the ‘Similkameen’ Valley is the ancestral, and traditional territory of the Syilx Nation, and is legally considered ‘unceded territory’. It is home to the ‘Upper Similkameen Indian Band’—the Similamix People—and the ‘Lower Similkameen Indian Band’—the Smelqmix People. (If I’ve spelled something wrong please let me know in the comments and I will make the correction).

— Sean Beebe, Similkameen History

Along the Skyline Trail

From searching images of Bridge Street in Princeton, somehow I ended up getting side-tracked with this 'Skyline Trail’. The trail is an approx. 30km hike largely along a ridgeline deep inside Manning Park. The trail was popular over 100 years ago and is still popular today. Here's a series of photographs from the 1930s and 1940s.

It's doubtful this route was ever used seriously for transportation (at there were no references to it that I've ever come across, and other routes were more common). However, it seems it was fairly well known, perhaps because of a connection to a Martin Allerdale Grainger, an author, who wrote a book about the trail called 'Riding the Skyline'.

The connection to Similkameen is sort of loose, with the trail starting from near the Similkameen River in Manning Park. But, I hope everyone enjoys anyways.

A couple links to modern hiking sites about the Skyline Trail.
https://steveamie.com/skyline-trail/

https://www.awalkandalark.com/skyline-trail-to-lone-goat-mountain-manning-park/

When the winter came, everyone stopped.

Part 1 of ‘The Time Before' Series

It's almost hard to imagine such a concept in the modern world. However, not that long ago, snow meant it was time to settle in.

You can almost get a sense of what it would have been like all those years ago, especially if you live or stop somewhere even a little out of town. Even in town, though, we are all familiar with that inexplicable calm and quiet that exists when you venture outside after the first serious snowfall. The world is white, and still, and silent; the air is cool, and crisp, and fresh. Winter has come.

In the days long before Hedley was a boom town –before the Dewdney trail was cut through from Ft. Hope with a grit and determination that still inspires today. Yes, long before the fur traders ventured further inland to find more stock, and before the explorers found the new places they were seeking to discover. Before all of this, when winter came, everyone stopped.

In those days the Syilx peoples (who lived generally in the area we now know as the BC Interior) lived what is often described now as 'semi-nomadic' lives. They would travel from place to place, staying for a time, a purpose, or a season, and then move on. This happened for a variety of reasons, sometimes for hunting, sometimes for ceremony, sometimes for an annual meeting, sometimes for enjoyment, sometimes just because. People travelled as large groups, as small groups, as just a few families, and individually, depending on the reasons and purposes. There were no fences, and there were no 'roads' as we think of them. There was also no one to tell someone where they could or could not go (of course, you still wouldn't have wanted to get caught somewhere you weren't supposed to be). This 'wandering', aka 'normal' (as it was to the people of the day), was the case for most of the various groups of Syilx people at the time.

But when the winter came, everyone stopped.

The first frosts would have heralded the coming snows, the leaves would have begun to change, first at higher elevations, then eventually at the valley bottoms. The smoke from summer fires (which would have burned unchecked in the summer heat) would have dissipated, immense flocks of geese would have darkened the skies as they few south for the winter. The deer would rut. These and much more would have been signs for the people to make their way 'home'. And by the time the snow fell, for the most part everyone would have been back at their own winter camps, ready to settle in for another winter, to tell stories, and to live life together.

Broadly, the Syilx people over-wintered in 'pit houses’ known as qʷćiʔ, which were well-constructed sunken (dug-in) dwellings with a roof-structure of poles and beams that were covered with dirt and sod. At first glance the structures seem primitive to many of our modern preferences, and they would have seemed that way to European explorers and settlers as well, however, we now know these were a well-developed technology that helped the peoples survive winters of a harshness we cannot even imagine today, including during the worst years of the ‘little ice age’ c1645-1715.

