James W. Brown interview [sound recording]

Summary: Pt.1: Biographical information; February 1908, family moved to bench above Robson; 11 acres covered in jack pine; bought from Kootenay Fruit Lands (KFL); agents of KFL were McDermott and McHardy; Waldie partner; KFL to put in water; KFL tried twice, then declared bankruptcy; father carried water from bottom; anecdote about water; bench abandoned; father bought lot in Robson; 100 people in Robson; father's work; Robson Farmers' Institute; feed buying through the institute; Harvey's land; Truit family and house; Joe Burfield property; Quance property; syndicate lots; McAndrew property; anecdote about getting land from McAndrew; dentist named Maybe; Ralf Funnel's property; anecdote about 1929 motorcycle trip; Maybe property and Norcoff; orchards' inability to support people; Dr. Tellford J. Norman, Deputy Minister of Health in Alberta, retired to Nelson. The interview continues with an anecdote about Dr. Norman's practice; Independent Doukhobors buy land; Calder in South Africa buys land; dynamiting to plant trees; trees from nurseries; packing trees; types of orchards; varieties of fruit; dynamiting anecdote; Hedley's orchard; anecdote about steep lots; buying land sight unseen; owners of Robson townsite; Vining from Brandon College; father looked after several orchards for absentee owners; father hired as packing house manager; early fruit shipped from farms; Dominion Express; make-up of trains; buyers of Robson Fruit; fruit brokers and Okanagan United Fruit Growers; father has name changed from Robson East to Robson West; Hartfords from England; anecdote about Grechouse; school and church property; Foster and Jordan property; anecdote about blasting stumps; Fowler place and family.