Allison, Charles Enoch, Sr. “Charlie Sr.”
Millie (Price) Allison (c.1875-1951)
Father: John Fall Allison
Mother: Nora Yakumtikum (xil xatkw) Allison
Son: Allison, Charles, Jr. “Charlie, Jr.” (1894-1981)
Charles “Charlie” Allison was born around 1868. He was the third child of John Fall Allison and Nora Yakumtikum (xil xatkw). He married Millie Price. He died on August 8, 1913 at Chuchuwayha.
He was the Chief of the Upper Similkameen Indian Band (Upper Smelqmix).
In May 1900, he won the saddle horse, pony, and prospector’s saddle horse races at the Queen’s Birthday celebrations in Princeton.
At the 1901 Dominion Day celebrations in Princeton Charlie Allison and his horse “Bess” took 2nd in the quarter mile open race.
Charlie Allison had a ranch about six miles below 20-Mile (1902).
In March 1938, the Similkameen Star ran an article “Played Square in Early Days: Gambled from Morn Till Night But Never For The House, Say Old Timers.” Included is an anecdote about how in 1902, Charlie Allison “recovered all the Hedley boys’ losses” from a “slick gentleman” who had appeared in Hedley.
The Princeton Labor Day celebrations in 1907 saw Charlie’s “speedy chestnut horse” win the big racing event of the day.
When he died in 1913, the Similkameen Star noted that he was “a well known and respected citizen of the Similkameen…and he had many friends and his tillicums will miss him very sorely.”
Princeton 100 Years, page 90; Princeton BC (1979) – Laurie Currie, page 92; Death registration (BC Archives); Similkameen Star, May 26, 1900, page 1; July 6, 1901, page 1; September 4, 1907, page 1; August 22, 1913, page 2; Princeton Star, February 3, 1922, page 3; Similkameen Star, March 10, 1938, page 3