Barkerville, British Columbia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barkerville was a gold rush town in British Columbia, Canada which is currently preserved as a historic town. It is located in the Cariboo mountains 80 kilometres east of Quesnel.
| "Barkerville stands in a cup of the mountains, and stands on stilts. Erstwhile mountain torrents warned the builders to mount their houses on elevations above the street level, and the whole town has the appearance of someone raising their eyebrows. The population reaches about three hundred, many, particularly amongst the younger generation, having never seen a railway train, a steamboat, or an electric light, but their eyes are daily accustomed to the sight of bags of yellow, golden nuggets; their manners are polished and courteous, and their attire fashionable. Barkerville gold has given fortunes to many, and a fair living to many more."[1] |
When Billy Barker discovered gold in 1862 at Williams Creek, a rush of fortune-seekers flooded the area, travelling the Cariboo Wagon Road. Barkerville was the largest town in the Canadian West as well as the largest town west of Chicago and north of San Francisco at its peak. In 1868 a fire broke out in Barkerville, and almost all of the buildings other than the ones in the upper sections burned. Rebuilding started the next day.
Barkerville had a large Chinese population; its Chinatown was the first in Canada. Among the restored buildings at the town site is the home of the Chinese Association.
After the decline of the gold rush, the town's population withered away until it was almost a "ghost town", although it supported full-time residents until 1979. Barkerville was made a BC Heritage site in 1958 and is currently a major tourist attraction.
Barkerville is the birthplace of former Major League Baseball player Bert Sincock.
[edit] Gallery
 Barkerville Cemetery 2006 |
 Blacksmith hard at work |
[edit] External links
Source: The Cariboo Trail by E. Pauline Johnson published in Toronto Saturday Night October 13, 1906.
| Northwest: Wells, British Columbia | Northeast: Bowron Lake Provincial Park | |
| West: Stanley, British Columbia | Barkerville | |
| South: Likely, British Columbia |
