VN #038: Farwell Homestead; Farwell Canyon
Posted August 25, 2024

 

Farwell Homestead

A Beautiful Location in all Seasons

 

Farwell Canyon is a place where indigenous people have lived for generations, where rivers join both upstream and downstream; and where super-salmon come to spawn. It is a place of significance.

In 1903, settler Gordon Farwell arrived in the Chilcotin and soon after built a small homestead on one of the Chilcotin River oxbows. Situated below steep canyon walls in what is now called Farwell Canyon, reflected heat along with an abundant water supply provided incredibly rich agricultural land. Gordon, later called it the Pothole Ranch.

Earlier this month, a landslide upstream from the ranch completely blocked the Chilcotin River. A reservoir approximately 1000 meters long, 600 meters wide, and 30 meters deep formed above the landfill, which after 5 days, finally breached the dam and cascaded down the empty canyon. The force of the flooding eroded most of the ranch land and all of the homestead buildings.

Below is a sharing of images which I have made of the homestead over the years, in all seasons.

Pothole Ranch. Winter

Well built

Pothole Ranch in spring

Over a century old

Pothole Ranch. Summer

Pothole Ranch. Autumn

 

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Farwell Canyon Update:

Rita and I just visited the Farwell Canyon area to witness the changes in the landscape. As expected, when the huge reservoir of water breached the landslide dam, the torrent of water and debris completely washed away by the main homestead and surrounding ranch land.

By comparing the last two images above with the image below, the extent of erosion can easily be seen.

Where Farwell’s ranch and homestead once stood for over 100 years

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