About the 153 Mile House
The 153 Mile house is one of the last surviving roadhouses built along British Columbia’s historic Cariboo Waggon Road. During the Cariboo Gold Rush, thousands of travellers and miners stopped here for meals, supplies, and rest before continuing on to the goldfields.
Read the Series
The History of the 153 Mile Store
Left: Clara Crosina (Credit: Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin) • Centre: Louis Crosina (Credit: Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin) • Right: Their daughter Lil Crosina (Credit: Loyd Csizmadia)
The store was opened in 1900 and the Crosina family operated it for more than 60 years. In 1963, Lil Crosina passed away behind the counter. The doors were closed and for a time the store sat exactly as she had left it. The historic store later passed into the hands of the Patenaude family. Peggy Patenaude, who had worked in the store along side the Crosina family, decided to reopen the store as a museum and tribute to them. Thanks to their dedication, the store remains almost frozen in time. Roger and Alison Patenaude and their family continue to preserve its history and have generously shared stories, letters, and photographs to make this series possible.
Visiting the Historic Store
In May 2025, before I had planned for this series, I visited the historic store and received a tour from Alison. I was there for the BC Historical Federation Conference, so you can only imagine how well this store went over with our group of historians! There is so much to discover within the walls of the store. From products of time gone by to history just waiting to be uncovered and shared.
153 Mile Store (Credit: BC History Diary)
The Letters of 153 Mile House
For more than 60 years, the store served as a gathering place for the local community. People wrote letters to place orders, ask about the town gossip, and catch up on local news. This series combines those original documents with historical research to tell the stories of the people who lived, worked, and travelled through 153 Mile House.
153 Mile House (Credit: Crosina and Patenaude Families)
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to 153 Mile Store, Crosina and Patenaude families, and Loyd Csizmadia from the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin for making this project possible.