Steam Engines in Westwold

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Steam Engines in Westwold

Photo taken in Grand Prairie, (Westwold) B.C.

The first settler in our community was an American by the name of Henry James Ingram. He was a part of a syndicate that brought camels to B.C. to be used as pack animals on the Gold Trail. This venture proved unsuccessful for several reasons. All of the horses and mules were terrified of the camels and their feet never held up on the rocky terrain. Ingram brought several camel to "Grand Prairie" (the name was changed to Westwold in 1928} when he settled in 1864. The last camel was put down, as she was ill, on Ingrams ranch in 1896.
Grand Prairie was a very important stopping place between Fort Kamloops and the Okanagan and a hotel was built in the 1890's and another around 1910. Of course things changed with the automobile and the valley ceased to exist as an important stopping place.
Today the valley is fed by farming and the forest industry.

Westwold is situated half way between Kamloops and Vernon, B.C. on Highway 97.

Stop by for a visit if you are in the area.

We love 'steam power' and have a small collection of steam engines. We have a 1915 Case Traction Engine, purchased by my parents and used to haul logs to their steam sawmill, a Donkey, a Marion Steam Shovel, a

Steam powered sawmill. We have acquired three more Case Traction Engines, we also have a Case portable and a Haggart Brothers Portable that was used in our community in 1906.

We hope you enjoy our site. If you are in our area, please stop by for a visit. We are on the Douglas Lake Road, turn off of Highway 97 at Westwold.

We fire all the engines up the sunday after Canadian Thanksgiving, there are added attractions on site and we would love to see you come out to enjoy our show.

Shovel buried in Germansen River