History of Graham River Farm September 5, 2008

History of Graham River Farm

Graham River Farm is a beautiful 600 acre piece of land bordered on the south side by the swiftly flowing Graham River.  The closest town, Fort St John, BC, which is near the beginning of the Alaska Highway, is a two-hour drive – about 95 miles from the farm.  The land is treed with poplars, spruce, a few tamaracks, and cottonwoods by the river.  A series of plateaued fields slope downwards to a flat central area by the river, where the central buildings still stand.

The land was partially cleared in the 50’s by a rancher.  In the Spring of 1972, a small group of Christians arrived to look at the property, and it was purchased by one of them, John Vander Ploeg, for 15,000.  The goal of these people was to build their own houses, grow their own food, eat, live, and worship together.  They built log cabins with spruce logs harvested on site.  They tilled the fields and raised amazing vegetables and bountiful crops of grain.  Animals provided eggs, milk, and meat, and the fall harvest always included a number of wild animals – moose, elk, deer, and bear.  An airstrip was built.  The numbers grew quickly, and community guidelines became a list of rules.  The Vanderploueghs wanted out, and asked the farm for their money back, and then some.  Of course there was no money on the farm, so the men went to work fighting fires, planting trees, and whatever else they could find to raise the money to purchase the farm.  After this incident, in the early 80’s, the remaining residents formed the Graham River Christian Society so that no single person could own the land or control the farm’s destiny again.

At this point, there were just under 200 people living on the property.  The cabins were concentrated in a small space around a central area, known as “the courtyard”, where the two principle buildings sat – the tabernacle, and the school.  The tabernacle was a long, low-ceiling log building with a large kitchen, and dining hall, and a bell at the top to summon people to eat.  The school was built afterwards and by that time the farm had purchased a sawmill.  It was two story post-and-beam construction with rough vertical siding.  In addition to a school, it was also where meetings were held every  Sunday morning and  Wednesday evening.  None of the cabins had indoor plumbing, running water, or electricity, although the farm ran a generator which supplied power to the main buildings during the day.  There was no bridge to the farm.  In the summer, a large tractor and wagon transported passengers and goods across the river.  Those in need of service honked their horns and waited fifteen minutes (hopefully).  In the winter, an ice bridge was built and vehicles could be driven across.  Certain times of the year were tricky.  In the spring, a blue boat dubbed “Morning Glory” with a small engine ferried people across the swiftly-flowing water.  Some days, there was no crossing at all.

Near the end of the 80’s, there was a mass exodus, and when the dust settled, no one was left.  Several couples acted as caretakers, coming out on week-ends to check on the place. One day when no one was around, an angry former resident came on to the property and lit fire to many of the large buildings.   The tabernacle, school, large barns, and several cabins burned to the ground.

In the early 90’s, a small group of people had a dream to revive Graham River Farm.  The dream of this group of musicians was to found a music school on the property, and “The Shepherd’s School of Music” was formed.  One of the leaders of this group was a woman who had also been part of Graham’s founding days, Ethelwyn Davison.  Classically trained, a former guest vocalist with the Philadelphia Harmonic Orchestra, and a vocal teacher, Mrs. Davison was passionate about music.  The school took off like lightning.  Young people came from all over, and the men on the farm could scarcely build fast enough to house them.  Two-story houses were built at this time, and none were ever completed.  The farm was a hodge-podge of two different generations.  Music lessons took place in the old cabins all around the farm.

Towards the end of the 90’s, the community again began to decline.  In 2001, Mrs Davison was diagnosed with cancer.  Her youngest son, David Smith and his wife, Susan and their four children, William, Megan, Alex and Allison, moved from Fort St John to take care of her.  She died in 2002, survived by her husband, Durill Davison.  Shortly after her death, the Board of Directors for the Graham River Christian Society decided to sell the property, and told the few remaining families that they needed to move.  “The farm has reached its critical mass.  It can only go downhill from here,” were the words of one board member.  David Smith and his family, as well as David’s father and the other families who were still living at Graham River Farm, refused to move, as the Board had no legal right to sell the farm without the sgreement of all the members of the society.  In 2003, several people filed a court order freezing the sale of the farm, and after three years of back and forth between the lawyers, a sale price was negotiated.  In 2006, the Board agreed to sell the property for $250,000.  Dave, Sue, and four others formed the non-profit society “South Fork Christian Society”, to purchase the land so that it would not be an asset owned by an individual, but that many people could enjoy it.

Graham River Farm Today

The Smith family has lived here alone since Fall 2002.  William is now 17, Megan is 15, Allison is 12, and Alex is 10.  Sue homeschools the four children in addition to caretaking a farm and bookkeeping for their business, Cimarron Camp Services.  The previous residents had begun a camp in the late 90’s to provide housing for oilfield workers in the area, but the business was poorly run, and was operating in the red.  Dave and Sue have built the business into a profitable enterprise, providing their family’s income as well as putting money into the Society.

There is great deal of clean-up to do from two generations of failed communal efforts, but there is also much history.  It is not a question of recreating the past, but envisioning the future.  Dave and Sue do not see this property as their own, but their dream is for it to be used for a positive purpose, and envision a retreat center in the future.  Their gift for hospitality has formed relationships with many people who are interested in this idea. We feel fortunate to be here, and are excited to see what lies ahead for Graham River Farm.

Dave and Sue Smith with their dog, Casper