Louis Christien

Louis Christien

BIRTH:  June 14th, 1835 (St. Anicet, QB)
DEATH:  1911 (Lumby, BC)

  • Discovered gold in Cherry Creek with William Poen.
  • Moved back to St. Anicet to marry Celina Quesnel.
  • Mentioned as one who helped build bridge over the Shuswap.
  • Bought the Ramshorn Hotel from his son-in-law.


Louis Christien was born in St. Anicet and was known to be living in the Okanagan Valley by 1862. In 1877 on March 6th, he apparently applied for preemption on the Coldstream Upper Meadows. When George LeBlanc filed for the same land, he specified it was formerly Louis Christien's.

In 1874 Christien returned to St. Anicet to marry Celina Quesnel. In 1875 a daughter named Delphine was born and in 1878 another daughter, Levina. Their only son Charles Joseph was born in 1880 and is said to be the first white child to be born in White Valley.

The Christien Family moved back to St. Anicet where a third daughter, Edna, was born in 1882. In 1891 they moved back to Lumby and lived in "that white house on the Bessette Estate." The Christiens then moved in 1892 into the Village of Lumby, to a house near the bridge, across from the Auto Parts Store. Louis then bought the Ramshorn Hotel from his son-in-law where he moved with his wife Celina. The ownership of the hotel was still in his name in 1911 when Louis passed away, a victim of cancer.


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