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In the early 1890's, the Lambly Brothers built the Enderby Hotel on the south side of Cliff Street between Old Vernon Road and the Shuswap & Okanagan Railroad tracks. It was a two-storied structure, with a veranda on all sides. The first floor consisted of a restaurant and a bar as well as various other commercial spaces.

On February 11, 1892, the Lambly Brothers sold the land to H. Webster "Webb" Wright of the company of Wright and Lawrence, in Vernon, B.C. The sale included the hotel and five lots, partly in exchange for a ranch on the Salmon River.

Webb Wright, originally from Nova Scotia, had in the past worked as a freighter, stage driver, farmer, and lastly as a "mine host." In 1890, he "followed a freight outfit which brought two American self-binders that finally landed at Lambly's warehouse." Webb Wright continues, "I figured it out that those binders were headed for a land that grew something--and I've stuck here ever since." (The Edenograph, May 10, 1905) On March 10, 1892, The Lambly Brothers held a banquet in the hotel to celebrate the sale to Webb Wright.

As the hotel business began to boom at the turn of the century, and with such attractive features as `modern improvements' and hot and cold water, Wright was earning a tidy income of about $2000 per month from the Enderby Hotel. Milk and cream were supplied to the hotel by a fine herd of Jersey cows, and chickens were raised in a shed behind the hotel. It was these features which made this pioneer house so inviting and its meals irresistible.

With these profits (rates were as high as $1 and $2 per day), Wright was able in 1904 to make extensive improvements to the interior of the hotel. In June of this year, the Edenograph reported that "lumber is being put upon the ground and work on the Enderby Hotel annex will be started before the end of the week" (June 1, 1904). This addition was to be 90 x 40 feet, and was completed by June 15, 1904. The bottom floor became a large store room, while the second story was cut into rooms, and wired for electricity by October 5, 1904. In addition, the entire structure was painted white with green trim.

One popular character who worked at the hotel was "Pants," who was the handyman and barber. He also looked after the Jersey cows.

In early 1910, Webb Wright sold the Enderby Hotel to Mr. Coode. On April 12 of this year, a Farewell Banquet was put on by various townspeople for Mr. Wright.

The building was rented by Mr. G.E. Manning, who bought it in April 1910 from Mr. Coode. Also renting parts of the hotel was the Bank of Montreal (1905-1911) and the Union Bank (1911-1915). On December 28,1911, the Edenograph reported that Mr. Manning sold the Enderby Hotel to R.E. Best, who had been employed in the office. Mr. Best took possession of the Hotel on January 15, 1912.

By 1922, Wing Chung was running a restaurant in the bottom floor of the hotel. He had previously owned a laundry. After Wing Chung, Hong Yung rented the hotel for another restaurant which George Green remembers as the best. He doesn't know of anyone who stayed upstairs, for fear of the bed bugs. He also remembers the huge veranda surrounding the hotel, where old men would sit on benches in the shade and whittle away on pieces of wood. His mother would call these `Penitent's Benches.'

Mr. George Green's most prominent memory, however, was that of the penny-anti poker games which were always held in the kitchen. This was during the 1930's, when men needed to take their minds off of their problems.

For a short time a Mr. Abbott rented the hotel. Mr. Abbott was a `renowned naturalist,' and had a pet deer named Sandy. Sandy had a habit of feeding on the neighbors' laundry, and one time she even ate all of the decorations in the Methodist Church! Eventually Mr. Abbott was forced to take Sandy out of the town.

In the 1940's, Dick Blackburn bought the property and tore down the hotel. The lumber was used to build a barn in North Enderby.

The property was then purchased by the Ministry of Forests, and a Ranger Station was built. In 1985, the station was renovated and became the present Public Health Unit.

Mandy Daniell, Natasha Neumann, Vaughn Parkstrom
ALF School 1989