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 The Flour Mill - Enderby, BC Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 50° 33.052 W 119° 08.186
11U E 348651 N 5602060
This short history lesson, along the riverside walking trail in Enderby, recounts a bit of the history of the town's first, though not last, flour mill. Though it was on the river bank, it does not say what method was used to power the mill.
Waymark Code: WM1808Y
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 05/01/2023
Views: 0
" In 1887 a five-story roller mill was established on the banks of the river, designed to mill the large acreage of wheat being grown on ranches to the south of Enderby. The flour was shipped by paddle wheeler to the mainline in Sicamous, a rather unreliable transport in the fall and winter. R.P. Rithet, owner of the flour mill, and Moses Lumby, owner of a large ranch to the south, became major shareholders in a company proposing to build a railroad line connecting Okanagan Landing with the mainline in Sicamous."
The above, from the Enderby & District Museum & Archives, is accompanied by the photo below, which depicts the The Columbia Flouring Mill, ca. 1892. The steam plant to the right of the mill indicates it to be very likely driven by one or more steam engines.
THE FLOUR MILL
Messrs. Lawes and Rashdale built a five storey roller mill on this site in 1885 [or 1887 - see the link below]. Using the latest technology the mill produced a fine white flour as opposed to the courser brown flour produced by Okanagan grist mills. Large farms in Spallumcheen supplied the wheat. It was hoped that this mill would help make British Columbia self-sufficient in flour. Previously flour was imported from the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
The mill became the first major employer for the newly settled community. Problems getting the finished product to the CPR mainline at Sicamous meant they were soon bankrupt. The new owner, R.P. Rithet of Victoria, persuaded the provincial government to provide the first subsidy for a railway in British Columbia. It connected Sicamous with Okanagan Landing. He made sure that the newly laid tracks went right through his flour mill thus improving his ability to get product to market.
By 1905, this mill shipped the first Canadian flour to Japan. Its main product, Moffet's Best, was named for the mill manager. It was a landmark on the riverbank for forty years. Competition from prairie mills and Mr. Rithet's financial problems closed the mill in 1914.
From the Historical Marker by the trail
Type of Marker: Cultural
Type of Sign: Historic Site or Building Marker
Describe the parking that is available nearby: Parking is available just off the south end of the trail and at Regent Avenue, about 500 feet north.
What Agency placed the marker?: City of Enderby
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