Mrs. Hill’s Café

In 1919, Bill and Mettie Hill were heading back from Tacoma Washington from visiting family to Galahad, Alberta and decided to come through the Osoyoos Customs and on up through “The Soldier’s Settlement” which is what Oliver was known as. They stopped to say hello to the Skelton’s and were so taken with the area that they went back to Galahad and sold the farm and came back to Oliver. By this time four of their daughters were married; Bessie, Nora, Grace and Mary. They brought the rest of the family with them: Gert, Dode, Ruth, Bill Jr., Jesse (known as Ole) and Lawrence (known as Half-Pint).

Bill bought a lot next to the Norton family up past the United Church and he bought land south of town across from the Silviculture now there. He built a house on both lots and farmed the land south of town. The family lived in the house by the Norton’s and Bill rented out the farmhouse to his caretaker. He was also a brick mason and laid the foundation for the United Church. Eventually he built a new home for Mettie behind and below the restaurant.

Bill hired a man to build a restaurant on Main Street (the site of the Interior Credit Union today). They called it Mrs. Hill’s Café. It wasn’t long before it was up and running and Mettie was kept very busy with the men working on the Ditch. Mettie was known for her incredible Meat Pie. She served fish fresh from the river and rabbit as well as many other fine dishes. She was also known for her beautiful pies of all kinds.

In a room off the restaurant Mettie had a small confectionary with beautiful chocolates in little fluted cups and all kinds of candy. Her grandchildren loved going to see her because she would always take them into that little room and let them pick out their treats.

Mettie set a very fine table with crisp white linen tablecloths and shining silver cutlery complete with fresh white cloth napkins. She always wore a black dress and a clean white apron. Her restaurant was immaculate at all times.

Mettie could never turn anyone away who came looking for a meal and many a time she fed a roomful of workers without getting a nickel from them. However, most of them would cut wood and wash dishes to help out and when they had money they would come and pay her. Some of the men even worked for Bill after their shift was over on the Ditch. One of her first patrons was Frank Venables. Frank and Vera lived south of town and Frank said he had enough money on him for a bowl of soup as the crew was working late…Mettie would not hear of it and fed him her best meat pie! Frank washed the dishes that night and the two became good friends.

The family ate most of their meals at the restaurant as well, what with Mettie and the girls there all the time. Eventually Bill Jr. went back to Galahad, met a girl and got married. Jesse and Lawrence chopped wood and raised rabbits for the restaurant until they were old enough to find paying jobs.

Mettie ran the restaurant until 1946 and then finally sold out because she was getting tired. Bill had passed away in 1933 and all her girls were married as well as the boys. She happily retired to her new house down below. Lorne White bought the place from Mettie and had meat lockers.

At the time that Mettie had her restaurant, there was a butcher shop on Main Street, run by Billy Raincock and a grocery store that had moved from the east side of the river at the camp, the S. O. Supply Company, run by Sandy MacPherson. It was beside the Bank of Commerce. There was R.W. Smith’s drug store, and Vic Fairweather’s second hand store. After a few years, Fairweather began to expand into more and more new items, until it became the hardware store everyone was so familiar with.

J.K. Anderson had a grocery store on the side street across from the Hill’s restaurant. Collen’s had a clothing store. The Oliver hotel was brought in to Oliver in pieces. My Uncle Lawrence remembers Harry Fairweather renting rooms in his hotel when there was no roof on the building yet.

I have no memory of Mettie’s restaurant but I do remember visiting her in her home. Sandy and I would go with Mom and Dad to visit and Mettie always wanted us to dance for her, which we did. She had a huge cookie jar filled with chocolate chip cookies and glasses of ice cold milk for us. My Dad always cut her hair for her so we would do our dancing, and while she got a haircut, we had our cookies and milk…then we would stay for a while so Mom and Dad could visit with her.

Mettie was my great grandmother, born Feb. 22 1870 in Eagle Point Wisconsin. My great grandfather Bill was born Oct 28, 1861 in Hillsboro, Wisconsin….named for his family. They were married May 18 1885 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and moved to Detroit Lakes and Barnesville, Minnesota soon after where they lived until coming across the border to Galahad, Alberta in 1906 and on to Oliver in 1919. Bill passed away November 13, 1933 in Penticton and is buried there and Mettie passed away in Oliver May 2 1952 and is buried with most of her family in the Oliver Cemetery.

I am proud of my heritage and the fact that our family were pioneers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alberta and our beautiful little town of Oliver. I know so many of you are also of pioneer stock and know the pride you feel!