Genealogy and Historical related links
for the Cariboo & Chilcotin
The Cariboo area is plateau and mountain country in central BC reaching from Cache Creek to north of Quesnel. The name Cariboo is thought to be a miss spelling for Caribou, member of the deer family. Among the earliest visitors to the Cariboo were Alexander McKenzie and Simon Fraser in search of an overland route to the Pacific.
The first peoples of the Cariboo were the Shuswap (Secwepemc) Nation, who are part of the "Interior Salish".
News of the discovery of gold in the Cariboo reached the outside world in 1858. The crown colony of British Columbia was established quickly on November 19, 1858 to maintain law and order. In 1862 and 1863 the Cariboo Wagon Road was surveyed and built bringing the major influx of settlers to the area.
From about 1860 -1920, Soda Creek and 150 Mile House were the two centres for government offices in the Cariboo-Chilcotin.
The Cariboo Wagon Road
The Cariboo Wagon Road or Trail, was surveyed to accommodate the gold seekers heading to the Interior. The route began at the north end of the Fraser Canyon in Lillooet, which has the official Mile "0" Cairn, and traveled north through the Cariboo Country and ended in the gold mining town of Barkerville. Many of the place names simply took their names from the nearest Cairn Marker on the route. Roadhouses appeared every 10-12 miles so that the weary travelers might stop.
BC
SchoolNet's Cariboo Gold Rush Site A great site !!!
The
Cariboo Gold Rush at BC Archives great description site about the towns, the people
and how the Gold Rush got started.
A Cariboo History
A Cariboo Gold Rush History
The Cariboo Wagon Road
Cariboo "Slang" from 1863
Cariboo District in 1887 (The
description given in the 1887 Williams Directory of BC)
The Overlanders In
1862, a group of 115 men and 1 woman left Ontario and were headed to the British Columbia
Cariboo in search of gold. More on the Overlanders.
Early District Pre-Emptions
Ernie Kaesmodel is compiling Gold Rush
information for an eventual book. He is interested in exchanging related information.
Petition for a Mounted
Constable in 1887 for the Lillooet-Cariboo District From the BC Government files, lots
of individuals signed the petition!!
100MileNews.com on the Web (Along the
Cariboo Trail is a series of historical articles)
Need help to find any small or obscure BC location ??, search here!!
The following is a geographical list of sites that are included in the Cariboo Region listed in Alphabetical order. If you are familiar with any of these local histories or know of any good history links please help me make this list as complete and accurate as possible.59 Mile House
70 Mile House
70 Mile House, located north of Clinton, was one of the first historic roadhouse locations
on the famous Cariboo Wagon Road. It was started by G.B. Wright in 1862.
70 Mile House history
100 Mile House
South Cariboo Genealogy Group
100MileNews.com on the Web (Along the
Cariboo Trail is a series of historical articles)
100 Mile House area Obituary, Cemetery, and School information, Phyllis Galloway has
offered to do Look-Ups
1887 Directory, see Lac La Hache
1901 Census of 100 Mile House included in 1901 Census of Williams Lake
1919 Directory of 100 Mile House
105 Mile House
1887 Directory, see Lac La Hache
1919 Directory of 105 Mile House
South Cariboo Genealogy Group
History of the 108 Roadhouse
A 108 Mile House
Murder Trial in 1885
1887 Directory, see Lac La Hache
108 Mile
History
108 Heritage Site
122 Mile House
122 Mile House history
137 Mile House
137 Mile House history
141 Mile House
141 Mile House history
150 Mile House
1887 Directory of 150 Mile House
1887 Directory of Williams Lake
(also included some 150 Mile House)
1894 Voters List (Williams
Lake Polling Division) including 150 Mile House
1895 Directory of 150 Mile House
1919 Directory of 150 Mile House
The
Roadhouse at 150 Mile
153 Mile House
1919 Directory of 153
Mile House
Alexandria
Alexandria Roman Catholic
Cemetery, as included in the BCCFA
1887 Directory of Williams Lake (includes
listings from Chilcotin, 150-Mile, 144-Mile, Chimney Creek, Soda Creek, Alexandria, Sheep
Creek, Deer Park, Oatlands, Lansdowne, Onwards Ranch)
1894 Voters List (Williams
Lake Polling Division) including Alexandria
1895 Directory of Alexandria
1919 Directory of Alexandria
Barkerville
BC
SchoolNet's Barkerville Site
Barkerville on-line, includes
historic photos and historic newspaper articles.
