In 1872, Barrington Price, an English gentleman, moved to the Similkameen Valley to take over the Hudson Bay Company’s ranch land and trading post. By 1877, he had opened a water-powered mill to turn locally grown wheat into flour, along with an associated store. The mill served settlers, First Nations, and miners traveling along the Dewdney Trail, quickly becoming an important part of the local economy.
Originally producing whole wheat flour with a single grinder, the mill upgraded in the early 1880s with new machinery from Louisville, Kentucky, allowing it to produce white flour—a cutting-edge process at the time. However, by 1885, changes in transportation and trade routes led to the mill’s closure, and the property became a family home.
In the 1940s, the upper floor was repurposed as a chicken coop and later a hay barn and artist’s studio. Decades later, careful restoration returned the mill to its 1881 layout, and today the original machinery grinds flour once again.
The Grist Mill encouraged wheat cultivation in the region, helping settlers realize the agricultural potential of the Similkameen Valley. From cattle ranching to crop production, the mill played a key role in shaping the area’s early farming history.
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If you enjoyed learning about the The Grist Mill at Keremeos, check out our other blog posts, where we explore other historic farms in BC, just like this one.