Bridesville Community Hall was the venue on Saturday, Aug. 24 for a fascinating talk on local history by Ken Favrholdt, Osoyoos Museum executive director and curator, and a highly enjoyable concert by Johnny Cash tribute singer Gary Kehoe. Peregrine Studios sponsored the event.
Favrholdt explained how the early history of Bridesville and Sidley on the Canadian side was closely connected with Molson over in Washington State.
Back in the early days, when these communities were founded, the border was far more open than it is now.
Ken said one theory why Anarchist Mountain got its name was because Richard Sidley, the original Canadian customs officer and postmaster in Sidley, had radical political views. Bridesville was named after David McBride, who built a hotel in what became Bridesville.
Ken also mentioned that famous U.S. Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman visited Osoyoos in 1883 and met John Carmichael Haynes, the Osoyoos customs officer.
“Johnny Cash Equivalent” Gary Kehoe took his audience through a succession of Johnny Cash’s greatest hits such as Walk The Line, A Boy Named Sue, and Ring of Fire, as well as the Gospel song Will the Circle be Unbroken.
He also showed photos of Johnny Cash’s life and told some stories about the legendary singer. Because he brought Johnny Cash’s songs to life so well, Gary was so popular that his audience didn’t want him to stop.