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Wilfred Rae on Squamish Valley Hop Farm

Hop farming was Squamish's first major industry. The major producer was Squamish Valley Hop Raising Co. (Bell-Irving Ranch). Hops are perennials and grown about 6 feet apart. They are picked during September and August. Hops are dried and bleached with sulphur in a kiln. In Squamish, Chinese labour was brought in to tend the hops. The hops were picked by local First Nations. They would camp in the area now between Petro Canada gas station and the Cottonwood condominiums. The hops in Squamish were top grade. They were shipped to Vancouver in bales wrapped in Burlap, then shipped to Britain where they were used to make beer.

Timeline
1890 - Hops first grown by E.B. Madill.
1891, February - Group from Puyallup Valley (near Tacoma) examined Squamish as potential hop growing area. The Squamish Valley Hop Raising Company was formed by Vancouver businessmen. Dr Bell-Irving (great uncle of previous Lieutenant Governor) was owner of the company. President was William Shannon and Secretary was T.T. Black; and Directors: Dr Bell-Irving, W.E. Green, George Magee, E.L. Phillips.
1892 - The Squamish Valley Hop Raising Company leased land from E.B. Madill. 1.5 acres of hop vine nursery stock was planted. In addition, 260 acres were purchased, 20 acres of which were cleared. Ranch was in the present location of Eagle Run extending from Heidenriech's house to Judd Road to Horse Creek. Frank H. Potter, a hop rancher from Puyallup, became a manager. No hops grown but frame house and out-buildings built for Potter.
1893, Fall - 5 acres hops grown on Madill's leased property. No hops grown on Squamish Valley Hop Company's own land. 40 acres cleared but planted potatoes, oats, and hat. W. Shannon still president of the company. Chas. McLaughlin, secretary.
1894 - Fred Clayton Thorne replaced Frank Potter as manager of Squamish Valley Hop Company. Hop industry began to thrive. Allen Rae, E.B. Madill, George Magee, and Tom Reid grew hops.
1897 - D.H. Tweedie was manager of Madill's hop ranch.
1898 - Charles Rose was manager of Squamish Valley Hop Company (Bell-Irving ranch). Wife, Alice, was ranch cook.
1906, March - 28 acres of hops planted at Bell-Irving ranch.
1914 - With beginning if war, hop prices fell. Hop ranches were shut down. The Squamish Valley Hop Company was owned by Dr Bell Irving and Mr Murry (manager of Bank of Commerce in Vancouver) owned ranch at that time. Fred Thorne took over Squamish Valley Hope Company ranch and started raising short horn cattle.
1917 - Hop industry had died in Squamish.
~1931 - George Carson was running his brother Robert (Bob) Carson's hop ranch when it burned down.
1944 - Roderick Mackenzie owned old Squamish Hop Co. ranch. Referred to as the mackenzie Ranch or the Pig or Hog Ranch. Since he produced hops for export to help the war effort, it received those names.

Wilfred Rae behind Huey Mills home or hop farm

Wilfred (Whiff) Rae behind Huey Mills home or hop farm.

Hop farming was Squamish's first major industry. The major producer was Squamish Valley Hop Raising Co. (Bell-Irving Ranch). Hops are perennials and grown about 6 feet apart. They are picked during September and August. Hops are dried and bleached with sulphur in a kiln. In Squamish, Chinese labour was brought in to tend the hops. Local First Nations picked them. They would camp in the area now between Petro Canada gas station and the Cottonwood condominiums. The hops in Squamish were top grade. They were shipped to Vancouver in bales wrapped in Burlap, then shipped to Britain where they were used to make beer.

Trapping shelter at Elaho

Trapping shelter at Elaho built by Charles Schoonover. The men belong to Mather's logging outfit. Photo taken around 1908 - 1909.

Elaho River forms the west branch of the Squamish River. It is named for the Indian word meaning "good hunting area".

Steam donkey at Yapp's Logging Camp

Squamish Timber Co. crew and 'swing yarder'. 'Swing yarder' brought to Squamish by Allan Newton Barbour in 1910.

In 1907, Allan Newton Barbour and his brother Charles came to Squamish and logged using 6 yoke of oxen and took out six 24' logs a "turn" (load). The area logged was near the PGE Shops (by Castle's Crossing), across the river rom the shops, on the Burnt Ground near the cemetery, at Paradise Valley, and about five miles north of Cheekye. 2 to 20 men were employed. It was customary to log close to the river so the logs just had to be dragged into the river and floated to the Howe Sound where they were picked up by the Powell River company tugs and taken up to their mills. Log jams were broken up by men in canoes. Mr McComb was the first to tow logs down the river in a boat. The Barbours would later sell out to Mr Yapp. Mr Yapp's Squamish Timber Company was incorporated on March 21, 1907. In 1910, the Yapp Company cleared the Cheekye area. A steam donkey would haul the logs 400 feet and then an 8 horse team hauled them 1/2 mile on a skid road. Another donkey, called a roader, took the logs to the river. Here the logs followed a log trough. Instead of chokers, logging dogs were used. When the Howe Sound Northern Railway came into Cheakamus, the Yapp company used the train to transport logs to the booming grounds at Squamish. In 1911, a company owned by Mr Lamb took over the Yapp stand of timber.

