Kuskonook sits on the south end of Kootenay Lake and is home to some lovely vistas. Slow down for the many deer and wild turkeys. The highway winds through the quaint south end of Kootenay Lake communities of Boswell and Kuskonook, providing dramatic vistas of towering mountains and sparkling water.
Early settlers usually came from England or Scotland. There were many homesteads because of the temperate climate where fruit growing became the major industry. There were no roads at the time and everything was shipped in by paddle wheeler. With the abundance of fruit and the slow access to the markets the communities decided to build a jam factory to process the more perishable fruit, while apples and cherries were shipped to the US and other areas.
Due to the nearness of the lake, the mild climate and small population, Boswell and Kuskonook offer a quiet welcoming home for those who want peace and tranquillity.
There are several places to launch your boat, like the Kuskanook Harbour so come and do some fishing.
History of Kuskanook, and the South end of Kootenay Lake:
Before European settlement of the area, Kuskanook was used extensively by the Yaqan Nukiy people of the Ktunaxa First Nation for sustenance and trade. To learn more about Yaqan Nukiy history, visit their website here.
The site of Kuskanook became a town in its own right and was booming in 1898 during the CPR expansion and the era of sternwheeler. It was to be a short-lived boom however, as most of the town’s 2 dozen or more buildings were destroyed in a massive fire in March 1900. The post office continued to operate until 1918, but the site never returned to it’s former glory, and was largely abandoned for much of the mid 20th century.
To learn more about the site and the history of the area, visit the Creston Museum.
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