The discovery of gold transformed British Columbia almost overnight. Beginning with the Fraser River Gold Rush in 1858 and followed by the Cariboo Gold Rush in 1862, tens of thousands of prospectors, merchants, and entrepreneurs travelled from around the world in search of fortune. Their arrival reshaped the province, leading to the rapid growth of communities, the construction of roads and infrastructure, and the expansion of government throughout the colony.
While many came hoping to strike it rich, others found opportunity by opening businesses, operating roadhouses, farming, freighting supplies, or providing services to the growing population. The legacy of the gold rush extends far beyond mining. It influenced immigration, transportation, settlement, and the development of many of British Columbia’s historic communities.
The Hazeley Letter Series
Gold Fever, Church Building, and Pioneer Life in Agassiz, BC (1896)
Life in 1896 Agassiz: Mining Hopes, Farming Plans, and the Mysterious Sister Francis (1896)
Gold Mines and a Winter Trip to Yale, B.C.(1896)
Gold Mining in British Columbia 1897: Peril in the Mountains and Trains Through Agassiz (1897)