Friends of Barkerville Newsletter (issue 2/volume22/winter 2022)

Friends of Barkerville Issue 2 / volume 22 / winter 2022

Cariboo Goldfields Historical Society newsletter

From the Editor Brendan Bailey

Since our June newsletter, the Friends have been busy!

Our most recent event was a great excitement, indeed, and its success has set the stage for an annual social fundraiser. We called it A Bloody Good Bash! and it certainly was!

The name takes after 1860s homesteader “Bloody” Edward Edwards who operated Pine Grove House along the Cariboo Waggon road where Troll Ski Resort now stands. Fittingly, the bash was held in Troll’s picturesque log chalet on Saturday, October 22nd. The tickets were extremely affordable at $60/person for dinner, a theatrical performance, and live music!

Approximately 70 patrons; former society directors and volunteers, present directors and members, curious newcomers and local enthusiasts alike, joined in the festivities by dressing in their finest (or their 19th Century finery) and gathering to celebrate 36 years of dedicated volunteerism in Barkerville and the surrounding goldfields on behalf of all the Friends over the years.

A silent auction included lots donated by Soda Creek farms, collectable artwork, photographs, unique historic bottles, and a gold nugget donated by FOB directors and former director, Lana Fox, an 11x14 print of a Bowron Lake Eagle photographed and donated by Richard Wright, handmade woodwork donated by Rhonda and Jerry Hunter, forged ironwork triangular

Amy Newman performs My Life in the Goldfields, Troll Ski Resort, October 22nd

dinner bell donated by Arnold Kilsby, ballcaps donated

by Troll Ski Resort, as well as letterpress Christmas cards (six of which were designed and pressed by yours truly), the 2021 art-card Revitalization Cariboo Sentinel subscription package, a subscription to the present 2022 art-card Rediscovery Cariboo Sentinel subscription package, and a forged fire poker donated

Who Are We?

We are the Friends of Barkerville - Cariboo Goldfields Historical Society, a Charitable Non-Profit organization comprised of dedicated volunteers. Our focus is to enhance Preservation, Protection, and Promotion as it applies to Barkerville Historic Town & Park and the Historic Cariboo Goldfields area.

Executive Directors

Hildur Sinclair (president), Grant Johannensen (vice president), Tony McDonald (treasurer), Kwynn Bodman (secretary), Other Directors: Robin Grady, Emily Bailey, Brendan Bailey, Hayley Archer, and Rocky Nenka.

Director’s Meetings

Monthly meetings are held at Troll Resort. We try to hold two of the meetings about June and September in the the town of Barkerville in the new school building. Members and/or the public can attend these meetings with advance notice, but they cannot vote unless it is during the AGM. Members are welcome to express their input, suggestions, and ideas.

Newsletter

Credit and Copyright to the contributors unless otherwise noted. Minor editorial supervision by Brendan Bailey and layout by Connor Kenney (this edition: layout thanks to Dirk Van Stralen). All persons with submission of articles and

by Barkerville Historic Town & Park.

A delicious, comforting, and homestead-root-vegetable inspired meal, with brisket and gravy, and a rice pudding dessert, filled our bellies while non-alcoholic beverages, wine, and Barkerville Brewing beers were available at the bar.

photos are given full credit. Please feel free to send in your items of interest for consideration in our upcoming newsletters.

Positions

Society director positions are a one-year term from the November AGM through the following November AGM, during which time, as per constitution, positions are elected or re-elected.

Committee Positions include: membership, special projects, newsletter, and website.

Membership Perks

-May 1st to April 30th annual issue (only $20 individual, $30 couple) -20% discount on Barkerville Historic Town & Park Admission -10% discount on a day-pass at Troll Ski Resort on Highway 26 -10% off your bill at Barkerville Brewing Co. in Quesnel -A free ice cream at Frog on the Bog Gifts in Wells -A free flight of beer at Bricklayer Brewing Co. in Chilliwack

Contact

Mailing Address: PO Box 4152, Quesnel, BC, V2J 3J2 Primary E-Mail: friendsofbarkerville@barkerville.ca Website: www.friendsofbarkerville.ca Facebook: Friends of Barkerville - Cariboo Goldfields Historical Society Memberships: in person or via paypal through website (see QR code) Newsletter: brendan.bailey@barkerville.ca, or fobgoldfieldsmembership@gmail.com

Amy Newman performed a condensed version of her solo play, My Life in the Goldfields (which was a 2019 reimagining of her subversive, multi-character, 2004 solo Theatre Royal play Whiskey Dealers and Miner’s Angels), focusing this performance specifically on the life of performer, mother, and boarding house proprietor, Mrs. Catherine Parker. This lent a mixture of sometimes joyous and sometimes sobering context and gravitas to the evening alongside traditional a cappella melodies.

