Okanagan Historical Society celebrating 1,000 stories
Okanagan Historical Society in Kelowna celebrating 1,000 articles
This column is dedicated in memory of the late Don Ford, director and long-time supporter of the Kelowna Branch of the Okanagan Historical Society.
Dec. 31 – the last day of 2018. As 2018 comes to an end, we look to the New Year 2019, speculating about happenings in the months ahead.
New Year’s, however, is also a time for reflection as we remember what has happened in the past and how our community and personal lives have been impacted by people and events around us.
It is therefore important that this newspaper column looks back and revisits its history. It is also appropriate because of a recent milestone in the history of this column, the publication of the 1000th Okanagan Historical Society – Kelowna article in The Daily Courier.
What follows is a brief history of this newspaper column.
In early 1994, the executive and directors of Kelowna branch of the Okanagan Historical were contacted by Courier staff with the proposal the Historical Society submit local history articles to The Daily Courier. This suggestion was discussed and readily accepted and the first OHS article – Citizens built Naramata Road, by local historian Dorothy Zoellner – appeared in the Sunday, April 3, 1994, edition. This was followed by Alice Lundy’s article Builder a former mayor, a biography of Kelowna resident James David (Jim) Pettigrew, which appeared in the April 10 edition of the Courier. By the end of 1994, the column’s first year of publication, no less than 29 articles about local history were published.
A solid readership soon developed and the column became a regular fixture in the Courier, eventually moving to the Monday edition, where it has remained for many years.
During the column’s history, there have been a few rocky times, when it “disappeared” for a few weeks or more than a month, always eventually revived. The column, now in its 25th year of publication, has had 1,000 articles, on a wide variety of subjects, published.
In the course of its development, the OHS newspaper column has had articles written by more than 100 different authors. Some authors have written one or two articles, while others – Dorothy (Whitham) Zoellner, Alice (de Pfyffer) Lundy, Charley Adam, and Bob Hayes – have together produced more than 400 stories.
This column reflects the memories and viewpoints of many people, in their “voice,” including photographs and images from their private collections and archives.
Many topics and themes have emerged in the column:
— Personal memories and reminiscences of growing up in the Central Okanagan
— First Nations history, culture, and individuals
— Ethnic groups and their contributions to our local history
— Outlying areas: Rutland, Glenmore, Mission, Joe Rich, South and East Kelowna, and the Westside
— China Town’s history , culture, and residents
— Agriculture, including orchards, vineyards, fruit packing, vegetables, and tobacco
— Historical research about people, places, and events from our local past
— Businesses and institutions, including schools, churches and temples, stores, and societies
— Special days and observances: Christmas, Remembrance Day, Thanksgiving, Easter, and May Day
— Biographies of local people, from all walks of life
— Medical history, including Kelowna Hospital, doctors and nurses, and outbreaks of various illnesses
— Military history, local and international
— Policing and crimes in the Central Okanagan
— Farm animals and pets — Social history
— Sports and leisure, such as skiing, golf, swimming, diving, baseball, polo, soccer, and fishing
— Transportation, including CPR lake boats, trains, automobiles, airplanes, and horse and buggy
— Mountains, lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds, waterfalls, and other natural features
— Visits to the Okanagan by Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Nellie McClung, and Archduke Franz Ferdinand
There is no shortage of topics, and it is hoped that future articles will expand upon the aforementioned themes, as well as develop and explore ideas which have so far been overlooked. Of particular interest is the history and culture of local First Nations, who have lived in the Central Okanagan for more than 10,000 years; this important aspect of our history has not been sufficiently researched and documented.
The OHS–Kelowna is pleased to hear from people, living locally or elsewhere, who have a story to tell and are able to write and submit it for the weekly newspaper column.
Looking back on the 1,000 articles which have appeared in the Okanagan Historical Society’s newspaper column, one particular story comes to mind: “There’s more to city’s history than pioneers’ success stories,” appeared on June 7, 1998.
This article recounted the tragic story of the Heber family, who lived in a “miserably small shack near the saw mill,” at the north end of Kelowna. In January, 1909, one of the Heber children – a girl whose name was not recorded – became ill.
Her illness rapidly became more serious, resulting in her sudden death on Jan. 16, 1909.
The Jan. 21, 1909, edition of The Courier provides the pathetic reality of the lives of the Heber family. The local physician, summoned to investigate the Heber girl’s sudden death, reported that “the air in the 10 by 12 shack, which sheltered four people ... (was) indescribably foul.”
The article further described the lives and economic struggles of the Hebers – immigrants from Germany – a painful but necessary reminder that not everyone was wealthy and happy in days gone by.
The “good old days” were not “good” for many people.
As the OHS column celebrates its 1,000th article, we look ahead to the next 1,000 stories.
Although many articles about people, places, events, natural history and culture have been researched and recorded, much remains to be done if the history of our valley and its inhabitants is recorded and preserved.