Barkerville Photos
The Barkerville Fire of 1868
Barkerville Historic Town
Barkerville Museum
Barkerville Who's Who of 1870
"Blacks" in Barkerville
1875
Voters List for BC, includes Barkerville, Cache Creek, Canoe Creek, Clinton, Harvey
and Keithley,Lightening Creek, Lillooet, Lytton,Quesnelle Mouth, and Williams Lake
1887 Directory of
Barkerville (includes Antler Creek, Bear Lake, Conklin's Gulch, Germansen Creek, Grub
Gulch, Hardscrabble, Manson River, Mosquito Creek, Richfield, Slate Creek, Stout's Gulch,
Sugar Creek, Williams' Creek )
Barkerville
Cemetery
Old Barkerville / Cameronton
Cemetery, as included in the BCCFA.
1901 Census for Barkerville - In progress !!
Big Bar Creek or Lake
Northwest of Clinton and southwest of 70 Mile House. It is said that
the name is derived from the Chinese gold panners who pushed a lot of gravel
into the Fraser River at the mouth of this relatively small creek. The
gravel formed a 'big bar' in the Fraser thus the name of the creek and the two
lakes upstream (Little Big Bar Lake and Big Bar Lake (the headwaters of the
creek).
Bridge Lake
Bridge Lake is East of 100 Mile house between Lone Butte and Little Fort.
Bridge River Valley Cemetery,
as listed in the BCCFA
South Cariboo Genealogy Group
Buffalo Creek
Buffalo Creek records are often grouped with 100 Mile House. Buffalo
Creek is East of 100 Mile House.
Cache Creek
The earlist know photo of Cache Creek was taken in 1866 of the Bonaparte
House at the bottom of Rattlesnack Hill.
1875
Voters List for BC, includes Barkerville, Cache Creek, Canoe Creek, Clinton, Harvey
and Keithley, Lightening Creek, Lillooet, Lytton, Quesnelle Mouth, and Williams Lake
1893 Directory of Cache Creek
Cameronton or Camerontown
Old Barkerville / Cameronton Cemetery, as included in the BCCFA.
Canim Lake
Canim Lake records are often grouped with 100 Mile House. Canim Lake
is northeast of 100 Mile House.
Chimney Creek
Chimney Creek is located 10 miles south of Williams Lake. It was
named for a stone chimney that was left standing originally part of Father Demers cabin,
an early missionary in the area. The Chimney Creek Ranch was pre-empted in 1861 by
Frenchman John Laveau. It was sold to John Rose and then later in 1876 to
another Frenchman Amadee Isnardy.
Felker Lake was named for Patrick Felker, the son of Henry Felker a pioneer in 127 and 144
Mile House.
Clinton
It was called 47 Mile House in 1861, but was renamed Clinton in 1867, for Henry Pelham
Clinton, the fifth Duke of Newcastle and the colonial secretary from 1859-1964. It
is located 36 km (22 mi.) north of Cache Creek and 80 km (50 mi.) south of 100 Mile
House. During the Cariboo Gold Rush, Clinton was a busy junction on the wagon road
leading to the gold fields of the north.
South Cariboo Genealogy Group
Clinton Cemetery, included in
the BCCFA
Clinton Cemetery, Phyllis
Galloway has offered to do Look-Ups
1875
Voters List for BC, includes Barkerville, Cache Creek, Canoe Creek, Clinton, Harvey
and Keithley, Lightening Creek, Lillooet, Lytton,Quesnelle Mouth, and Williams Lake
1887 Directory of Clinton
1891 Census for Clinton - In progress !!
1919 Directory of Clinton
Cottonwood House
Located between Quesnel and Barkerville, it was built in 1864 & 1865 and served as a
stop over for gold seekers travelling to Barkerville.
