Another event that indirectly
impacted the X-L was the creation of the Libby dam. It flooded
50,000 hectares of valley bottom, destroyed the community of Sand
Creek, and destroyed many ranches on river bottom land. "We
were like a family here until the dam took it all away. We all
went together and grew up together. Then the pond came and flooded
all our neighbours except one. They had good established ranches
but they were forced to move. They scattered all over. It was
one of the saddest things," said Mary. Although the Matsons
mourned their good friends and neighbours, ironically, the flooding
turned out to be an advantage to the X-L. With fewer ranchers
around, the X-L ended up sole users of 7000 acres of adjacent
crown rangeland which made a big difference to their operation.
The development and mechanization
of the ranch that occurred in the 1950s began to pay off in the
60s. By 1965 they had 60 Angus cows, 2 bulls and 15 yearlings.
Even though the cattle herd was growing, the ranch had surplus
hay to sell for the first time. Telephone and electricity, which
further modernized the irrigation system by allowing the installation
of larger pumps, came to the X-L in the 60s. The last of the fields
were cleared. Hay production increased dramatically. Then when
the seven thousand acres of crown range land became available
for lease Elmer took it. From this point, he no longer had the
time nor the urgent necessity to work off the ranch.
Meanwhile, Lynda met Gordon Edwards,
who had grown up on a farm in Taber, Alberta, at a Jaffray dance.
She was twenty and he was twenty-three when they married in 1967.
Although Gordon said he married her so one day he could be a rancher,
they did not adopt the ranching life for another 23 years. Instead,
they lived in Cranbrook, a town with a population of about 15,000,
50 km away. Lynda stayed home and raised their three children
while Gordon drove a chip truck for Arrow Transport. The family
spent weekends and holidays helping with the ranch work but it
was a part-time affair.
