Bx Ranch - Bernard's Express

In the Okanagan today, most people have cars to travel city to city on the Highway. In the late 1800's Bernard's Express was a well known operation controlling transport of people and goods where trains and ships did not go.

In the 19th century the most common form of transportation was horse and buggy. There were other transportation companies operating around the province, Robert Parmley's Dray & Express in Penticton for example, but one particular company ruled the transportation system of horse and buggy west of the rocky mountains - BX Ranch - Bernard's Express. Located in Priest Valley which is modern day Vernon, BX Ranch, also known as Barnard's Express, opened in 1862 and started exclusively as a post office. They operated all around the province and were responsible for transporting people and mail.

Bernard Express at Yale

"In 1860, Francis Barnard began ranching five miles east of present-day Vernon. The name BX was applied to the ranch after Barnard had established the B.C. Express and Stage Line, more commonly known as Barnard's Express. Barnard had come to Yale, B.C. from Quebec in search of gold. Like others, he found a more reliable income in providing services to the mining towns. He obtained a mail delivery contract to the Interior, first on foot, then by pony, and finally by a full-scale freight and passenger service. In 1868, he sent his foreman and senior driver Steve Tingley, to New Mexico where he purchased 400 horses and drove them back to the BX Ranch. These horses became the breeding stock from which Barnard drew the horses needed on the stagecoaches and freight wagons. The run from Cache Creek to Priest's Valley and Okanagan Mission operated until the the completion of the Okanagan branch of the CPR in 1892. The Cariboo run survived until 1917 and the opening of the PGE railway."

Bernard Express and Stage Office in Barkerville, B.C.

For more information and pictures of the time; This first link is to the Royal BC Museum You Tube channel and a clip from "this week in history". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbX17vHU0ys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnard%27s_Express#Sternwheeler_routes_and_fares

For a 2 page pdf download with more info on the BX Express Co. click the link below; https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/PDF/Museum/May-2019-Newsletter-BC-Express-Co.-PDF.pdf Okanagan Historical Society Reports articles:

BX Ranch

The BCRDH site has several photos of the BX Ranch including the Ranch itself from various viewpoints and the carriage barns for the coaches (page 51 and 52). https://bcrdh.ca/islandora/object/gvma%3Aphotographs?page=51 as well as a few of the coaches themselves, in use.

|For info about the the importance of cowboys and horses in general, check out our blog post.