Pritchard, British Columbia

James Todd and George Bohun Martin were employees of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Todd pre-empted about 3 kilometres (2 mi) on the south side shore eastward from the present bridge. In 1866, Martin took over Todd's land. Adjacent, Jean Laveau briefly settled to the east,^[2] at what became Laveau Creek,^[3] and Edward de Champs to the west^[4] at what became Neds Creek.^[5]

On the north shore, opposite the Martin holding, Arthur Gore Pemberton settled. Preston Bennett and Moses Lumby, who bought south of Martin in 1867, sold this adjoining property to Martin in 1870. To serve paddle steamers, a large wharf was built in the 1860s about 183 metres (600 ft) east from the present bridge. The 1885 arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) brought a flood of new settlers.^[4]

In the hills south of his farm, George Martin ranged his cattle. Later, his children Frank, George and Henry established farms in the hills. Initially called Martin's Prairie, the amended spelling emerged in due course. In 1892, Amos and Alfred Herbert established the first homestead. In 1908, the first school for the general area opened.^[6][7] In 1911, the Farmers' Institute was formed^[6] and fire destroyed the log school. The next year, a larger lumber building opened.^[8] Robert Brett operated a sawmill 1914–1922.^[9] When the school closed in 1953,^[10] students were bussed to Pritchard.^[11]

About 4 kilometres (2 mi) east was Watmore siding. Watmore came to describe an area along the railway line that encompassed present day Pritchard. Consequently, the school which opened in 1908 immediately east of the wharf was called Watmore.^[12][13]

The railway point at Pritchard may have been first called Pemberton Spur (after Arthur G. Pemberton).^[14] In September 1907, John G. Fawcett sold Walter P. Pritchard a property on the south shore.^[15] Until 1912, Pritchard drove the Vernon–Kamloops stage.^[16]

In the 1911 post office application, the Martin Prairie Farmers' Institute unanimously chose the name Pritchard.^[12]

Mrs. A.R. Johnstone was the inaugural postmaster 1911–1911, followed by W.P. Pritchard 1912–1927.^[17]

In 1912, John Hutchinson, built a two-storey house^[12][18] immediately west of the present bridge. The store on the lower level was taken over by daughter Nellie Boyde,^[19] when John, a resident for only a year, died months later.^[20]

Pritchard built a three-storey hotel/boarding house^[4] in 1912^[21] about 152 metres (500 ft) east of the present railway crossing,^[19] which opened in January 1913.^[22] The building comprised 14 bedrooms, a general store,^[15] and relocated post office.^[23]

The annual fall fairs were held 1913 to the early 1920s. In 1948, Wing Howe bought the hotel, which he immediately closed to the public but became accommodation for Chinese workers.^[24]

Being subject to flooding,^[12] the Watmore school site was vacated in 1936.^[25] Renamed Pritchard, the new school opened that year^[26] at 1563 Martin Prairie Rd, about 400 metres (437 yd) up from the highway.^[27]

In 1950, BC Hydro transmission lines introduced electricity to the area.^[28]

In 1957, a teacherage was erected.^[29]

In 1965, the establishment of an automatic telephone exchange at Chase introduced dial calling to the Pritchard area.^[30]

In 1968, the school closed^[31] and the students were bussed to Chase. Formed in 1969, the community association took control of the building as a community hall. In 1972, the abandoned hotel building was demolished and burned.^[28]

On the benches north of his farm, Arthur Pemberton ranged his cattle. Soon the name changed from Hog Range to Pemberton Range. His 1,200-hectare (3,000-acre) property stretched eastward to Hoffman's Bluff.^[32]

In 1909, B.C. Orchards purchased about 810 hectares (2,000 acres) of the holding on the understanding that J.H. Kilmer would in turn acquire the property. When Kilmer was unable to meet the second installment in June 1910, B.C. Orchards sold the property to Messrs. Ross and Shaw after the notice of cancellation expired. The forfeiture was overturned by the lower court, but the British Columbia Court of Appeal reversed that decision. In 1913, the Privy Council upheld the lower court decision.^[33] The lack of water rights dashed the plan to subdivide the land into orchards.^[32]

A school existed 1913–1965.^[34] After burning down in 1929, the school was rebuilt with more windows.^[35]

Also acknowledging the name are Pemberton Hill,^[36] Pemberton Creek,^[37] Pemberton Lake,^[38] and Pemberton Gulch. An irrigation ditch from the lake brought water to the Pemberton farm.^[39]

In 1966, electricity transmission extended into the area.^[40]

In August 1885, the eastward advance of the CP rail head passed through the locality,^[41] regular service having started as far east as Kamloops the previous month.^[42]

In 1911, the 13.37 by 4.72 metres (43 ft 10 in × 15 ft 6 in) train station building was erected.^[43]

In 1912, a derailed car structurally weakened the track through the community, before rerailing at the switch. On being flagged down by a passerby, the following passenger train proceeded slowly over the damaged section.^[44]

In 1913, double-tracking was extended eastward to Pritchard,^[45] not continuing for a number of years.^[46]

In 1921, the station was moved westward closer to the railway crossing.^[47]

In 1923, a passenger train fatally struck the section foreman walking the track.^[48]

In the 1940s, stockyards were erected at the western end of the siding.^[28]

In 1951, 21 horses died while being shipped in a sealed boxcar to Kamloops.^[49]

In 1958, one man died and two were seriously injured when a train dragged their vehicle from the railway crossing to the switch.^[50]

^a . In 1910, the station possibly existed at Watmore itself, rather than its later location.^[65]
^b . In 1914, an unofficial flag stop called Hopgood opened^[66] at the Martin Ranch one mile east of Pritchard.^[67]

In the early years, a cross river scow ferry^[68] connected to the Pemberton Ranch.^[69]

A subsidised ferry was established in 1912.^[70][71] To prevent drifting downriver,^[24] a guide cable was installed in 1913.^[45]

In 1920, a 40-metre (132 ft) timber swing span with 300 metres (1,000 ft) of trestle approaches replaced the ferry.^[72] A fixed span replaced the swing section in 1931,^[73] which in turn was replaced in the 1933/34 winter by a lift span to restore navigability to the river. The present one-lane arched trestle bridge, built in 1985, is high enough to allow the passage of a sternwheeler.^[68] The Wanda Sue passed by on river tours 1984–2004.^[74]

The road which ran to the Martin Ranch on the north side of the train track, past the station, hotel, wharf road, and ferry road, became disused beyond the station after 1950.^[75]

In 1874, the Shuswap Wagon Rd was built from Ducks (Monte Creek) to Chase. The right-of-way through the vicinity was present Stoney Flats Rd. In 1925, the route was realigned lower to Stewart Rd. In 1948–49, it was upgraded to highway status.^[76] Establishing a bypass around Pritchard, the widening of the highway from two to four lanes was completed for Monte Creek–Pritchard around 2014^[77] and Pritchard–Hoffman's Bluff in 2016.^[78]