By Keith McNeill
Barbara MacPherson, a woman who spent several years as a child living in Bridge Lake, has written a book about the region known as the North Bonaparte.
Her book, The Land on Which We Live, Life on the Cariboo Plateau: 70 Mile House to Bridge Lake, came out recently and has already gathered many positive reviews and is on the B.C. best seller list.
A result of four years of work, it focuses in on the people who came to the region during the years from 1871 to 1959.
MacPherson presently lives in Nakusp with her family.
She has several readings and book-signings planned for October in this area:
• Tuesday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., reading and book-signing at at Clearwater Arts Council gallery in Dutch Lake Community Center in Clearwater.
• Wednesday, Oct 11, 3 p.m., reading and book-signing at Interlakes Hall at Bridge Lake.
• Thursday, Oct 12, 11 a.m. – book-signing at Nuthatch Books in 100 Mile House until about 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct 12, 7:00 – book-signing and reading at Clinton Museum.
• Friday, Oct 13, 12-ish – TV interview with CFJC TV’s Susan Edgell, midday@cfjctv.com.
• Saturday, Oct 14, 11 a.m., book-signing at Chapters in Kamloops.
Here is a review of McPherson’s book by Clearwater-based author Pat Ferguson:
New book gives the history of the Cariboo Plateau
By Pat Ferguson
The Land on Which We Live, Life on the Cariboo Plateau: 70 Mile House to Bridge Lake – what a fine piece of work by Barbara MacPherson. She has researched the pioneer history of the Cariboo Plateau, which began in earnest as the gold rush was petering out.
Many of the settlers were already tough, seasoned ranchers and farmers from the prairies and south of the 49th. Others were complete dudes from far and wide.
Much of the good farmland was already settled on, leaving the high plateau country for the brave and determined newcomers. They soon found the late springs and early winters quite a challenge, as the growing season was so short.
Over time the tough and resilient pulled through while the weak and unlucky faded away.
Throughout this book I ran into names of ranchers, farmers, cowboys and even relatives that I had met over the years.
I would recommend this book for compulsory reading in schools, as it would show the younger generation that people actually did survive without running water, electricity and cellphones. – Clearwater resident Pat Ferguson is the author of Gone Huntin’, Gone Huntin’ Again and Cowboys, Good Times and Wrecks.
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