Cottonwood House Historic Site
Cottonwood
House and John Boyd
Eagle Creek
Eagle Creek records are often grouped with 100 Mile House. Eagle
Creek is northeast of 100 Mile House.
Fawn/Fawn Lake
Fawn records are often grouped with 100 Mile House. Fawn
Lake is east of 100 Mile House.
Forest Grove
Forest Grove records are often grouped with 100 Mile House.
Forest Grove is east of 100 Mile House between Buffalo Creek and Canim Lake.
Forest Grove Cemetery, as included in the BCCFA
Green Lake
Green Lake records are often grouped with 70 Mile House.
1860-1861 Land Pre-Emptions (including
Alexandria, the Chilcotin, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake)
Harper's Camp
This community later became known as Horsefly. See Horsefly
Harvey Creek
1875
Voters List for BC, includes Barkerville, Cache Creek, Canoe Creek, Clinton, Harvey
and Keithley, Lightening Creek, Lillooet, Lytton, Quesnelle Mouth, and Williams Lake
1887 Directory of Harvey
and Keithley
1895 Harvey Creek is listed under Keithley Creek.
Hawkins
Hixon
Horse Lake
Horse Lake records are often grouped with 100 Mile House.
Horse Lake is east of 100 Mile House.
Horsefly
Once called Harper's Camp, the small community is situated on the banks of the Horsefly
River, and to the east of the Cariboo Wagon Trail 51 km from 150 Mile House. It is an area
known for its hordes of horseflies and other insects. Horsefly is the site of the
first gold discovery in the Cariboo. Peter Dunlevy, an American, and four friends were led
to the Horsefly River by Long Baptiste, an Indian they had met at Lac La Hache. They
panned the first gold in June of 1859. Within the day, another party of miners arrived and
the rush was on.
A Chronology of Horsefly
Harper's Lease Cemetery , Roman
Catholic Cemetery and the Horsefly Cemetery.
1887 Directory of Williams Lake,
(includes
listings from Chilcotin, 150-Mile, 144-Mile, Chimney Creek, Soda Creek, Alexandria, Sheep
Creek, Deer Park, Oatlands, Lansdowne, Onwards Ranch, Horsefly)
1894 Voters List (Williams
Lake Polling Division) including Horsefly
1919 Directory of
Harper's Camp
Hydraulic
Hydraulic records are often grouped with Likely.
Keithley
Named for W.R. "Doc" Keithley,
one of the original discoverers of gold on the Quesnel River in 1860.
Keithley or Keithley Creek records are often grouped with Likely.
1875
Voters List for BC, includes Barkerville, Cache Creek, Canoe Creek, Clinton, Harvey
and Keithley, Lightening Creek, Lillooet, Lytton, Quesnelle Mouth, and Williams Lake
1887 Directory of Keithley
and Harvey
1959 Directory of Keithley Creek
Lac La Hache
South Cariboo Genealogy Group
Felker Family Cemetery, (bottom of page)
Lac La Hache Cemetery, as
included in the BCCFA
Lac La Hache Cemetery, Phyllis
Galloway has offered to do Look-Ups
1887 Directory for Lac La Hache
(includes from 100 Mile House to 144 Mile House)
Likely
Lillooet (Mile
"0" on the Cariboo Wagon Road)
Lillooet, situated on the banks of the Fraser River, was once the largest settlement in
British Columbia and held a population of nearly 20,000. It's importance is evident in
that the Mile "0" Cairn that marks the beginning of the famous Cariboo Gold Rush
Road is placed in Lillooet. Miners and traders used this route to the interior and it was
vitally important during the Cariboo Gold Rush. The cairn was used as a measure for all
the mile posts to the north; 83 Mile, 100 Mile House, 150 Mile House are examples where
communities have grown up along the Gold Rush Trail.
