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Transportation
~ Bridges
~ Canals
~ Paddlewheelers
~ Roads
~ Trains
~ ~ Shuswap
Okanagan Railway
~ ~ Construction
of Railway
~ ~ Railway Station
~ ~ 1st Rolling
Stock
~ ~ Growth from
Railway
~ ~ Memories of the trains
In 1886 the Lambly Brothers completed
construction of a hotel
on a site between Mill Street and Cliff Street near the Shuswap River. The land and the
structure were sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company in 1887. The building was
moved across the tracks to the east side of Maud Street, and made into the headquarters
for the railway construction crew. In 1891, when the line was completed. it became the
Enderby Railroad Station.
The station was a big old building, having two floors. The south side of the bottom floor was the CPR office and waiting room. This part of the building also had a ticket office where the agent was. The station agent and his family lived on the north side of the bottom floor and the upper floor of the building.
The first station agent in Enderby was Jack Burnham. After Mr. Burnham retired, Mr. Joe Davison replaced him. He was followed by Messeurs Wamsley, Harry Chomat, Wathers, Dick Blumenauer, and the last agent in Enderby was Pete Litua.
Having the post office on the other side of the tracks caused some difficulties when the train came in. For example, the train would stop and the engine would be some distance south of Cliff St. This left the crossing blocked for periods of time, while the train was being loaded or unloaded. Often, because of the location, you would see people going over, between, and even under the cars to get to the post office.
On June 22, of 1906, the CPR made some very important changes to the appearance of the station property in Enderby. The narrow platform had been replaced with one that was sixteen feet wide. This new platform extended as far as Mill Street, which made it a much larger one than before. The old barn had been removed and the old fence was being taken down and replaced with a new one.
In 1911 the CPR enlarged the station again. According to the Enderby Press, they were "adding a ladies' waiting room in the south side of the ticket office. The previous one did not prove at all popular in these days of big hats and hobble skirts."
There was a second station built in 1950 after the first station had been torn down. However, this station had no living quarters for the agent and his family, just an agent's office and an area for freight. This station was torn down in the 1970s.
Malorie Nobbs
AlF School 1989