Afterward, the Interstellar Jays took to the stage with their blend of folk-blues-jazz-rock and ‘iridescent grooves and psychedelic takes on old tunes.’ After the completion of the silent auction and some time for dinner to settle, the crowd spent the rest of evening on the dance floor just like back in 1866.

We Friends would like to extend a huge thanks to Troll Ski Resort for hosting our Bloody Good Bash and for such a wonderful meal, to our performers, and to everyone who joined us and made the evening such a success. If you feel like you missed out for not having been there, there’s no sugar coating it: you bloody well did! Don’t worry, there’s always next year!

Speaking of next year, work continues on the Stanley Cemetery as well as with the restoration of the Waggon Road Trail between Stanley and Richfield. The Barkerville Cemetery donation boxes are still in place and visitor support has been much appreciated throughout the season.

table of contents p1.

From the editor About us

p3.

President’s report Treasurer’s report

p4.

Barkerville’s Theatre Royal

p6.

Stanley Cemetery Workbee The Impact of Friends

p7.

The Cariboo Road

p8.

A ‘Dramatic’ Discovery

p10.

Book Review Membership Report Newsletter Report

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Actors Edd Wright and Brendan Bailey in Long Road to Cariboo, photo Richard Wright

The Friends continue to support the Barkerville Heritage Trust on select projects, and they also helped Noble Players Theatrics tour Sawney’s Legacy (a biography play about Barkerville poet, James Anderson, and the enduring connection between father and son) to the Victoria Fringe Festival, promoting both local history and Barkerville and the Cariboo goldfields elsewhere in the province.

Another prominent project sponsored by the Friends, Newman & Wright’s Bonepicker: Gold Rush Backstories documentary series, will soon be distributed

by Shaw Cable in Quesnel and area. Stay tuned to our facebook page for broadcast times.

Meanwhile, their latest short film, Long Road to Cariboo, has currently picked-up a number of awards and mentions in the festival circuit: Outstanding Achievement in Production Design, Best Shot Documentary, Best Production Design, Official Selection, and two honourable mentions for documentary short.

The project boasts some stunning cinematography, apt character narration, an expansive and diverse perspective of the province, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by Ross Douglas. Again, bringing the fascination and complexity of Barkerville and the gold rushes to the world through media. You can watch and share on Vimeo at vimeo.com/726878846.

Also of note, a feature Punjabi historical-drama that began principal shooting in Barkerville during the spring of 2020 (and was subsequently delayed due to Covid), was finally able to complete filming this past spring.

Primary locations were Barkerville, Cottonwood House, and Quesnel. The film, Chhalla Mud Ke Nahi Aaya, was released theatrically on July 29th. Reviewer Harsimran Singh of Kiddaan.com noted that it is “a heartwarming film with emotions and an inspiring message. The film’s concept will surely connect to the people who have left their homes to earn a living.”

Chhalla Mud grossed approximately $665,000.00 in North America during its opening weekend and is surely continuing to create some excellent global awareness for the striking historic locales within which it was filmed. It’s exciting to see the legacy of feature films shot in Barkerville continue. The list includes GOLD; 2013, Call of the Wild; 1992, Showdown at Williams Creek (aka Kootenai Brown); 1991, Harry Jones, Desperado; 1982, and Klondike Fever; 1980 (which featured Angie Dickenson, Lorne Green, and Gordon Pinsent) as well as notable significant short films such as Shadow Trap; 2019.

Mitlite Iskum and De Lorean; photos B. Bailey

Also this past year, a notable discovery following the 2021 Theatre Royal renovation was announced (read A ‘Dramatic’ Discovery in this newsletter), Dan Hurd Prospecting released an enthusiastic viral YouTube video promoting the site ($42 million of GOLD in one hole, Barkerville!), a fan-recreated De Lorean from Back to the Future made an appearance along the main street (“Wait a minute, Doc. Are you telling me you built a time machine out of a DeLorean?”), Dominion Day celebrations and games returned, Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon celebrations returned, the Bibby Tin Shop was lifted and re-supported, the 2016/17-constructed pavilion was formally renamed the Mitlite Iskum (meaning: Gathering Place in Chinook Jargon), and the Valley of the Flags became a little more inclusive and aware with the flags of the Dakelh and Secwépemc Nations joining the Union Jack, Canadian flag, and Provincial flag at Barkerville’s entrance.