Lillooet Local History
Pollard's
Cornish Ranch and Roadhouse
1875
Voters List for BC, includes Barkerville, Cache Creek, Canoe Creek, Clinton, Harvey
and Keithley, Lightening Creek, Lillooet, Lytton, Quesnelle Mouth, and Williams Lake
Bernard Schulmann has
offered to assist those researching in the Lilloet/Pavilion area.
Little Lake
Little Lake records are often grouped with Likely.
Lone Butte
Lone Butte is about 11 miles east of 93 Mile House. Once one of the Cariboo's largest
towns, Lone Butte was a centre for ranchers who settled in the area, from the early 1900's
to the 1950's. The Lone Butte, an extinct volcano core, for which the community is
named, is seen to the east.
Lone Butte records are often grouped with Bridge Lake or 100 Mile House.
South Cariboo Genealogy Group
Lone Butte Cemetery, as
included by the BCCFA
Loon Lake
McAlister Lake
McAlister Lake records are often grouped with McLeese Lake.
McLeese Lake
Named for Robert McLeese, one of the first pioneers and postmaster at Soda Creek. He
registered his farm in 1863, and also had a hotel, store and sternwheeler steamer.
McLeese Lake is between Williams Lake and Quesnel.
Meldrum Creek
Miocene
Miocene is about 18 Miles east of 150 Mile House, and was a
stopping house on the way to Harper's Camp (Horsefly). Miocene records are often
grouped with Williams Lake.
History of the Pioneer Ranch
Moorehead
Moorehead records are often grouped with Likely.
Ochiltree
Ochiltree records are often grouped with Williams Lake.
Pavilion
Bernard Schulmann has
offered to assist those researching in the Lilloet/Pavilion area.
Pine Valley
Pine Valley records are often grouped with Williams Lake.
Quesnel
Sometimes called the Gold Pan City, built at the junction of the Fraser and Quesnel
rivers, this settlement grew rapidly as a way station on the route to the goldfields. By
the early 1860's Quesnel Mouth, as it was known then, had two hotels, two stores, the
Hudson's Bay Post, a telegraph office, grist mill and lumber mill. Paddlewheel steamers
stopped on their way up the Fraser River from Soda Creek to Fort George (now Prince
George). Saddle trains packed goods between Quesnel and Barkerville. The river and lake
were named for Lieutenant Jules Maurice Quesnel, who accompanied Simon Fraser down the
Fraser River in 1808.
Quesnel Museum
1808-1928, A TRIBUTE TO THE PAST, Quesnel & Area,
Shannah Griggs has offered to
look-ups for this book.
1887 Directory of Quesnelle
1893 Directory of Quesnelle
1895 Directory of Quesnelle
1914-1949
Civil Court Cases filed at Quesnel
1914-1948
Probate and Estates filed at Quesnel
1916-1948
Probate and Estates filed at Quesnel (additional names)
1919 Directory of Quesnel
1919-1948
Small Debts Court Cases filed in Quesnel
1923-1946
Criminal Cases in Quesnel
Quesnel History
The Life and Times of Doctor
G.R. Baker (Quesnel's first doctor)
Quesnel Forks
Quesnel Forks is now a ghost town just over the hill from Likely where the Cariboo and
Quesnel rivers meet. Established in 1859, in the early 1860's it was one of BC's
largest communities. It once housed the largest Chinese population north of San Francisco.
It flourished until 1865 and was nearing its end in the 1930s and the last resident left
in 1965. It has also been referred to as Quesnel City, the Forks, Quesnelle and Quesnelle
Forks.
Quesnel Forks
Quesnel Forks History
1875
Voters List for BC, includes Barkerville, Cache Creek, Canoe Creek, Clinton, Harvey
and Keithley, Lightening Creek, Lillooet, Lytton,Quesnelle Mouth, and Williams Lake
1887 Directory of Harvey
& Keithley(includes Forks of Quesnelle)
1893 Directory of Quesnelle
Forks
1895 Directory of Quesnell
Forks
1919 Directory of Quesnel
Forks
Biography of Grant Grinder
Richfield
Rose Lake
Named for Fred Rose, a gold seeker from 1860 who pre-empted land near what became known as
Rose Lake. Rose Lake is between 150 Mile House and Horsefly. Fred would later
become the lawman at 150 Mile house.
