The Thompson-Okanagan region is located in south-central British Columbia. The region's dominant physical feature is the interior plateau which lies between the Coast Range mountains on the west and the Columbia Basin mountains on the east. The interior plateau is dissected by numerous valleys, the most significant of which are the Okanagan Valley, which lies in the Columbia River watershed and the Thompson River Valley which is part of the Fraser River watershed. The region lies in the rain shadow of the Coast Range and in consequence has a semi-arid climate, although rainfall varies considerably within the region, generally increasing as one travels south to north or higher in elevation.

The aboriginal population of the region are related by background, language and culture. The Okanagan, Secwepemc (Shuswap), and the Naklakapmuk (Thompson) peoples are part of a linguistic and cultural grouping referred to as the Interior Salish, which includes numerous peoples on both sides of the International Boundary. Within each of these tribes are numerous villages which were, in the pre-colonial era (pre-1858), more or less autonomous and self-governing. These Native peoples made their living by hunting, fishing, gathering and trading the products of their respective territories. They necessarily lived a semi-nomadic existence with a community life centred around winter villages at locations like the Head of the Lake, Penticton, Inkameep, and Kamloops. The aboriginal peoples were progressively affected by a succession of European immigrants who came to the interior of BC searching for furs, gold, land and other resources and by missionaries and government agents.

The timing of these economic developments were certainly related to developments in transportation. The acquisition of horses by the Okanagan peoples about 1750 significantly altered the aboriginal economy and society and this transportation method, only slightly transformed by fur traders, continued to be the means of transporting goods within the region and of exporting and importing goods until after the establishment of colonial government in 1858. In response to the gold rush, wagon roads and steamboats were constructed, making the transport of some low value and high bulk goods possible. However, in the 1860 - 1890 era the still primitive transportation infrastructure limited economic activities to industries like stock-raising wherein stock could be walked to coastal markets. This era saw the development of cattle and horse raising operations, along with subsistence farming, by both the Native and European communities. Native ranching operations tended to be considerably smaller than those of their European counterparts, largely because of the differential access to land enjoyed by the two groups.

The completion of the transcontinental railway in 1885 and the subsequent completion of a branch railway line from Sicamous to Okanagan Landing and launching of /dif CPR steamboats on Okanagan Lake was the impetus for the rapid growth and urbanization of the entire region. Kamloops, on the mainline, expanded substantially while towns like Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Enderby, Salmon Arm grew to become small towns servicing densely populated rural regions. The new industries were largely fruit production oriented, although pockets of ranching persisted on Indian reservations and outlying areas. Associated with the horticultural revolution were land development schemes, irrigation projects, packing houses, canneries, and experiments with crops like hops and tobacco. Other industries such as wood manufacturing and tourism developed at a moderate pace while education, health and recreation reflected the nature of the respective communities.

The historic photographs presented here reflect Okanagan communities as they developed from the turn of the century to about World War II. The focus is on the City of Kelowna and the Native communities of Penticton and Okanagan (Head of the Lake). Future additions will provide a more well-rounded collection

Information on the Thompson-Okanagan region is available from many sources but a good place to begin is the Living Landscapes web site which is devoted to presenting the natural and human history of the region. Notice the "Maps," the "Articles and Theses," the "Index to Okanagan History," and "Census Databases," sections and the access provided to research and researchers.

This digital collection was produced under contract to the SchoolNet Digital Collections program, Industry Canada

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