In 1912, Arthur McIntyre, Fidolle Laviolette, Amedy Levesque, and George Laviolette ("The French Boys") won a steam donkey from Al Barbour in a poker game. Barbour had refused to sell it to them earlier. Mr Barbour went back to logging with horses hauling the timber out on skid roads until he could afford another donkey. The boys formed a partnership called the Laviolette, McIntyre, and Levesque Logging Co.

Start of Schoonover log cabin

417477 Government Road
This lovely log house was built by Charles Schoonover in 1932. Having worked as a hunter, trapper, and logger further up in the valley for nearly 30 years, Schoonover settled his family here in a house that reflected the beauty of the forests he loved.

Original use: Private residence.
Current use: Private residence.
Current condition: Very well maintained.

Squamish Review: Tuesday, March 15, 1949

[MAP]

BOARD OF TRADE HOLDS BUSY MEETING

TUBERCULOSIS CLINIC TO VISIT SQUAMISH

[MAP]

MACKENZIE'S LTD. TO EXPAND HERE

ROUND OF PARTIES FOR YOUNG FRY

CREDIT UNION HOLDS ANNUAL MEETING

RED LETTER DAY FOR SQUAMISH

AT LEAST THE STORK DERBY IS OVER

WILL LEGION WIN THE CUP?

MRS. MACDONALD, SQUAMISH PIONEER, PASSES

VALENTINE PARTY FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL

BRITANNIA CHILDREN HAVE ANNUAL VALENTINE PARTY

ANNOUNCEMENT

THE SQUAMISH REVIEW

EDITORIAL

CREDIT UNION

P.-T. ASSOCIATION FEATURES MUSICALE

JANITOR PROBLEM SOLVED

SQUAMISH RECREATIONAL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT

OLD TIMER PASSES

E. P. YARWOOD FLOWN TO VANCOUVER

BRITANNIA BEACH NEWS

RETURN OF FIRE UNIT

ORCHESTRA IN THE MAKING

[PHOTO]

VISIT TO GIBSONS

MRS MACDONALD

GET YOUR DOG LICENSE

NEW OFFICERS FOR W.A.

HARDY'S WESSEX CAPITAL

BASKETBALL SEASON ALMOST OVER

CARD OF THANKS

DAIRY DISCONTINUES LOCAL RETAIL TRADE

ELECTRICAL SHOP OPENS FOR BUSINESS

[PHOTO]

SQUAMISH, PAST AND FUTURE

TEACHERS CONVERSE

LONG WINTER COMES TO AN END

COMING EVENTS

PERSONALS

ENGLISH PRAYER BOOK 400TH ANNIVERSARY BEING CELEBRATED

BIGGER WAX SUPPLIES

LOCAL GIRL WED

PUBLIC CEREMONIES PLANNED

CANDLE LIT CARD PARTY

DIM OUT

DIAMOND HEAD EXPECTS BUSY SEASON

RED LETTER DAY

Squamish Review

Schoonovers at Hop Farm

Left to right: Unknown, Mary, Mildred, Robert, Elvira Schoonover (nee Bump) at Hope Farm.

Hop farming was Squamish's first major industry. The major producer was Squamish Valley Hop Raising Co. (Bell-Irving Ranch). Hops are perennials and grown about 6 feet apart. They are picked during September and August. Hops are dried and bleached with sulphur in a kiln. In Squamish, Chinese labour was brought in to tend the hops. The hops were picked by First Nations workers. They would camp in the area now between Petro Canada gas station and the Cottonwood condominiums. The hops in Squamish were top grade. They were shipped to Vancouver in bales wrapped in Burlap, then shipped to Britain where they were used to make beer.

Schoonovers at cabin in Brackendale

Left to right: Elvira Schoonover (nee Bump), Mildred (Mrs Scott MacDonald), Charles Schoonover, and son Robert at cabin in Brackendale,

417477 Government Road
This lovely log house was built by Charles Schoonover in 1932. Having worked as a hunter, trapper, and logger further up in the valley for nearly 30 years, Schoonover settled his family here in a house that reflected the beauty of the forests he loved.

Original use: Private residence.
Current use: Private residence.
Current condition: Very well maintained.

Schoonover log cabin in Brackendale

The Schoonover log cabin still stands on Government Road in Brackendale.

417477 Government Road
This lovely log house was built by Charles Schoonover in 1932. Having worked as a hunter, trapper, and logger further up in the valley for nearly 30 years, Schoonover settled his family here in a house that reflected the beauty of the forests he loved.

Original use: Private residence.
Current use: Private residence.
Current condition: Very well maintained.

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