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THE CARIBOO GOLD RUSH. The New Eldorado. GOLD WAS DISCOVERED. 1857 – First Nations people on the Thompson River found nuggets and brought them to the HBC store. James Douglas said, “It was GOLD.”. THE GOLD RUSH IS ON. The quiet town of Victoria went from 300 fur traders to 20,000.
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THE CARIBOO GOLD RUSH The New Eldorado
GOLD WAS DISCOVERED • 1857 – First Nations people on the Thompson River found nuggets and brought them to the HBC store. • James Douglas said, “It was GOLD.”
THE GOLD RUSH IS ON • The quiet town of Victoria went from 300 fur traders to 20,000. • 2,800 people in a single day. • Lots went from $50 to $1500. • Miners from California packed up and headed north.
VICTORIA TO GOLD COUNTRY • Left Victoria on anything that floated. (canoe,raft, and rowboat) • Fights broke out for places on steamers. • Arrived in New Westminister. • From there guided by First Nations or road in a wagon along the Cariboo Trail.
THE CARIBOO ROAD • Governor Douglas built a road to ensure taxable revenue. • Miners would have to pass in order to get gold out. • Road would also promote settlement. • 4 hard yrs and $750,000 • Never totally recouped $$
BARKERVILLE • Grew up almost overnight – Barker’s strike of gold • By 1860 = 5000 people – largest town north of San Francisco and west of Chicago. • Facilities improved as access improved.
METHODS OF GOLD MINING PANNING • Easiest and simplest method. • Metal pan with sloping sides. • Gold is heavy and sinks to bottom of pan. • Wash light gravel out. • Left with black sand and gold flakes.
METHODS OF MINING ROCKING • Faster method; two person job. • Built a box on rockers (like a cradle). • One shoveled sand and the other poured water to wash it through. -One rocker could produce $100/day. -By 1858, $500,000 worth of gold taken from the Fraser River
METHODS OF MINING HYDRALIC • Used heavy water to erode banks. • Very environmently unfriendly. • Used to displace great quantity of earth.
MAIN ROUTES TO B.C. ROUTE ONE • Fastest route • Most expensive • Sail from England to Panama Canal • Cross isthmus by stage • Sail North to San Francisco • Steamship to B.C. • 6 to 8 weeks
MAIN ROUTES TO B.C. ROUTE TWO • Cheaper route • Much slower • Sail around tip of South America • Sail North to San Francisco • Further North to Victoria • 4 month journey
MAIN ROUTES TO B.C. ROUTE THREE • Long and difficult trip • Steamer from England to Quebec • Overland to B.C. • Carts, wagons, stage coach, canoe, train, snowshoe, rafts • Many dangers • Rocky Mountains
BEAR MEAT This outhouse hadn’t been used in a 100 yrs. Grizzly Bear ‘Hunormus’ claws Me But it was on this day!