how did the fraser river gold rush start

When did the Fraser Canyon gold rush start?

The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush and Fraser River Gold Rush) began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River a few miles upstream from the Thompson's confluence with the Fraser River at present-day Lytton.

What was the first gold rush in British Columbia?

Fraser River Gold Rush. In 1858, around 30,000 gold seekers flooded the banks of the Fraser River from Hope to just north of Lillooet in British Columbia’s first significant gold rush.

Why is the Fraser River important to British Columbia?

The Fraser River was the site of the first gold discovery in British Columbia. This started what was referred to as the Fraser River gold rush which brought in miners from California and other places across the world. Today the river and its creeks still have gold waiting to be discovered by prospectors.

What is the significance of the mining town of Fraser?

Located just near the Confluence of the Fraser River and the Thompson River, the mining town was an important gold mining center during the Fraser River gold rush days.

Who started the Fraser River gold rush?

the FRASER RIVER GOLD RUSH – 1858 In the spring of 1858, James Douglas sent 800 ounces of gold to the San Francisco Mint knowing what word of the gold's arrival would trigger. There are no secrets in a gold town and the supervisor of the mint was also a prominent member of the San Francisco volunteer fire department.

Where does Fraser River gold come from?

About 80 per cent of the miners came from California. Yale, just downriver from Nlaka'pamux territory and formerly an HBCtrading post, was quickly transformed into a cultural centre similar to 1850s San Francisco. The richest discoveries of fine flour gold occurred between Hope and Yale in the Fraser Canyon.

What was the impact of the Fraser River gold rush?

Others were from Britain, Canada, and other parts of Europe. 30 000 gold seekers moved into the Fraser River area between 1858 and 1870, and the impact on the local First Nations was huge. Salmon stocks were depleted by new settlers fishing for food. Mining led to road building, and the construction of boom toons.

How much gold was found in the Fraser River?

The Fraser River has been a source of placer gold for more than 150 years. The Department of Mines of British Columbia reported a yield of $28,983,106 in the period from 1860 to 1869. This placer gold at today's price would be worth more than 290 million dollars.

Where is the most gold found in BC?

The Cariboo is the richest placer area in BC. It lies east of the city of Quesnel, with most of the famous creeks around and between the towns of Wells (near the historic town of Barkerville) and the village of Likely. The history is wonderful and there are a lot of gold-bearing creeks.

Why is there so much gold on the Fraser River?

The gold rush led to the growth of mining towns along the Fraser River, and this same region still produces gold today. Gold is found throughout the river system, but there are a few noteworthy locations where rich deposits were first discovered.

How long did the gold rush last in BC?

The Cariboo Gold Rush (1861–67) is British Columbia's most famous gold rush. "Prospecting for Alluvial Gold" William Hind 1864 painting." "Prospecting for Alluvial Gold" William Hind 1864 painting." The Cariboo Gold Rush took place in the remote, isolated Cariboo Mountains region between approximately 1861 and 1867.

When did the BC gold rush start?

Cariboo gold rush, Canadian gold rush that took place in the remote, isolated Cariboo Mountains region of British Columbia between 1860 and 1863. It began when prospectors drawn from the Fraser River gold rush discovered gold on the Horsefly River.

Where is Fraser gold located?

British ColumbiaFraser Canyon Gold RushThe New Eldorado: "A Complete View of the Newly Discovered Goldfields"Duration1858 – c. 1927LocationFraser Canyon, British ColumbiaTypeGold rush

Can you pan for gold on the Fraser?

A great place to learn about BC's gold rush history is at the Fort Langley National Historic Site, but bold and enterprising prospectors-to-be can also try panning for gold on the Fraser themselves.

Where can I find gold in BC?

The following are recreational gold panning reserves that have been set aside for gold panners in the province: Barnes Creek, Cayoosh Creek, Erickson, Coldstream, Hope, Kennedy River, Kettle River, Lytton-Site 1, Lytton-Site 2, Princeton, Spruce Creek, Quesnel-Fraser River, Wild Horse River, and Yaletown.

