Heritage Weekend Events May 15, 16, 17 and 18th, 2009 Peachland Centennial Pioneer and Old-Timers’ Reunion nity Centre, $25/person includes Concert Includes: RCMP in historic uniforms, First Three days of celebration designed to from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm. Felix Possak & Nations, O’Keefe Ranch stagecoach, Old recognize Peachland’s historic past. Orchestra with International Choir. "100 Fur Brigade on horseback, Pipe Band years of music" featuring Larry Sundstrom Heritage Days May 15 - 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Wine and 12:00 to 1:00 pm Public Viewing of and Betty Sim "Ballad of Peachland". Sou- Parade Entrants Cheese at the Community Ctre. with pay wine bar. Cost: $4.00 venir programs with ballad. Old Time Attire 12:00 to 2:00 pm Peachland Lions - gay 90's. Ex mayors in top hats or boaters. Community Barbecue at the Com mu- May 16 - 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Old tim- May 17 - 11:00 to 4:00 Centennial World of nity Centre ers’ Reunion—photographic dis- Four days of grand celebration

plays, refreshments at the Commu- Wheels—Antique cars display 12:00 pm Time capsule (1987) open- ing and sealing— Community Centre nity Centre, FREE May 18 - 8:00 to 10:30 am Pancake break- 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm Buffet fast at the 50 Plus Activity Centre 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Reenactment of May 15th to 18th, 2009 Banquet (period menu) and Concert Historic Ball Game Cousins & 11:00 to 12:00 pm Centennial Pioneer Topham families at Cousins Park and Centennial Ball at the Commu- Parade, Princeton Avenue to 6th Street The Birth of Peachland Electricity is coming Extracted from a diary account (author unknown) and published in a jubilee issue in 1968 On February 8th, 1898, J. P. Parrot Creek. The company had a surveyor named came down Lake on the old S. S. Little who staked out the roads, the fruit lots Aberdeen, arriving ashore at Bob Lambly's and irrigation ditches. Few will forget the wranglingto thatPeachland!!! incorporated. Well, as you know, now wheel. One rumour is that he happened ranch, adjoining what is now Peachland . Next, they logged off the fruit lots. This has gone on for months among council- that our town is officially incorporated, to notice the way Standing by his lone little tent set up on the included J. P. Parrot's homestead of 160 acres lors as to whether they should bring we have received the monies necessary water splashed out beach into which the Aberdeen crew stored which lay parallel to Deep Creek, about half electricity to Peachland. Those who and the construction of the power plant of a cow’s nostrils mining and ranch supplies, Mr. Parrot a mile from the lake. He later sold it to Jim were pro pointed out the convenience is underway. when drinking watched the boat leave. He must have been Elliott who built a fine house there. the loneliest man in the Okanagan. The Marshall boys of Westbank cut logs and safety of electricity and that we too If you travel the path up the south side from a stream. An- Parrot’s mission was to take mining sup- at sixty cents a thousand feet which Mr. could become a town like Summerland of Trepanier Canyon you will notice the other more plausi- plies on pack horses to Camp Glen Robinson Parrot drew in at $3 a thousand. The Com- which has had electric lights since 1905. beginnings of a new wire wound ble theory is that “ about fourteen miles away in the back coun- pany bought a portable sawmill and cut the 1909 Tudhope-McIntyre once owned Peachland Townsite Company wooden stave pipe winding its way up. Pelton’s invention try. This involved fourteen miles of walking lumber at $4.50 a thousand feet selling it at by Peachland resident, Bob Lloyd- owner, J. M. Robinson, wants his This will eventually link water from the started from an ac- behind a pack train with four feet of snow in $13 a thousand. Jim Silver was the Com- Jones and his father in . Now town to be wooden dam at the top of the falls with cidental observa- some areas along the way. He reached Glen pany's foreman in charge of cabin building, in the Kelowna Museum collection. as modern as the pelton wheel turbine at the bottom. tion some time in the Robinson the following morning. roadwork and irrigation construction. any in the At the same time, an improvement to 1870s. Pelton was Another company shareholder was John At Glen Robinson, Jim Silver and others valley that our water system is being implemented watching a water tur- built their cabins. Dick and Bert Smith Gummow whose son, Ben, later became felled the trees; At first they didn't have any reeve of Peachland. On his death, Ben was has electric with the installation of a settling bine spinning when the stove but toward spring, a McClary stove succeeded by his wife, the former Stella lighting. reservoir at the 1350 foot level to key holding its wheel was packed in. Dynes. The postmistress was Mrs. McDou- Robinson help remove some of the floating onto its shaft slipped, When spring came, the men left the gald; the blacksmith, Ben Richards; the car- maintains particulate in the potable water sup- causing it to become mines and came down to Peachland where penters, Leon McCall, Baxter Robinson and the threat of ply from Trepanier Creek, especially misaligned. Instead of they built houses, cleared land and planted Alex Miller. J. P. Parrot did lathing and BX Stagecoach Co. offers transportation house fires during freshette. the jet hitting the cups fruit trees. To get wood for fuel they cut shingling. Indeed, early Peachlanders were a from danger- Some of the curious have asked de- in their middle, the slip- down dry trees which were cut up and sold resourceful people with multiple talents. from the S. S. Aberdeen in Kelowna to Fig. 2 the CPR railroad at . Reasonable ous kero- tails about the pelton wheel turbine so page made it hit near at $4.25 a cord. There was no doctor nearer than Kelowna. J. M. Robinson In addition the men drew in limestone To see Dr. J. W. Knox they had to cross the rates. Contact Manager Bill Ryder. sene lamps here they are: the pelton wheel is the edge (Fig. 2); rather would be greatly reduced. named after its inventor Lester Pelton than the water flow be- and trees to fire the lime kiln built by Fyfe lake in a tiny flat--bottomed boat where the

