The History of Lumby - Agriculture, Forestry and Justice 

Agriculture was the mainstay of the economic structure of the early community. Logging and milling were sidelines of land clearing for cultivation. Logging became more intensive with the opening of the S.C. Smith and Norman McLeod Sawmill at Enderby in 1894, though it took some years for the effect to be felt in the Lumby area. Logs were cut as far back as Cherry Creek and Sugar Lake, floated down the Shuswap River where they were joined by logs from the Lumby area at Bessette Creek, and on to Mabel Lake where they were round up into rafts and towed fourteen miles to the mouth of the Shuswap River down to Enderby - a thirty mile distance. Many men from Lumby were employed on these river drives. The logs that did not go to the Enderby mill were bought by McGee who operated the Bessette water powered sawmill after Napoleon Sr's death.

Henry Sigalet operated a pole yard in Lumby and after the CNR came into the village in 1924, he opened a sawmill. Bell Pole of Minneapolis also opened a pole yard.

Peace and justice were handled from Vernon in the beginning, but in the first quarter of the century there was a Provincial Constable stationed in Lumby. Game Wardens and Forest Wardens, sometimes a combined position, were stationed in town and the outlying districts. Sometimes local farmers were appointed to this position

There was no local government except for a school board. All decisions that had to be made came from Victoria or through the Government Agent in Vernon. Roads and sidewalks, such as they were, were the responsibility of the Department of Public Works, forerunner of the Ministry of Highways. There were Improvement Societies from the beginning of the village to decide on co-operative effort, sometimes with a little government grant, for facilities.

Lumby's first council

A very active Community Club was always on the scene for recreational planning. The first park was on the Bessette Estate across the creek from the present curling rink.

Growing pains there must have been. Arguments, dissentions and quarrels surely flourished. The spirit of cooperation must have prevailed to bring the village through its first early years and build the community of today.