How did the Fraser River gold rush affect Aboriginal people?

The Fraser River gold rush replaced the fur trade as the dominant B.C. industry, bringing with it secondary industries such as coal mining, forestry, and fishing. These boom-economy changes resulted in a short period of prosperity, but by the middle of the 1860’s the colonies were in a recession.

What were the Aboriginal people's experiences during the Gold Rush?

Aboriginal people were physically attacked, evicted from their traditional lands, and were subjected to poor working conditions in the gold mines or excluded from the gold rush profits altogether . The experience of Aboriginal people during the Fraser Canyon gold rush was no better.

What was Governor Douglas' concern about the gold rush?

Another concern for Douglas, was the influx of mostly American miners would result in an “anti-British element” in the area leading to the annexation of the mainland to the United States. To prevent this from happening, a second crown colony was created on the mainland in 1858, the colony of British Columbia.

How many people participated in the California gold rush?

The majority of the miners were from the California gold rush of 1848, although their were some from Britain, Canada, and other parts of Europe. More than 300,000 people had participated in the California gold rush (1848-1855).

What was Yale's role in the Cariboo Gold Rush?

During the Cariboo gold rush, Yale was the starting point for transportation on the Cariboo Wagon Road. The Cariboo gold rush spurred the need for a road to be built to the Cariboo regions, and, in 1862, Yale was to become mile zero of the new road being installed by the Royal Engineers.

What was the first bridge in the West?

The next few miles north of Yale consisted of a varying and challenging landscape. Near Yale was Alexandra Suspension Bridge, the first bridge of its type in the west. Forty-four miles north of Yale lay the steepest ascent on the wagon road where travellers climbed far up Jackass Mountain.

When did the First Nations get gold?

First Nations miners were the first to pull gold from the mighty and turbulent Fraser River in 1857. Gold had accumulated in the river bars of the Fraser for many thousands of years, and once the First Nations people of the area realized how valuable this element was to the British, they began to mine it and trade their gold for other supplies.

How many miners were there in 1858?

Library and Archives Canada, R9266-3470, Peter Winkworth Collection of Canadiana. In 1858, approximately 30,000 miners, many of them Americans, flocked to the shores of the Fraser River in search of gold.

Why did the British create the colony of British Columbia?

In response to this influx, Britain created the colony of British Columbia, formerly the mainland district of New Caledonia, so that British law and authority could be maintained in the region. The arrival of large numbers of miners resulted in numerous conflicts with local First Peoples, particularly the Salish and Chilcotin.

Where were the most productive diggings?

The most productive diggings were in the lower Fraser Valley; miners who were not part of the dominant culture — notably Chinese miners, many of whom had arrived directly from Hong Kong — established diggings in more remote locations beyond Yale.

Where was the Gold Rush?

Duration. 1858 – c. 1927. Location. Fraser Canyon, British Columbia. Type. Gold rush. The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush and Fraser River Gold Rush) began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River a few miles upstream from the Thompson's confluence with ...

What were the people who came to the Gold Rush?

During the gold rush tens of thousands of prospectors from California flooded into the newly declared Colony of British Columbia and disrupted the established balance between the Hudson's Bay Company 's fur traders and indigenous peoples. The influx of prospectors included numerous European Americans and African Americans, Britons, Germans, English Canadians, Maritimers, French Canadians, Scandinavians, Italians, Belgians and French, and other European ethnicities, Hawaiians, Chinese, Mexicans, West Indians, and others. Many of those first-arrived of European and British origin were Californian by culture, and this included Maritimers such as Amor De Cosmos and others. The numbers of "Americans" associated with the gold rush must be understood to be inherently European-ethnic to start with. Anglo-American Southerners and New Englanders were well represented. Alfred Waddington, an entrepreneur and pamphleteer of the gold rush later infamous for the disastrous road-building expedition which led to the Chilcotin War of 1864, estimated there were 10,500 miners on the Fraser at the peak of the gold rush. This estimate was based on the Yale area and did not include the non-mining "hangers-on" population.