Ruth Lake
Soda Creek
The water from this creek comes through a formation of carbonate and lime and bubbles like
soda water. In 1860 the government set up offices in Soda Creek. It was originally
called Soda City.
Soda Creek records are often grouped with McLeese Lake and Williams Lake.
Soda Creek Cemetery, as
included in the BCCFA
1887 Directory of Williams Lake,
(includes
Chilcotin, 150-Mile, 144-Mile, Chimney Creek, Soda Creek, Alexandria, Sheep Creek, Deer
Park, Oatlands, Lansdowne, Onwards Ranch)
1894 Voters List (Williams
Lake Polling Division) including Soda Creek
1895 Directory of Soda Creek
The Xatsull Native
Village pronounced "hat-shul" (near Soda Creek)
Soda Creek First Nations
Stanley
Stanley Cemetery, as included
in the BCCFA
Stanley Cemetery
listings
Stout's Gulch
Sugar Cane
Sugar Cane records are often grouped with Williams Lake.
The St. Joseph's Mission is
located in Sugar Cane.
Wells
Established in the 1930's as a gold mining town, Wells is located 82 km (51 mi.) east of
Quesnel and 8 km (5 mi.) west of Barkerville. The town is named after Fred Wells who
had prospected in the area for 10 years and discovered the Cariboo Gold Quartz Mine.
Wells' mine introduced a new era in the history of gold-mining in the Cariboo since there
had been little lode mining up to that point in time. The town reached its maximum
population of 3000 by 1940.
Wildwood
Williams Creek
William "Dutch Bill" Dietz discovered gold in Williams Creek in 1861 sparking
the great rush to the Cariboo. William's Creek runs through Barkerville. In 1862 the
name Williams Creek was changed to Richfield.
Williams Lake
A Williams Lake Chronology
A History of Williams Lake
Roll of Remembrance (The Fallen of WW
I & WW II)
1875
Voters List for BC, includes Barkerville, Cache Creek, Canoe Creek, Clinton, Harvey
and Keithley, Lightening Creek, Lillooet, Lytton,Quesnelle Mouth, and Williams Lake
1887 Directory of Williams
Lake,(includes listings from Chilcotin, 150-Mile, 144-Mile, Chimney Creek, Soda Creek,
Alexandria, Sheep Creek, Deer Park, Oatlands, Lansdowne, Onwards Ranch, Horsefly)
1893 Directory of Williams
Lake
1894 Voters List (Williams
Lake Polling Division) including Williams Lake
1895 Directory of Williams Lake
1901 Williams Lake Census
1910-1973
Williams Lake homestead records
1919 Directory of Williams Lake
1921-1947
Civil Court cases filed at Williams Lake
1926-1947
Criminal Court cases filed at Williams Lake
1927-1947
Estate and Probates files at Williams Lake
1928-1947
Estate and Probates filed at Williams Lake (additional names)
Williams Lake
First Nations
Williams Lake Museum
of the Cariboo Chilcotin
Williams Lake Municipal Cemetery: The records for the local cemetery,
located on McKenzie Avenue, are at Williams Lake City Hall, they can be accessed by the
public. Recorded burials go back to the early 1940s. The Catholic section is the
oldest section. Unfortunately there are many older unrecorded graves.
St. Joseph's Mission
Cemetery: This cemetery was in use prior to the Williams Lake Municipal
Cemetery. It is located at the head of Williams Lake and was maintained by the
Oblate Brothers of St. Joseph. They recorded most of the births and deaths in the
area until 1920 when the city of Williams Lake was officially established.
The Chilcotin is a plateau region area that runs west from the Cariboo, to the Pacific Ocean. The boarder between the Cariboo and the Chilcotin is the Fraser River. It is named for the Chilcotin People who originally lived at Anaham near Alexis Creek. Chilcotin means, "People of the blue water." The Athapaskan, Chilcotin, Tsilhqot'in, Carrier, and southern Carrier are all part of the Dene nation.
