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Barkerville)
Barkerville was a gold rush town in British Columbia, Canada and is currently preserved as a historic town. It is located in the Cariboo mountains 80 kilometres east of Quesnel.
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 at its peak. In 1868, a fire broke out in Barkerville and almost all of the buildings except the ones in the upper sections burned. Rebuilding started as early as the next day.
After the decline of the gold rush, the town's population withered away until it was almost a "ghost town", though it supported full-time residents until 1979. Barkerville was made a BC Heritage site in 1958 and is currently a major tourist attraction.
Description of Barkerville from 1906
"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."
Source: The Cariboo Trail by E. Pauline Johnson published in Toronto Saturday Night October 13, 1906.
