CASTLEGAR NEWS, Thursday, Sept. 11, 1958

Dog Creck(Renata)Was Pioneered in 1895
By Three Frenchmen After.Mining Boom

Famous Fruit-

Growing Area

Is Now a Holiday Resort

@ Was Once Accessible Oniy By Boat

@ Man Caught in Bear Tran Dies of Gangrene
@ Contest Ghanges ‘Dog Greek’ to ‘Renata’
@ First White Child Born in 1908

By MRS. P. WARKENTIN

‘fo people here, Renata is
“the greatest little place on the
Arrow Lakes.”

Renatans aren't alone in-this
uopinion. People in other Koo-
tenay towns who have been to
Renata rave about the hamlet—
its idyllic ‘location, its king-size
peaches, its temperate climate,
its friendly folk and the recrea-
tienal opportunities it offers on
lazy summer days.

The majority of residents in
Kootenay communities dida’t
know Renata until the road
was built to Deer Park and
the daily ferry service started.
Some, however, had been on
the S. S. Minto when the vet-
eran sternwheeler paddled in-
to Renata on its bi-weekly
calls.

People know its a little set-
tlement on the Lower Arrow
Lake's west shore, and that you
go a long way before coming to
the next community on that side,
Edgewood.

“ Bven on “huw-do-you-do and
goodbye” visits, people will tell
you that the way Renata juts
‘out into the blue water with its
sandy beach in the foreground
and,

his days here. He bought 160
acres from Sandy Gaston and
set to work clearing land for the
first orchard.

He planted bis first tree in
1898. Within four years he had
planted 15 acres, with the
stout assistance of his horse,
Jack, Nash had his own flume
system and prior water rights
in the early days.

of his activities as a young man
and bought back his old orchard
which had fallen into a state of
neglect, replanted five acres, and
now at 81 is back in Winnipeg.

The first school’ was a log,

house built In 1909, The first
teacher was Miss Elinor Red-
head, a cousin of the Nash
family; the first school trus-
tee, Mr. Siemens. The pupils
numbered 14,

When the lug school burned
down in 1912, a:‘new school was
built by volunteer labor and
desks were supplied free.

A sawmill was built in 1911
and although it burned down, it
was rebuilt and operated for
many years. It was sold and
broken down around 1935. Some
of the first irrigation pipes were
made by the late Peter Harms.

In the early days the people
lived principally from the in-
come from vegetables and smal-
ler fruits such as raspberries and

In 1906 Carles who
had been living across the lake
at Deer Park, rowed over to Dog
Creck to become its first post-
master and storekeeper. About
the same time Jack Hitchin, who
had been employed on construc-
tion of the Kettle Valley rail
line, came to live in Dog Creel.

“Sandy,” after whom the
mountain was named, was caught
in a bear trap in 1905. With lack
of medical facilities and trans-
portation problems, gangrene set
in and he died not long after
reaching the Rossland hospitat.

All the land available in
Dog Creek was bought in 1907
by Frank F, Siemens of Mani-
toba, agent for the Manitoba
‘Western Land Company. It was
subdivided into blocks and ad-
vertised for sale as a fruit-

its of
anakes it a pretty settlement.

The mountains rising above
4t, Sandy, Middle Mountain,
‘Bulldog and Bluebird, have acted
as guardians of Renata, Mostly,
ithrough inaccessibility.

Renata, like a few other Ar-
zew Lakes communities, has
wtayed to itself. Whether it will
wemain that way,, with industrial
development seen: for the Ar-
«ow Lakes as a result of the ar-
aival of Celgar at Castlegar, is
‘a topic of speculation.

Dog Creek it used to be
-ealled, from the creek which
rans through Renata. Accord-
ing to the historians, it came
into being in 1895 when three
Frenchmen, Sandy Gaston,
Jean Baptiste and Joe Burn-|
ett who followed the mining,
boom, turned their sights on
the area,

They settled and built a
‘hotel out of natural cedar logs
for prospectors and trappers.

The real development of
Dog Creek was left to a man
named Fred Nush, who came
trom Niagara in 1897 by the way
of the United States, rede into
Grand. Forks from Oregon on
horseback and followed Dog
Creek until he came to the pros-
pectors settlement.

Entranced hy the beauty of

the place, Nash promptly de-
termined to spend the rest of

growing

Before there families moved
in, however, Fred Nash brought
his brother Ben Nash and
family, also from Niagara on
the Lake, to ‘settle in Dog
Creek. The first frame house
was built for them in 1908,
The same year Mr. Siemens’
brought his family out and a
three-storey house was buut
for them.