What was the cause of the Fraser Canyon War?

During the fall of 1858 , tensions increased between miners and the Nlaka'pamux, the First Nations people of the Canyon. This led to the Fraser Canyon War. Miners wary of venturing upriver beyond Yale began to use the Lakes Route to Lillooet instead, prompting Douglas to contract for the building of the Douglas Road, the Mainland Colony's first public works project. The governor arrived in Yale to accept the apologies of the Americans who had waged war on the natives. Wanting to make the British military and governmental presence more visible, Douglas appointed justices of the peace and also revised the slapdash mining rules which had emerged along the river. Troops to maintain order, however, were still in short supply.

What was the gold rush in 1927?

Though the rush was largely over by 1927, miners from the rush spread out and found a sequence of other gold fields throughout the British Columbia Interior and North, most famously that in the Cariboo. The rush is credited with instigating European-Canadian settlement on the mainland of British Columbia. It was the catalyst for the founding of the Colony of British Columbia, the building of early road infrastructure, and the founding of many towns.

What was the largest town in the Goldfields?

The Fraser Canyon War did not affect the upper reaches of the goldfields, in the area of Lillooet, and the short-lived popularity of the Douglas Road caused the town to be designated "the largest town north of San Francisco and west of Chicago ", with an estimated population of 16,000. This title was also briefly held by Port Douglas, Yale, and later on by Barkerville .

How many miners were there in the gold rush?

Alfred Waddington, an entrepreneur and pamphleteer of the gold rush later infamous for the disastrous road-building expedition which led to the Chilcotin War of 1864, estimated there were 10,500 miners on the Fraser at the peak of the gold rush.

What was the rush of 1820?

The rush is credited with instigating European-Canadian settlement on the mainland of British Columbia. It was the catalyst for the founding of the Colony of British Columbia, the building of early road infrastructure, and the founding of many towns.

What happened in the Fraser River Gold Rush?

Beginning that spring, the Fraser River Gold Rush unleashed a chain of events that culminated a dozen years later in British Columbia joining the new Canadian Confederation (see British Columbia and Confederation).

Who was the fur trader who governed the colony of Vancouver Island?

Sir James Douglas , a fur trader who governed the colony of Vancouver Island, acted on his own initiative to keep the gold rush from spinning out of control, but he could do so for only so long. On 2 August 1858, Britain declared the mainland a separate British colony, named British Columbia, with Douglas in charge.

What was the most important event in British Columbia's history?

The year 1858 is the single most important year in British Columbia’s history. It was on 2 August of that year that an imperial act established the mainland colony of BC under the authority of Governor James Douglas. Beginning that spring, the Fraser River Gold Rush unleashed a chain of events that culminated a dozen years later in British Columbia joining the new Canadian Confederation (see British Columbia and Confederation). Without 1858, it is very possible there would have been no British Columbia, but rather an American state. Without 1858, Canada today might not extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

What happened in 1858?

It was on 2 August of that year that an imperial act established the mainland colony of BC under the authority of Governor James Douglas. Beginning that spring, the Fraser River Gold Rush unleashed a chain of events that culminated a dozen years later in British Columbia joining the new Canadian Confederation ( see British Columbia and Confederation ). Without 1858, it is very possible there would have been no British Columbia, but rather an American state. Without 1858, Canada today might not extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

What was the long term future of the United Colony of British Columbia?

The long-term future of the United Colony of British Columbia became much debated. Most of those of British background favoured the existing situation. Arrivals from within British North America looked to entry into the new Canadian Confederation, created in 1867 out of the three British colonies of the Province of Canada (which became Ontario and Quebec ), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Others sought annexation to the United States ( see Annexation Association ).

How did the fur trade affect the Fraser River Gold Rush?

