Francis Xavier Richter

:"This article is about Francis Xavier Richter, Sr. For his youngest son the MLA see Francis Xavier Richter, Jr..

Francis Xavier Richter, commonly known as Frank Richter was a pioneer settler, miner and rancher in 19th century Washington and British Columbia.

Born in Friedland, Bohemia, then part of Austria-Hungary, Richter was the son of a textile manufacturer. At the age of 15 he emigrated to Texas, and after a misadventure where he was wounded and captured by Indians, following the lure of the gold rushes westward, he came to Rich Bar, Washington and with the take from his placer claim opened a small store and operated a small riverboat. Hearing of good grazing land northwards in British Columbia, he sold out his holdings in Oregon and Washington and bought 40 head of cattle, and drove them to the Keremeos area of the Similkameen Country of British Columbia's Southern Interior in October 1864.

He pre-empted land six miles down the Similkameen from Keremeos and founded the "R" Ranch. He also worked for a while for the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Similkameen (Fort Keremeos). With his cattle business thriving he started a new ranch at what was to become Keremeos Centre, where he also operated a thriving store. In addition to an opulent new residence, Richter planted 30 acres of fruit trees on the new property, which was to become the foundation of the Similkameen's still-thriving orchard industry and, alongside the Oblate priests of Okanagan Mission, is reckoned to be the founder of BC's fruit industry. The house and the Richter household became social pillars of British Columbia society and important guests were common at the Richter ranch. Among those hosted by Richter was Earl Grey in 1908.

Eventually the Richter holdings comprised 10,000 acres (40 km²) of land and 1,500 head of cattle.

In 1910 Richter was to return to his native Austria but fell ill at a Christmas Dinner at St. Joseph's Hospital in Victoria and died within moments, of "a stroke of apoplexy".

Richter had six sons and five daughters, all of whom were accomplished musicians. For schooling the boys had to ride on horseback to Okanagan Mission and board there while attending.

Richter's youngest son, Francis Xavier Richter, Jr., was a Member of the Legislative Assembly and Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Mines in the Social Credit government of W.A.C. Bennett, representing the Similkameen riding from 1953 to 1966 and its successor riding Boundary-Similkameen from 1966 to 1975.

ee also

*Francis Xavier Richter, Jr.
*List of historic ranches in British Columbia

References

*"Encyclopedia of Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of British Columbia: Volume 2, The Similkameen, Boundary and Okanagan", T.W. Paterson, Sunfire Publications, Langley B.C. (1981) ISBN 0-88983-02-4
*"Strangers Entertained: A History of the Ethnic Groups of British Columbia", John Norris, British Columbia Centenenial '71 Committee, Evergreen Press, Vancouver (1971) (no ISBN)