Moore, a company shareholder. They bored ferry used to cross from Westside. Published by the The cons, of course, decried the born 1829 in Ohio. The principles of a ing stopped, it was now holes in the centre of each log and inserted Peachland was not all work and no play. major expense taxpayers would have pelton wheel require at least a 65 foot deflected into a half- one-eighth of a stick of dynamite with cap They had to have some fun in the evenings. PeachlandMajor Historical contributor Society to meet to carry out such a project. drop to create sufficient head (pressure) circle, coming out again and short fuse. In this way they split the large A band was organized. Dick Rochester Richard Smith A final decision was delayed until from a small volume and steady flow with reversed direction. Fig. 3 logs into four or more pieces. The lime was played the fiddle and Fyfe Moore the man- after sending a request to Victoria for of water. This means that the drop Surprisingly, the turbine sacked and drawn on a stone boat down the dolin. Jim Silver put a leather strap through Additional material, the basic funding needed to finance the from the dam above to our power now moved faster.” 1 It was he de- mountain side. a bell, nailed it on a board, and kept time by project. To everyone’s delight Victoria house will be at least 65 feet. duced more efficient for a water A wagon road along the lake was started beating the bell with two knives. A large Editing and layout Christopher Byrd agreed to offer a grant with the There are several stories as to what wheel to have two cups rather than in the rock cut where Peachland is entered dishpan was used for a snare drum. They from the south. Billy Miller, San Seaton and had a good laugh while they danced the Printed by proviso that Peachland become gave Dr. Pelton the idea for his pelton (Continued on page 3) some miners blasted it out. Bill Lewis, John 'hornpipe' and the 'Highland fling'. Rylan Hernberg 1909 to 2009 Bailey, and J. P. Parrot did the team work, Such was life in early Peachland. Publisher, Coffee News/Next Level Marketing grading the wagon road south to Deep 4

powder boys Bill and Stan Guthrie signals Explorations, the rent-a-canoe company the start of the races at the swim bay div- from Westbank, were awesome rowing