Although it ended in the mid-1860s, the Fraser River Gold Rush had a significant impact on the Indigenous peoples that lived there and it resulted in the Fraser Canyon War.

How many miners travelled up the Fraser River?

Between the May and June, over 10,000 American miners (mainly European descent, but also contained Chinese and others) travelled by boat up the Fraser River to get to the at the time popular Fraser River Gold Rush.

What was the cause of the Fraser Canyon War?

The Fraser Canyon War was war waged by mainly white American gold miners against the Nlaka'pamux Indigenous people of the Fraser Canyon in the June of 1858. The war commenced when the white American miners being only men, arrived as part of the Fraser River Gold Rush in 1858, invaded Nlaka’pamux territories by mining the gold in their portion of the land which led to conflicts in defense of their territories and efforts to drive them by force from their claims. Motivated by addiction for gold, American miners created military companies and carried out violent attacks on Nlaka’pamux communities.

What is the Fraser River Basin?

The Fraser River Basin is a vast area, containing rich natural resources and is also a home to many people. The natural gifts of the land stem from the Fraser River, is said to be a source of life that has always connected First Nations, as it has said to do the same to many people in the province today.

What were the causes of the Chilcotin War?

These issues stated above including the Fur Trade and ownerships of land led to conflicts between First Nations and Europeans settlers in the Tsilhqot’in traditional territory which also led to the Chilcotin War of 1864. These conflicts were mainly between two groups including members of the Tsilhqot'in people in British Columbia and white road construction workers.

Why did the British decide to make British Columbia a colony?

"Fears that the massive influx of American miners would lead the United States to annex the non-sovereign British territory known as New Caledonia also resulted in the founding of British Columbia as a colony on 2 August 1858." Meaning that because of the fear Canada had of an annexation from America because of the American Miners that came from there, the British decided to make British Columbia a British colony so that the annexation from America could be prevented since they joined the country (more military strength). British Columbia also joined Confederation so that it take on debt to pay for the building of roads and other infrastructure. It would also provide a measure of security and ensure the continuation of the British nature of the colony.

What is the common theme of First Nations?

However, one unifying theme that is common to all First Nations: everything is one and all is interconnected. Humans, animals, nature and the spirit world are all tied together in a mystical circle, connecting those who came before, those who live now, and those who will come in the future

What was the first gold mine in the Fraser River?

1. Boston Bar. Boston Bar was one of the earliest mining centers to be established in the Fraser River. It was a rich gold mine both along the river and in the nearby hills but once the gold rush died most of the miners left. Today it is marked by a small town of less than a thousand people.

Where was the first gold found?

Fraser River Gold Panning. The Fraser River was the site of the first gold discovery in British Columbia. This started what was referred to as the Fraser River gold rush which brought in miners from California and other places across the world. Today the river and its creeks still have gold waiting to be discovered by prospectors.

Where is the mining town of Thompson?

Located just near the Confluence of the Fraser River and the Thompson River, the mining town was an important gold mining center during the Fraser River gold rush days. However, once the excitement of the gold rush died, the mining came to an end as most of the gold deposits around the center had been exhausted and many ...

Where was gold discovered?

Soon gold was discovered in Oregon and Idaho encouraging the prospectors to keep moving northwards. It wasn’t long before gold was found along the banks of the Fraser River. The first gold discovery in British Columbia was along the Fraser River in 1858. This triggered a major gold rush and in less than one year there were more than 30,000 miners ...

Where to find gold panners?

2. Yale. Yale is one of the most popular places for gold panners along the Fraser River. This small town of about 200 people was among the first settlement centers to be established along the river during the early days of the Fraser river gold rush.

Is the creek gold panning?

Today the creek is well known in the gold panning circles with a number of gold prospectors reporting rich finds.

Is British Columbia rich in gold?

It is important to note there are several places across British Columbia that are rich in gold. This is a great place for small-scale gold prospectors.

Overview

Gold rush

Richard Clement Moody and the Birth of British Columbia

Related conflicts

Aftermath

See also

Further reading