This is where the story pauses. At the qʷćiʔ, where winter has come and when everyone has stopped, where people have come together to live, to hear stories and to sing songs. The black and white picture was taken in the 1930s of a pit house near Merritt. Similar pit houses would have formed small communities throughout the Similkameen, including (but definitely not limited to!) near where many of the government ‘Indian Reserves’ are now located.

Below are some links to videos of pit house reconstructions along with more information. You can also view/visit traditional style pit houses in person at the Okanagan Heritage Museum in Kelowna, at Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos, or at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria.

Brief Intro from Castanet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BYGX0V7S7Y

Kekulis (Pit Houses), Explained - http://gatheringandsharing.weebly.com/kekulis.html

Royal BC Museum Pit House Exhibit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHSYg_26eIE

Sməlq'míx — The Valley of the Eagles.

So much history of this valley was lost because of the Indian Residential Schools. If there is any doubt in your mind, let it die here. The schools achieved their intended goals — destruction of much of the indigenous cultures. The stories of this valley and the history of/from those who first made it their home are more than scarce, despite at least a thousand years of living beneath these beautiful skies.

The pictographs, so many destroyed. The traditional homes and sites, buried. The sacred lands, desecrated. The traditions and stories, so many lost.

It’s not reversible. It cannot be undone.

This is not a topic I can write about with anything that resembles experience, so I will not try. What I want to achieve by posting this is to ask the followers of this page and those interested in the history of this valley to please take time to read many of the stories that are coming out about the experiences of the Indian Residential Schools. Whether originating from here or elsewhere, the stories reflect the realities the indigenous people of this area experienced.

Today, descendants of the original Sməlq'míx people still live in the valley, much of which is considered unceded territory. In general, they are strong-willed, caring, and considerate. They have a good sense of humour and value family and community. They are industrious and value both practicality and tradition. They are regaining their traditional knowledge and working to pass it along to the next generation.

If you have stories or links that relate to this post, and are willing, please share them below, or post them to your personal wall and share them to the Similkameen History group.

Lost Bridges - Bridge at Paul Creek

Another bridge lost on the Similkameen, this one also during the famous 1972 flood. This bridge was built by Great Northern Railway in the early 20th century as part of the line to Hedley, and afterwards, Princeton. The line eventually ran through to Brookemere, and from there on to the coast.

The bridge at Paul Creek was located next to what is now Riverside RV Resort (see pics). The three colour photos, taken in 1974 (credit to Phil Mason), show the extent of the damage caused by the flooding two years previous, as well as years of neglect. The black & white pictures by David Davies are from before the washout, but after 1955 (when the mine in Hedley was closed), as you’ll notice there are no tracks. Also included is a report from the highways department from when the bridge was mostly removed.

Today there is virtually nothing left. Rafting groups in the 1980s applied and were granted permission to remove the remains of several damaged bridges across the Similkameen.

Note: The area South of the Similkameen is part of Smilqmix Reserve Ashnola 10. There is no public access. Please follow all proper protocols if you are wishing to visit the area. See http://www.lsib.net/ for contact information.

Edit: Added a photo of what remains today, courtesy of Tracy Henderson.

Return to the Scene of History - Keremeos: Above Upper Bench, Looking West


From the South Similkameen Museum Collection, “Upper Bench Looking West (Undated)”


In the scene:
 The Grist Mill property and surrounding properties are clearly visible. Several houses and buildings are visible. (Some of which are also visible in the comparison shot).

 Photo from approx. 1905.

Comparison picture taken March 20, 2021 from a slightly different angle (thought it was the same, but when looking side by side they are off a bit. I will have to re-do it, perhaps on a sunny summer day).

In the comments is a wider angle comparison.

Lost Bridges - The Other Chopaka Bridge

The mighty Similkameen does not like to leave crossings in place. There is a long history of flooding and ice jams both causing significant and sometimes catastrophic damage to bridges. One such time was the famous 1972 flood, when numerous bridges along the Similkameen were severely damaged. The two colour photos, taken in 1974 (credit to Phil Mason), are of “Bridge No. 3”, south of Cawston. The photos show the extent of the damage caused by the flooding two years previous. Compare to the B&W photos by David Davies from before the washout.

