By 1901, their 800-acre (3.2 km2) orchard comprised 500 fruit trees, half apple and the rest cherry, plum, pear, and peach.

James was a justice of the peace (JP) and president of the West Kootenay Farmers' Institute.

[3] On his death in 1917, James was the owner of the largest cleared ranch in the Kootenay Valley.

[21][22] 1958: Children found a cache of blasting fuses and detonator caps at the Freedomite settlement.

Subsequently, crossings depended upon a community-owned rowboat, and later a privately owned barge and tug.

In 1955, the province installed a three-vehicle cable ferry, and moved the landing downstream to the population centre.