ing tower. Peachland firefighters brim- their warm-up practice on the dock itself -- (Continued from page 1) Molly Forthwright’s The Great War Canoe Races ming with local pride have painted their until Karen Martin suggested they might of Peachland, 2000 war canoe a fresh glossy red and named it go farther if they got in the boat! They tied just one. Note that the buckets of the pel- Peachland 1. Local firefighters both male the Water-Walkers for second place. ton wheel (Figs. 1 and 3) have double The day is on the long weekend of and female will bring glory to Peachland The award for courage, however, must cups. The funnel shaped spout at Fig. 1B Peachland citizensCommunity are pleased toNews hear that the new school will be one May, 2000. Spectators gather to cheer par- in two races. surely go to Councillor Harry Gough who is where the stave pipe connects to the of the buildings getting electric lights when the electric power plant is ticipants in a recreation of the war canoe While Reg Lawrence sports his despite the odds was able to convince his pelton wheel. operating beside Trepanier Creek. Won’t it be wonderful to put away our races not seen in Peachland since 1914 and RCMP red serge downtown, his son, a IGA Peachland Centre crew to follow him The town predicts having enough elec- kerosene lamps! that so excited the earliest residents. young Peachland ambassador, does the in the wildest of rides to the finish line at tricity from the turbine to fulfil most of our The town is abuzz. Al Wiebe’s World honours paddling a war canoe with the Pentowna Marina. Todd's Tent Town crew lighting requirements. There is some con- It is true that the wooden dam on Trepanier Creek has a few small of Wheels has drawn crowds from all over “Ambassadors.” Chris Barry , the bar- captained and patched together by Graham cern, however, that there may have to be leaks but they are expected to disappear when the logs swell. The large BC and beyond. The response from those tender at the Gasthaus has had to con- Todd must have been truly energized as restrictions limiting use to specific times of wire wound stave pipe will also tighten up with time. wanting to enter the canoe races has been script two pub patrons so that they can urged on by Zena & Company they raced the day should power shortages occur. hectic, the phone ringing off the hook. Par- make up a team to fly their colors in the twice to a third place finish. Whatever may be, citizens eagerly antici- Now, here’s an idea for a Sunday walk on a nice summer day. Why not ticipants are a mix of first time paddlers races. Likewise Scott Martin from the Finally our hats are off to the skill pate this remarkable new source of energy. enjoy the cool Trepanier Canyon by walking up to the dam on the board- and those seasoned to war canoes from Edgewater Inn was just as determined. and speed of the Kelowna Firefighters 1 walk over the stave pipe? Dr. David P. Stern — http://www-istp.gsfc. competing in the BC Games and the Na- The Traders Cove Fire Department with whose time of 3 minutes and 55 sec- nasa.gov/stargaze/Spelton.htm tionals in Nova Scotia. Don Froom as chief and crew captain onds put them in first place to win the Note: Material for this article has been rewritten "Sawdust" McDougall is very busy these days cutting boards in his Past stories are rife about this event, does not yet have a truck or a fire hall but Municipality of Peachland trophy award from the Peachland Walks and Hikes booklet writ- steam sawmill at Hewitt's Landing for the wooden side walk along from the trophies presented by Gordon that has not kept them out of the race. sponsored by Mayor George Waldo and ten by the same author. Beach Avenue. We ladies in our long skirts will be happy to keep them Sanderson whose Dad was on Peachland’s They have improved their odds by signing Council. Your Assistant Fire Chief, out of the mud in the spring. 1909 team and whose son and grandson up Marcia Gair from , a Gene Fisher, who loaned Peachland the Restoration of original Peachland fire cart both raced one Sunday in different boats Provincial and National competitor historic War Canoe trophies, will be urged on by a raucous ladies’ team, Zena in war canoe prowess. proud of you. New fire hydrants are being installed in the downtown area and a new and the Warrior Princesses. Well, the results are in. Very impres- The races were a splendid re-enact- hand pulled fire cart (see photos adjacent) is a welcome addition to pub- Twelve teams are competing and last sive indeed was the Peachland Commu- ment of days gone by and created the lic safety. minute preparations are frantic. They sort nity Church team who, calling themselves same element of fun and excitement. To out a hodgepodge of life jackets and pad- the Water-Walkers, raced twice against the delight of all, even ap- dles, position themselves in the boats, the firefighters, knocking a full second off peared from the depths to watch the ac- The Baptists have plans for a most unusual eight sided church at the practise a few strokes to get the feel of their time as well as beating the Kelowna tion and slipped back beneath the waves south end of town by the "bump" at the bottom of Princeton Avenue. things and eventually present themselves Fire Department in race 5. Well done cap- when the race was over. Ask “Moose” They will start building for completion next year. at the start line. tain Rod Irwin! Hauck who from his houseboat had a A roar of two muskets fired by black- Geordie Bowman and Selah Outdoor very close encounter with the beast! Above as it was found John Robinson was complaining to me how small his real estate office was when the new Municipal Council met for one of their first regular council meetings at his Peachland Townsite Company. He says they may have to move back to the little schoolhouse for their meetings until some more permanent structure is available. Small business news

Homes on the flats above town can create a basic winter cistern with cement from Morrin & I’m told that two lime kilns are now operating near Camp Hewitt. Lime Thompson. A common design has a round cement is essential for sweetening the soil for new orchards. Why not have a floor with walls built up with the round glacial rock Photos by Richard Smith by Richard Photos cartload or two delivered to your orchard? The Droughts say they have that is very common everywhere in town. A tight had a lot of success with lime to counter the acidity from their pine laden wooden cover with a screen will keep small

: Photography by Elaine by Elaine Photography : soil. creatures out! A transformation in the fire hall My garden vegetables seem to thrive in a good lime mixture. It’s a bit of Mr. Eyre at the livery stable near the post office has fine horses for sale or rent by day. a change from just horse manure. By the way, Mr. Eyre at his livery stable says he still has plenty of manure to spare and would be happy if Mr. Thompson from Camp Hewitt has a you carted it away. blacksmith shop beside the new Anglican church on Brandon Avenue. Wagon parts fixed and harness My children are learning maypole dancing at school. They are quite excited repairs also done. Original undoctored image Original undoctored about it although my son seems a little skittish and says he prefers fishing.

The Miller brothers have a small business catch- They are preparing for the May weekend festival.

ing trout and kokanee for the CPR but they will sell With blessings locally too when they have extra. Contact the Peach- from land Fish Company. A 1909 portrait of the 2009 Mayor and Councillors for the District of Peachland

L to R: Councillors Jean Fraser, Terry Condon, Peter Schierbeck, Mayor Keith Final restoration by Fire Department Molly Fielding, Vern Moberg, Lindsay Bell, Ernie Hurd

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