HISTORY

Brady Creek Ranch is more than 130 years old. Here are a few snippets of how it came to be:

1885: STAKING CLAIM

Land surveyor and engineer James Brady was the first to establish Brady Creek Ranch in 1885. Brady was 31 years old when he acquired the land, which was then known simply as ‘Lot 21.’ It originally spanned 250 acres, including 90 acres on the north side of the creek that bears Brady’s name (Brady Creek), and 160 acres on the south side (now known as Larch Point). Portions of the land were later sold separately, so Brady Creek Ranch is now 76 acres.

Brady was originally born in Dunham, Quebec, but his surveying work took him across Canada by pack horse. Early in his career, he surveyed parts of the Grand Trunk Railway in Quebec and Ontario, and helped engineer the Ottawa Ship Canal. He prospected for a number of years in Central America, and then returned to Canada, eventually travelling to the Columbia Valley by pack train before the Canadian Pacific Railway was constructed in the area. He completed the land survey of the Columbia Valley, connecting it with the upper Kootenay across Sinclair Pass, and also surveyed many timber limits and mineral claims in the local area. Although he owned Brady Creek Ranch, he settled on a different local homestead, Thunderhill Ranch, before later moving to Golden, B.C., where he lived until his death in 1916. Brady had one son, James C. Brady.

1899: THE ULTIMATE HONEYMOON

Pioneering newlyweds Joseph and Margaret Lake were the second owners of Brady Creek Ranch. They purchased the land from James Brady at the turn of the century in 1899. Their love story offers a glimpse of what early settlers in the Rocky Mountains faced when they came West:

ONCE UPON AN OX-DRAWN CART

Margaret didn’t likely dream of sharing her honeymoon with 10 cart-pulling oxen over 1,300 bumpy kilometres of Canadian prairie. But, after marrying Joseph (Joe) one sunny 1883 afternoon in Fort Gary, Winnipeg, that’s exactly what was in store. The adventurous couple said “I do” and packed every axe, quilt, book and trunk they owned into 10 Red River carts pulled by oxen. The newlyweds pointed their pack train towards Edmonton, Alberta, and set off across the Canadian prairie in a trek that was demanding, but romantic in its own way.

The couple’s grandson, W. Roy Lake, later wrote of their journey:

“Joe was satisfied with the progress made day-to-day. He stepped up into the lead cart and took a seat beside his new bride, Margaret. He placed his hand over her two hands to stop the knitting that she was intent on doing. Wool socks for the coming winter. A moment’s silence prevailed as they looked at each other. This was the second day of a lifelong partnership that was to terminate many years later in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia.”

RAILWAY TIES

When the Lakes reached Edmonton, Joe worked as a sub-contractor on the Macleod to Edmonton branches of the CPR. The work eventually brought the couple to Golden, B.C., where Joe set up shop as a merchant selling goods and housewares to railway workers and other early settlers. By 1898, the couple moved further south to Windermere, B.C., where Joe was a manager of a general store. Five years later he owned and operated his own store, Lake and Co., at the Salmon Beds (now known as Athalmer).

Thanks to the prevailing mining boom, buildings were at a premium and so the store opened in a large canvas tent. The railway had not yet reached Athalmer — it only passed through Golden, more than 100 kilometres north — so supplies were shipped to Golden by train and then loaded onto paddle wheelers. The freight-laden boats steamed their way up the Columbia River from Golden to Athalmer. Joe, who was also one of the first postmasters in Athalmer, had the duty of opening and closing the swinging bridge that used to span across the Columbia River at Athalmer to allow the boats to pass through the channel. He would help unload the freight, and sold much of it in his store. He also did a booming fur trade business, buying raw pelts of beaver, fox, lynx and muskrat to ship east to Canada’s larger cities.

The Lakes purchased Brady Creek Ranch in 1899. For many years while still running the general store, they split their time between the ranch and a cottage in Athalmer. Their adult son Percy took over the store in 1925 and they moved to the ranch full-time. By 1928, the Lakes closed their store permanently, plagued by a local economy that struggled in the years following World War One. Once the store closed, Percy and his family also moved to Brady Creek Ranch.

RANCH LIFE

The Lakes had up to 150 head of cattle, and mostly grew hay, corn, potatoes and peas. Percy took an interest in horse racing, which at the time was a vibrant and frequent activity at a racetrack in Athalmer. He became well-known in the valley for his skills as a jockey. Percy raised a number of thoroughbred horses, as well as wild horses.

Early ranching life was a mix of prosperity and hardship, depending on the year. The railway didn’t reach the Columbia Valley until 1914, and during the winter months the paddle wheelers were frozen in place, unable to deliver regular supplies. As such, ranchers had to depend on their own resourcefulness. Grandson Roy Lake recounted some of the tougher instances faced by his grandparents. In addition to a grasshopper plague that decimated the crops, they recalled a particularly difficult winter when their cattle nearly starved:

“The snow was excessive and the weather very cold. They were caught with a shortage of feed, so it was necessary to send men out with a team and sleigh to daily cut the frozen willow shoots showing above the snow and hail them in bundles for the cows to survive on.”

Margaret died in the 1930s, and Joe passed away on the ranch in the 1940s. Percy’s family remained at Brady Creek Ranch until after the Second World War.

OTHER NOTABLE DATES

1930

The south side of Brady Creek Ranch was sold to Maurice Ruault to form the Ruault Farm Ranch (H & R Ranch)