You'll notice the two sets of rails. The inner set are guard rails designed to prevent a train car’s wheels from turning if it derailed. On bridges this was especially important as a derailment on a bridge could take out the bridge itself and cause a much more serious incident. Included are several Google Earth views, which show the former location of the bridge in question. You can still see where the tracks used to run.

Note: The area shown to the east of the existing Chopaka bridge belongs to the Smelqmix (Lower Similkameen Indian Band). Please follow all proper protocols if you are wishing to visit the area. See http://www.lsib.net/ for contact information.

Return to the Scene of History - 3rd Allison House, Princeton BC

We cannot always find the places where old photographs were taken. Often the landmarks in the photos are lost to time, or buildings have arisen and hidden the background to use as reference. This leaves us with notes, speculation, and rumour as to exactly where something was located (in certain cases). Fortunately, in the photographs below, the mountains and the river tell the viewer that the history pictured indeed was on the spot shown. “Tongues weave tales, and memories fade, but the mountains, they remember.”

From ‘Plate 23’, “A Pioneer Gentlewoman in British Columbia: The Recollections of Susan Allison”, Edited by Margaret A. Ormsby, ISBN # 9780774803922

In the scene:
“The Allison’s third house on the Similkameen River. Though they sawed the house in half in an effort to save it from the disastrous flood of June 1894, the Allison’s lost it as well as thirteen other farm buildings and were forced to make their home in the stable.”

Comparison picture taken March 7, 2021 from approx the same spot the original was shot.

In the comments is a zoomed out image of the first, with more peripheral details visible. Including what is now the KVR Trail. In the immediate background is the Weyerhaeuser Lumber Mill.

The Road to Red Rocks

In 1846, the BC-US border was settled. With this, the long-standing north-south trade routes (along the rivers, valleys) were set to be discontinued. Finding an ‘all-Canadian’ trade route to the forts and trading posts of the BC interior became a priority. At the time the most obvious choice (through the Fraser river canyon) was deemed far too dangerous. It was decided a route must be sought over the mountains.

In spring 1846 a group of 6 men, headed by Alexander Caulfield Anderson of the HBC, and including at least one indigenous guide, left Fort Langley to search for a route. They followed the Fraser River to where it turned north (the future site of Fort Hope — c. 1848). The plan was to proceed east from there, over the mountains, to “Red Earth Forks”, aka “Vermilion Forks”, the site of modern-day Princeton.

From the Fraser, they initially followed a route roughly where Highway 3 runs today. They passed Outram Lake (where the Hope Slide is now), and proceeded up Snass Creek to the Cascade divide, 500 feet above Punch Bowl Lake. After that they followed the rough canyons of the Tulameen river to Otter Flats.

Just upriver from Otter Flats, they met an indigenous chief named Black-Eye, and learned from him of an alternate route — a trail that led across the Tulameen Plateau. They followed the route back, but Anderson was skeptical of the viability of it during the winter months, and reported his doubts to his superiors at the HBC. Initially Anderson’s doubts were accepted, but with no good alternative, the HBC sent someone else, Henry N. Peers, over the same route in 1848.

Peers was guided by Black-Eye’s son, across the Tulameen plateau, up the Podunk to the Cascade divide, over Manson’s Mountain, and down what’s now known as Peers Creek to the newly established Ft. Hope. He reported to the HBC that he believed the route was feasible, and it was decided to build a pack road to Ft. Kamloops. In 1849, the pack road section to Tulameen was completed, along with a secondary road to Vermilion Forks.

The road from Ft. Hope was known as the HBC ‘Brigade Road’, and used regularly for the next ten years.

Sources:
“The Dewdney Trail - Hope to Rock Creek” ©1969 Frank W. Anderson

“Old Pack Trails in the Cascade Wilderness” 1982 Okanagan Similkameen Parks Society

Early Princeton.

The view shown is of the Tulameen River at Princeton, where the Brown Bridge is now at the end of Bridge Street.

