Wagon Roads and Stagecoaches

By the mid-1800s, there were still no wagon roads to speak of in the Okanagan Valley. Teams of horses and wagons would just travel along stretches of land that were free of trees, rocks, and steep hills, or they would use existing trails. The first wagon train to pass through Kelowna was the Palmer and Miller expedition in 1858. These Americans were travelling from Walla Walla, Washington, to the BC interior using the old Fur Brigade Trail. The Palmer and Miller expedition had nine wagons, each pulled by a team of oxen. The wagons were loaded with food, tools, and other goods that Palmer and Miller wanted to sell to the miners in the Cariboo. They crossed Okanagan Lake during their trip. It took 50 rafts to get all their supplies and wagons across the lake. The horses and oxen were taken around the lake using the east side trail. Travel was extremely rough for wagon trains. In some places, the wagons had to be unloaded, taken apart, carried over the rough spots, and then put back together again. In fact, the expedition was advised to stop when they reached Kamloops. They were told that the trail got worse the further north they went. So Palmer and Miller sold all their supplies in Kamloops. They even sold their oxen teams for $900 a pair. One miner was so hungry for beef that he promptly butchered one of the oxen and roasted it.