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
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
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

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
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 $$
THE CARIBOO ROAD

BARKERVILLE

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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.
fig10[1].jpg
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
THE END OF THE GOLD
RUSH

Dsc01098.jpg
BEAR MEAT
Grizzly Bear
This outhouse
hadn’t been
used in a
100 yrs.
‘Hunormus’ claws
Me
But it was on this day!