Living Landscapes

From Broad Axe to Clay Chinking
Mandalay
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The land where the Mandalay ranch is was surveyed in 1917. Joseph George Whiteacre, a man from Ontario, homesteaded the land and named it the "Mandalay" after some place he had visited. Whiteacre was a promoter. He got a bunch of sheep to be raised there, thus proving the land was viable for farming. MacDonald was the first man to stay there and he raised the sheep. For his part in persuading people to move to the area, Whiteacre was paid by the Government.

The first house, a log house, was built in 1918-1919 with MacDonald taking part in this. It is still standing, even though it has no basement. It was eventually used as a barn after many different owners had passed through, and many years later.

In 1924, the Loper family, George and Alice Elizabeth, and their nine children, moved onto the Mandalay after coming from Youngstown, Alberta. Both George and Alice had been born in the United States and married in Michigan, after they met. They moved their family into the log house.

On the farm they raised cows, horses, and chickens, but no sheep. Mrs Loper did not want sheep eating up her garden. They would set their hens on eggs, raising their own chicks. They milked the cows and sold milk. They had eight stanchions in the cow barn. One year when the children were bigger, a cow fell through a hole in the ice on the river. One of the younger boys, Ray, hooked up the horse, took a lasso, crept out on the ice and got the rope on the cow while his sister held the horse. He yelled at her to pull and she got the horse moving and they pulled the cow out of the river. They put a blanket on her and put her in the barn. They really got heck from their dad that time as it was a very dangerous thing to do.

Cleaning the barn, weeding the garden, and picking berries - blueberries, raspberries, and wild strawberries, were chores the children helped with. A lot of wild meat -- deer, moose, and bear -- was eaten by the family.

In 1928, when they were still living in the log house, Jerrold, the oldest son drowned in the Mandalay Creek. It had been a very hot day and they had been haying, so after supper he went for a swim, while the youngest boy, Ray, was watching and playing on the bank. When he lost sight of his brother, he ran to the house, calling their father. They searched into the night, using lights. Jerrold had got tangled in the weeds and drowned. He was buried on the Mandalay, and a little white fence was built around the grave. The grave is there today.

In 1929, a larger house was built on a much grander style. A huge, two-story, seven bedroom frame house, with a gambrel roof, was constructed. It had hardwood doors with brass knobs and hinges, and the huge window frames had cornices at the top and ledges at the bottom, all a dark varnished color. The iron furnace vents were intricately designed and about fourteen by fourteen inches in size. They had a wood and coal furnace in the basement so they would buy a load of coal for the winter and otherwise it took three foot long wood.

Around 1930, the Lopers went to Prince George to sell meat, going across on the ferry at Finmoore. There was no road to Chief Lake at that time. When the road came in, the Mandalay was about forty miles from Prince George.

Whiteacre would come out every summer to visit. He was a very rich man, who owned the Mason and Reich Piano Company. He was also very generous and one time he sent out an organ and one time a piano, for the Lopers to play. For Christmas, he gave them several bags of flour, a much-needed staple on the farm.

The Loper children had a mile to go to the Stuart River School. It was built on the same side of the river that they were on. Skating on the ice on the river, after cleaning the snow away from a space, was a winter pastime. Wolves could be heard howling in the winter.

The Lopers lived there for about fifteen years and then they left for "greener pastures." The young Loper children dreamed of growing up and buying back the Mandalay.

A man named Skogdepo, and his son, came from Stettler, Alberta, and bought the Mandalay from Whiteacre. Many different owners followed and sometime in the 80’s, the land was logged by Northwood. It is now privately owned and the big house, which has been ransacked, stands large and forlorn on the banks of the Stuart River. Hopefully, one day, someone will once again live in it.

Living Landscapes


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The land where the Mandalay ranch is was surveyed in 1917. Joseph George Whiteacre, a man from Ontario, homesteaded the land and named it the "Mandalay" after some place he had visited. Whiteacre was a promoter. He got a bunch of sheep to be raised there, thus proving the land was viable for farming. MacDonald was the first man to stay there and he raised the sheep. For his part in persuading people to move to the area, Whiteacre was paid by the Government. The first house, a log house, was built in 1918-1919 with MacDonald taking part in this. It is still standing, even though it has no basement. It was eventually used as a barn after many different owners had passed through, and many years later. In 1924, the Loper family, George and Alice Elizabeth, and their nine children, moved onto the Mandalay after coming from Youngstown, Alberta. Both George and Alice had been born in the United States and married in Michigan, after they met. They moved their family into the log house. On the farm they raised cows, horses, and chickens, but no sheep. Mrs Loper did not want sheep eating up her garden. They would set their hens on eggs, raising their own chicks. They milked the cows and sold milk. They had eight stanchions in the cow barn. One year when the children were bigger, a cow fell through a hole in the ice on the river. One of the younger boys, Ray, hooked up the horse, took a lasso, crept out on the ice and got the rope on the cow while his sister held the horse. He yelled at her to pull and she got the horse moving and they pulled the cow out of the river. They put a blanket on her and put her in the barn. They really got heck from their dad that time as it was a very dangerous thing to do. Cleaning the barn, weeding the garden, and picking berries - blueberries, raspberries, and wild strawberries, were chores the children helped with. A lot of wild meat -- deer, moose, and bear -- was eaten by the family. In 1928, when they were still living in the log house, Jerrold, the oldest son drowned in the Mandalay Creek. It had been a very hot day and they had been haying, so after supper he went for a swim, while the youngest boy, Ray, was watching and playing on the bank. When he lost sight of his brother, he ran to the house, calling their father. They searched into the night, using lights. Jerrold had got tangled in the weeds and drowned. He was buried on the Mandalay, and a little white fence was built around the grave. The grave is there today. In 1929, a larger house was built on a much grander style. A huge, two-story, seven bedroom frame house, with a gambrel roof, was constructed. It had hardwood doors with brass knobs and hinges, and the huge window frames had cornices at the top and ledges at the bottom, all a dark varnished color. The iron furnace vents were intricately designed and about fourteen by fourteen inches in size. They had a wood and coal furnace in the basement so they would buy a load of coal for the winter and otherwise it took three foot long wood. Around 1930, the Lopers went to Prince George to sell meat, going across on the ferry at Finmoore. There was no road to Chief Lake at that time. When the road came in, the Mandalay was about forty miles from Prince George. Whiteacre would come out every summer to visit. He was a very rich man, who owned the Mason and Reich Piano Company. He was also very generous and one time he sent out an organ and one time a piano, for the Lopers to play. For Christmas, he gave them several bags of flour, a much-needed staple on the farm. The Loper children had a mile to go to the Stuart River School. It was built on the same side of the river that they were on. Skating on the ice on the river, after cleaning the snow away from a space, was a winter pastime. Wolves could be heard howling in the winter. The Lopers lived there for about fifteen years and then they left for "greener pastures." The young Loper children dreamed of growing up and buying back the Mandalay. A man named Skogdepo, and his son, came from Stettler, Alberta, and bought the Mandalay from Whiteacre. Many different owners followed and sometime in the 80’s, the land was logged by Northwood. It is now privately owned and the big house, which has been ransacked, stands large and forlorn on the banks of the Stuart River. Hopefully, one day, someone will once again live in it.