The Chilcotin Web Site
Chilcotin War of 1864
1887 Directory of Williams
Lake, (includes listings from Chilcotin, 150-Mile, 144-Mile, Chimney Creek, Soda Creek,
Alexandria, Sheep Creek, Deer Park, Oatlands, Lansdowne, Onwards Ranch)
Chilcotin Directory of 1893
1894 Voters List (Williams
Lake Polling Division) including the Chilcotin
1901 Census for the
Chilcotin. It appears that the whole geographic area was done in one polling
sub-division. 121 persons are listed.
Early Distict Pre-Emptions
Alexis Creek
A Chronology of Alexis Creek
1919 Directory of Alexis Creek
Alkali Lake
Located seventeen miles north of Dog Creek.
Anahim Lake
Anahim Lake was named after Chilcotin Chief Anahim, father of Chief Alexis. There
have been mentions of a "Lake Anawhim" by travelers in the mid 1800s. The
original spelling was Anaham.
Bella Bella
1895 Directory
of Bella Bella
1919 Directory of Bella Bella
Bella Coola
This area was first settled because of the trade in oolichan grease for furs, hides and
tools from inland.
History of the
Norwegian Colony at Bella Coola (including a list of settlers for 1894)
Early Days of Bella Coola,
1894-1895
1895 Directory of Bella
Coola
1919 Directory of Bella Coola
Bella Coola Museum
Bella
Coola general information
Big Creek
Chezacut
Chilcko Lake/River
Dog Creek
Dog Creek is 17 miles south of Alkali Lake. In the
gold rush days there were hotels and roadhouses there and grain crops. One of the
first ranches was run by Mexican Rapheal Valenzuela. In the 1880's the Joseph Smith
family ran the roadhouse. Dog Creek records are often grouped with Alkali Lake.
1895 Directory of Dog Creek (Includes
the Gang Ranch)
Canoe Creek
First Nations (Includes Dog Creek Reserve)
Firvale
Firvale records are often grouped with Bella Coola.
Firvale is east of Hagensborg.
Gang Ranch
A well known area ranch established in 1863, it was the first ranch in the interior to use
the double-furrowed gang plow. it is West of 100 Mile House.
A Chronology of the Gang Ranch
The Gang Ranch Today
1895 Directory of Dog Creek (Includes
the Gang Ranch)
Hagensborg
History of the
Norwegian Colony at Bella Coola.
School Records for Hagensborg 1895-1920
Hanceville
A Chronology of Hanceville.
1894 Voters List (Williams
Lake Polling Division) including Hanceville
1895 Directory of Hanceville
1919 Directory of Hanceville
Hat Creek
Historic Hat Creek House
established in the 1860s.
Cache Creek Directory of 1893
(includes Hat Creek)
Hat Creek Directory of 1895
Kleena Kleene
History of the Brink
Ranch
History of the Dane Ranch
History of the Clear
Water Ranch
Meldrum Creek
Nimpo Lake
Nimpo Lake and Anahim Lake records are often grouped together.
History of the Nimpo
Lake General Store
History of a Nimpo Lake
restaurant
Ocean Falls
A History of Ocean Falls
Puntzi & Puntzi Lake
Redstone
Springhouse
Stone
Stone records are often grouped with Alexis Creek.
Stuie
Stuie records are often grouped with Bella Coola. Stuie is
between Anahim Lake and Firvale.
Tatla Lake
Lieutenant Martin, a government surveyor, was the first man to take up land at Tatla
Lake in 1890.
1894 Voters List (Williams
Lake Polling Division) including Tatla Lake
The Mansion of Tatla Lake
Some history of the Graham
family
Tatlayoko
History of Tatlayoko
School
The Tatlayoko Post Office
Toosey
Tweedsmuir
Tweedsmuir records are often grouped with Bella Coola.
Ulkatcho
Ulkatcho records are often grouped with Anahim Lake or Nimpo
Lake.
WestBranch
A local family's history: Annie
& Bern
Return to the Cariboo-Chilcotin page of links by Record Type
Comments and corrections always welcome !!
Last updated 10 January, 2004