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Cornelius O'Keefe was a visionary. He started his ranch in 1866 and was the first to open a general store on his property. He united the scattered settlers in the area and got them to petition the Canadian government for a post office. They succeeded and on August 6, 1872 it was announced in the Victoria Colonist that O'Keefe "had made temporary arrangements with Mr. Barnard for a weekly mail service to Kamloops and the Okanagan."
The post office was built on the O'Keefe ranch and on August 14, 1872, O'Keefe became the postmaster. It was a position he had for 40 years. Because the post office was located on the ranch, the weekly stage coach that ran from Cache Creek on the wagon road from Fort Kamloops, stopped at the ranch. It was a hub of activity and a place where settlers could gather, pick up their mail, and shop at the general store.
Several generations of O'Keefes' were raised on the ranch, and 100 years after it was first created, family still lived there. The family has moved out now and when you visit today you will discover some of the oldest buildings in the Okanagan Valley. They have been preserved and are part of the O'Keefe Ranch heritage site.
Take a stroll through the ranch and its buildings and imagine what it was like in the 1800s as Cornelius O'Keefe began to build his legacy. The ranch celebrated 150 years on June 15, 2016. Learn more by visiting their website.