This undated photograph is found on pg 16 of “The Dewdney Trail: Hope to Rock Creek” ©1969 Frank W. Anderson. The picture was most likely taken in the early- to mid- 1890s, which would be right around the time Copper Mountain was staked and subsequent to the gold rush at Granite Creek. Note, it was only after the Granite Creek rush that additional non-indigenous settlers stayed in the area in any significant number (though most did move on after the gold dried up at Granite Creek, many went to Hedley). Granite Creek at its peak of 2000 residents in 1888 was the third-largest non-indigenous settlement in British Columbia, at the time.

The bridge shown is the original, and was a crucial link along the first leg of the original Dewdney trail (Hope to Rock Creek). The section of the original Dewney Trail from Princeton to Hedley ran roughly where Old Hedley Rd is now. The bridge also connected to the trail to Granite Creek, which was approximately 12 miles west of Princeton, upstream of the Tulameen River. It’s likely the bridge was built to ease the crossing of the many who came to seek gold at Granite Creek. Prior to this the river would have simply been forded, as that was the typical way rivers and creeks were crossed on the original Dewdney trail.

The bridge in the picture replaced in 1901 with the bridge that still stands today.

Update: A second view of approximately the same time period. This second view is from a great little website that shows a number of comparative photographs: https://www.onthisspot.ca/cities/princeton

Early picture of the Upper Bench area in Keremeos. What is now the Grist Mill apple house is shown as well as what is now the exhibit building (it was originally a store and then used as a house, which appears to be the case in this picture). I have included a highlighted version of the picture in the comments, as well as a reference map from the Grist Mill website (https://www.oldgristmill.ca/the-site/).

This is probably a good time to plug the Grist Mill and Gardens. Historic sites like this are extremely under-funded by the provincial government (and have been for decades). Chris Mathieson does an excellent job looking after this jewel of the Similkameen. If you can, please support the mill through attendence (when/how permitted due to covid), and buying from their online store (https://www.oldgristmill.ca/shop/). Donations, etc I’m sure are always appreciated as well (see https://www.oldgristmill.ca/support/). If you have questions you can email the mill at: [email protected] (or go here: https://www.oldgristmill.ca/contact-us/)

Credit to Patrick Selby for finding and sharing the image in his group Old BC: The Way It Was. I’m trying to locate a link to the original photo from the UBC open collection (hoping for higher resolution). Will post here if it can be located.

Known most recently as the ‘Hitching Post’, and tragically destroyed by fire in 2018, the building at the northwest corner of Scott and White in Hedley was many things over its lifetime.

Built in 1903, it was first a mining supply store and a dance hall, then a department store, a railway warehouse for several decades, and then a restaurant, beginning in the 1970s. It was named the Golden Nickel, for a time, before becoming the now famous (at least locally) Hitching Post.

A write up on ancient burial traditions and a overview of a re-excavated ancient Similkameen burial site, with pictures.

From Canada West Magazine, Volume 1 Issue 3.

Please note, all burial sites are considered sacred and law now protect against damage to them. If you are aware of ancient sites or discover one, do not remove any items or damage it, but alert the appropriate authorities. You can message this page for more information.

Standing Rock is a well-known landmark that has been a spot of interest for centuries. The old pictographs have been obliterated by modern grafitti and vandalism. Perhaps in 200-300 years someone from the future will gaze in wonder at the words and scribbles of this generation, as viewed through the lens of time, and will consider what we see as grafitti to be a wondrous thing from the past — but until then it is a terrible shame that so much rich history has been carelessly destroyed.

Page share is from Canada West Magazine, Volume 1 Issue 3.

“It is little known even today that the colourful warbonnets of the Sioux, Cheyenne, Blackfoot, and other renowned plains tribes were often decorated with eagle feathers procured from the distant valley of the Similkameen and that the Similkameen Indians [sic] were known as the Eagle People and that the sign language for their tribe meant Eagle.”

From Canada West Magazine, Volume 1 Issue 1.