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Bohanon House on Reid Street. Sam and Ellen Bohanon standing out front. 1958.269.11900
Reid Street, Quesnel; British Columbia, Canada
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The Bohannon Home is history in solid form; an attempt to struggle through to the present. Along Reid Street there once stood what was locally known as the Bohannon House. Originally built by Stephen Hilborn for his wife, it was sold to the Bohannons where they played a unique and vital role in the pioneering of Quesnel. Now simply a supply lot for one of Quesnel's many businesses, the future of our history seems to be in jeopardy. Only through the recollection of the goings on can we attempt to create an everlasting image of the pioneer life of the Bohannon family.3
Born in 1833 Samuel Hall Bohannon was married to Ellen Jane Allen (Longfellows) when they were both 26 in the town of Machias, Maine in the United States. From there they moved west to Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was here that, they had three children all of whom died in early childhood. Shortly after the family endured the great loss they moved to Calais, Maine to work a farm. However these two were not the beginning of the Bohannon legacy in the Cariboo.4
Samuel Hall Bohanon1860
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Ellen Jane Bohanon (nee Allen nee Longfellows)1880
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The Bohanon Men Samuel Hall Bohanon (top left) and his three brothers1870
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The original Bohannon to reach the Cariboo was James Madison. After making an effort at the gold fields he soon returned to ranching and other business ventures. In partnership with a few other pioneers, they soon started a large ranching area of about 648 hectares in the Alexandria-Kersley district, approximately 40 kilometers south of the Quesnel town site.8
In 1872, while suffering from a severe bout of tuberculosis Madison sent a message back to his family in Minnesota informing them of his condition. The Bohannons, who had not heard from Madison since he left for the gold fields, immediately sent his brother Samuel over to San Francisco to meet up with Madison who was down in that area on a supply run. Unfortunately, Madison passed away before his brother could reach him, as Sam was delayed due to a railway accident.9
As executor of the state Sam had to move north to sort out his brother's affairs. In 1875 Samuel Hall and his wife Ellen Jane Bohanon moved up north to the Cariboo to pick up the pieces of Madison's life investments.10
Upon reaching the area by way of Yale and the B.X. stagecoach, Sam came to realize that while the property did exist, it was badly run down and ridden with debt. . Instead of developing the ranch, Madison Bohannon had in-vested large sums of money and spent much energy and time away from the ranch in mining ventures and trading. However, considering the favourable agricultural location of the ranch and the potential assets of the land Sam decided to stay on and recoup his brother's losses.11
Bohanon Ranch near Kersley1880
Kersley; British Columbia, Canada
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Through long years of hard work and perseverance the ranch slow-ly improved and began to pay for itself. Over 400 acres of land was cleared and in 1885 over 700,000 pounds of grain was threshed in a single harvest. Most of this, along with hay and cattle was transported a distance of eighty miles and sold to the mines in the Barkerville area.13
After twenty-five years of hard work and careful management the Bohannons were ready to dispose of their large land holdings and retire to Quesnel. The Kersley ranch, the most northerly part of the property was bought in 1896 by James Shepherd, a young Englishman who had worked for Sam Bohannon for a number of years. Steven Hilborn purchased the main holdings in 1898.14
It was natural for the Bohannons to decide to retire to Quesnel rather than the United States. Through many years of business and social contact they had made a large circle of friends in the community. They had also supported the growth and development of charitable and institutional organizations at Quesnel. Ellen Bohanon with her good friend Sarah McLean had worked hard towards the establishment of the first Protestant church building in Quesnel, the Union Church, built in 1895. Later Mrs. Bohannon was very supportive in the promotion of Quesnel's first hospital, built in 1910. |
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