Frank Richter, Sr.
Franz Xavier Richter, commonly known as Frank Richter (1837 –1910), was a pioneer settler, miner and rancher in 19th century Washington and British Columbia.
Born in Friedland, Bohemia, then part of Austria-Hungary, Richter was the son weaver and farmer at Mildenau. At the age of 16 he emigrated to Galveston, Texas, and after a misadventure where he was wounded and captured by Indians, following the lure of the gold rushes westward, he came to Rich Bar, Washington and with the take from his placer claim opened a small store and operated a small riverboat. Hearing of good grazing land northwards in British Columbia, he sold out his mine holdings in Washington and bought 42 head of cattle with a man by the name of King, and they drove them to the Cawston area south of the Keremeos whichis located in the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia's Southern Interior in October 1864.
He pre-empted land six miles (10 km) down the Similkameen Valley from Keremeos and founded the "R" Ranch. He also worked for a while for the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Similkameen (Fort Keremeos). With his cattle business thriving he sold his the "R" ranch and started a new ranch on which is now known as the Richter Pass. In 1898 he purchased another property at Keremeos Centre, where he also operated a thriving store. In addition to an opulent new residence, Richter planted 30 acres (120,000 m2) of fruit trees on the new property, which was to become the foundation of the Similkameen's still-thriving orchard industry and, alongside the Oblate priests of Okanagan Mission, is reckoned to be the founder of BC's fruit industry. The house and the Richter household became social pillars of British Columbia society and important guests were common at the Richter ranch. Among those hosted by Richter was Earl Grey in 1908.
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