OKANAGAN VALLEY OWES THEM CREDIT
Women’s stories to be told
This is 2021’s first local history article, as the Kelowna Branch of the Okanagan Historical Society’s column enters its 27th year – itself an historic achievement. This is also my 300th article in this column.
To mark these milestones, I am researching and writing a series of articles about pioneer women — an oftenoverlooked segment of society. While the accomplishments of their fathers, husbands and sons are often celebrated, pioneer women are long-overdue in having their accomplishments recorded and acknowledged.
In the course of researching Central Okanagan history, I have encountered six remarkable pioneer women. They lived long lives, experiencing life in the “early days” and the comforts of more recent times:
— Susan (nee Walker) Lefevre, 1862 – 1952
— Eleanor (nee Laurence) Saucier, 1867 – 1955
— Eliza Jane (nee Simpson) Swalwell, 1868 – 1944
— Maria (nee Houghton) Brent, 1870 – 1968
— Caroline (nee Brent) Renshaw, 1871 – 1960
— Christina (nee Moore) Haynes, 1872 – 1968
These women deserve to have their stories told, and so I will produce an article about each of them.
Not all of these women were born in the Okanagan.
Susan Walker was born at Fort Hope, B.C., but came to the Central Okanagan — there was no Kelowna until 1892 — in 1879.
Maria Houghton’s roots were in the Coldstream district, but she spent much of her life in the Central Okanagan.
Eleanor Laurence was born in what is now Washington state, but came to the Central Okanagan when only a few weeks old.
Eliza Jane Simpson, Caroline Brent, and Christina Moore were born in the Central Okanagan.
These six women had much in common, apart from being 19th-century pioneers. All married into well-known families, becoming identified by the names of their husbands, hence Mrs. Alphonse Lefevre, Mrs. Joseph Saucier, Mrs. William Swalwell, Mrs. William Brent, Mrs. Martin Renshaw, and Mrs. John Carmichael Haynes; they became extensions of their husbands, any claim to notoriety — good or bad — stemming from their married names.
Another commonality amongst these women was that their fathers were wellknown in their communities:
— Walker’s father, Tennessee native Sylvanus McConico Walker (circa 18301887), was a sawmill owner at Fort Hope, settling there about 1861
— Laurence’s father, Quebec native Cyprien Laurence (1808-1868), accompanied Father Pandosy and his entourage
of settlers into the Central Okanagan in 1859
— Simpson’s father, American-born George William Simpson (circa 1821-1902), was a farmer and rancher in Ellison district, settling there in 1870
— Houghton’s father, Irish-born Colonel Charles Frederick Houghton (1839-1898), took up property in the Coldstream (North Okanagan) district in 1863
— Brent’s father, Bavaria native Frederick Brent (1827-1919), settled in Ellison district in 1865, owning the area’s first grist mill
— Moore’s father, American-born John Beckford Moore (circa 1833-1907) settled near what is now Rutland in 1868
While these women’s paternal and matrimonial connections are of significance to researchers and historians, their maternal lines — their mothers — is often overlooked.
These six Central Okanagan pioneers had Caucasian fathers and husbands, and their mothers were Indigenous — another shared bond:
— Walker’s mother, Ellen, was probably born in what is now British Columbia. She died prior to 1881.
— Laurence’s mother, Thérèse (circa 1837-1892), was a native of what is now Washington state
— Simpson’s mother, Sarah Stepetsa (circa 1853-1901), was born near what is now Penticton and remained in the Okanagan Valley
— Houghton’s mother, Sophie N’Kwala, was a grand-daughter of the Okanagan grand chief N’Kwala. Sophie’s husband, Charles Houghton, later deserted Sophie and their two children
— Brent’s mother, Mary Ann/Marianne Topakeget Ukatemish, was probably born in what is now Washington state circa 1838 and died in the Central Okanagan in the 1880s
— Moore’s mother, Catherine, was born in British Columbia circa 1846 and died in the Central Okanagan about 1881
Information about the Indigenous mothers of these Okanagan pioneer women is scarce and often only approximate dates and places of birth and death. This is the
sad reality of their lives: they were not seen as individuals, rather as their husbands’ wives and mothers of their husbands’ children.
Women are often the keepers of family history and traditions, sharing these with their children and grandchildren. Much of what these six women experienced during their lives in the Central Okanagan was not written down and so is lost to history. This must not prevent us from documenting the lives of these women, as we recognize their place in our history. I hope to include more information about the six Okanagan pioneer women’s Indigenous mothers, in the weeks ahead.
Five of these women — Eleanor Laurence, Eliza Jane Simpson, Maria Houghton, Caroline Brent, and Christina Moore — attended the Okanagan School which opened its doors in 1876, near the present-day Orchard Park Shopping Centre. From different parts of the Okanagan, they came to know each other through their schooling, becoming lifelong friends.
In May 1955, Kelowna celebrated its 50th year as an incorporated city, with numerous public observances to mark that historic event. On page 43 of the “Twentieth Report” of the Okanagan Historical Society, J. Percy Clement (18801975) wrote: “A huge birthday cake, donated by McGavin’s Bakery, was cut by Mrs. Carrie (Caroline) Renshaw and Mrs. Christine Haynes, both of whom have resided in the district for over 80 years. “Every old-timer present was given a piece of the cake. The contributions made by Caroline (Brent) Renshaw, Christina (Moore) Haynes and other pioneers of their generation, were formerly recognized as Kelowna marked its 50th birthday.”
Next week’s article recounts the long life of Susan (Walker) Lefevre, Central Okanagan resident from 1879 until her death in 1952.