Residents got thinking about:
the name of their community
‘and decided the name Dog
Creek was none too attractive.

A contest was sponsored by
the Western Land Company and
the winning entry came from
a Mr, Hanson of Altona, Man.,
who appropriately suggested Re-
nata, meaning. rebirth. Hanson
got a free trip to B.C. for his
-brain-wave,

In the same year, 1909, the
first white child was born in
Renata and was named after the
community at the request of Mr.
Nash and Mr. Shannon.

She is Miss Renata Siemens,
missionary in Kenya Colony,
British East Africa, and the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs, Frank
F. Siemens, now in Winnipeg.

After having settled 20
families, Mr, Siemens left Re-
nata in 1912, When he retired
from his business in Winnipeg
in. 1945 he returned to the site

were good then, the boats Ross-
land and Bonnington running
daily on the Jakes.

It wasn’t ‘until the late 20's
that transportation bécame a
drawback. The fruit in those

1,000 boxes of pears. No small
amounts for a small place. In
its biggest apple year, Renata
shipped 12,800 boxes of apples.

A pipe factory was in oper-
ation during the depression years
and pipes were made to improve.
the irrigation system through
efforts of the untiring Mr. Reim-
er, Now Renata enjoys an abun-
dance of water both for ‘irriga-
tion purposes and household use.

Good irrigation has com-
bined with favorable climate
and soil conditions to make
fruit - orchard Renatans the|
main money-makers, Renata
friut has come to claim a top
spot jn Kootenay products of
the soil.

In addition to a feed shop
and‘ co-op, Renata boasts a gen-
eral store with stock ranging
from bread to long underwear,
gas for boats, tractors and
lamps, we :

Except for a trail leading to
Tunnel station on the CPR’s
Kettle Valley line, the valley
has been until recently acces-
sible only by water. In cherry
time a special boat comes in
to take out the fruit.

Mining was never carried
out extensively in Renata, The

Chief about

days was shipped privately.
With of the
first wharf in 1914 and the
harvesting of fruits such as
fears, apples, -peaches and
cherries, packing ‘classes were
held and frlut’ was shipped
through the Associated Grow-
ers of B.C,

The growers did their own
Packing and in 1928 the Co-op-
erative Union was organized with
Jacob Reimer as president. Five
years later the first fruit was
marketed through the co-op and
1,500 crates of cherries were
shipped.

In 1951, 7,200 crates of top-
quality cherries went to outside
markets from Renata, plus 5,000

erates of luscious peaches and

1917 with the gold and ore ba-
ing hauled down a mountain road
by horses and wagons to a barge,
for a less Primitive trip to the
Trail smelter.

For a place to spend a few
weeks in the summer for holi-
days and rest, Renata can't be
beat in the Kootenays.

There are things to put uv
with which residents contend
with all year round, such as a
lack of electricity. But they are
more than compensated for by

boating, fishing (lake or creel)
and hiking.

A-warm welcome awaits all
visitors to Renata.

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
1858 — 1958

PITTS

DRUG

1947 — 1958

Serving The Castlegar District Over
The Years With A Firm Policy Of

Highest Quality Drugs & Drug Supplies
At The Lowest Prices & The Best

Service,

DAY OR NIGHT PHONE 4231

CASTLEGAR

FUNERAL HOME

BRONZE & MARBLE PLAQUES

REFRESHER COURSE

BEFORE YOU TAKE THEM BACK TO COLLEGE THIS MONTH... .

YOU CAN HAVE A “BRAND NEW” WARDROBE JUST BY SENDING
US ALL YOUR CAMPUS CLOTHES. OUR CLEANING RESTORES THE
NATURAL COLOR AND BEAUTY.

“WE JOIN IN PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE PIONEERS
OF THIS PROVINCE AND THE CASTLEGAR & DISTRICT
FALL FAIR BOARD.”

CASTLEGAR AMBULANCE SERVICE

442'— 4th AVENUE

— CASTLEGAR, B.C,

PHONE 3601

— THIS IS A YEAR TO CELEBRATE —

CASTLEGAR
DRY CLEANERS

SERVICE [IS OUR BUSINESS

. HELEN'S -
FLOWER SHOP.

“SAY IT WITH FLOWERS”

We extend our thanks to all our friends of the District
who in any way assisted with the preparation for the
many events to celebrate the Hundredth Birthday

of this great province.

. We are sorry some events had to be cancelled

but this is inevitable in planning such a

long range programme.

The Permanent Centennial Project was the
beautification of the District Hospital Grounds
for which further contributions would be

gratefully received.

0. B. BALLARD

CASTLEGAR NEWS, Thursday, Sept. 11, 1958

K. M. SPENCE