October saw The Paranormal Network’s We Want To Believe release The Ghost Town Part 1 on Youtube wherein they visit Barkerville in the off-season and explore the site’s most reputed haunts.

Meanwhile, Beyond the Haunting Investigations’s pilot (which was filmed in Barkerville during early April of 2021) was picked-up by Vancouver-based Small Army Productions. A formal paranormal documentary was filmed in Barkerville early this summer. This two-part special, Haunted Gold Rush, is now being distributed by the T+E channel as of October 30th. Our congrats to Cariboo paranormal investigators, Corinne, Leanne, and Kelly, for their success and for promoting Barkerville and the Gold Rush Trail. You can watch Haunted Gold Rush by subscribing through your cable provider. If you do so, you’ll see an interview with the Friend’s own Emily Bailey (née Lindstrom) recounting an “experience” during her time as a Stage Manager in the Theatre Royal.

There was no Ghostly Hallowe’en event in Barkerville this year, nor will there be a Victorian (formerly Old-Fashioned) Christmas event this year, but rest assured, Barkerville has posted in their social media that they are “committed to having these cultural events return in our 2023 season.” As these events have decades-long history in Barkerville (Victorian Christmas dating back to the 1980s) and are adored by locals and locals to the Cariboo region alike, we have faith that we can all gather and enjoy these special traditions again in the coming years.

If you are looking for gifts for the holiday season, though, don’t worry! You can still purchase letterpress cards (including a Christmas Card package), blacksmith items, and numerous other Barkerville goods through their online store at barkerville.ca. Mason & Daly Merchants also have an online store for all of your required fine provisions and sophisticated tastes which you can find at masonanddaly.com.

For history buffs looking for new material, Linda Peterat’s new book, From Denmark to Cariboo: The Epic Journey of the Lindhard Sisters, is now available from Heritage House Publishing. Linda will be speaking about the book and her research at the Quesnel and District Museum & Archives Heritage Speaker Series at 7pm on December 6th.

In nearby Wells, where many Barkerville employees live their second lives, you can always visit Island

Five Flags, Left: Bibby Tin Shop; photos B. Bailey

Mountain Arts, see Peter Corbett’s iconic plein air paintings in the St. George Gallery, all things owl-artwork in the Owl’s Roost gallery, find an assortment of fine fashion, games, books, ornaments, jewellery, specialty items, and sundries at the Frog on the Bog Gifts, as well as a gift shop at the Jack ‘O Clubs, and there are a plethora of fun and unique artisan bath goods; soaps and bath-bombs, at Bath Magic (Good Eats building beside the Sunset Theatre, open Saturdays).

Don’t forget, if you’re travelling off of Highway 97, you can always hit the slopes at Troll Ski Resort over the coming months or stop in at Barkerville Brewing in Quesnel for unique branded merchandise and delicious local craft beers (my personal favourite winter warmer and fireside sipper is the Prescription Porter, but one of their legacy brews, the 52 Foot Stout, just placed Gold in its category at the BC Beer Awards: congratulations Barkerville Brewing, and how fitting for a stout named after the 1862 Barker Co. Discovery Shaft!).

Lastly, Barkerville is open to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and sight-seeing over the winter months.

There are world-renowned snowmobile trails in the area. Some of the best winter photography and recreation you’ll find is actually in and around Barkerville and Wells during the winter months. Just be sure to check ahead to ensure that accommodations (such as Mountain Thyme Getaway, the Willow River Inn, the Wells Hotel, and the Barkerville Cottages) and restaurants (the Wells Hotel and Jack of Clubs) are available to you during your visit as accommodations can see group-bookings and some businesses adjust to winter hours with less tourism activity. Heritage BC’s

Heritage Week 2023 runs from February 20th-26th with the theme: “Always in All Ways.” Keep an eye out for exciting annual events such as the 31st Gold Rush Trail Sled Dog Mail Run, scheduled for February 24-26th, 2023.

Some great resources for planning your visit are What’s Up in Wells at whatsupinwells.com, and, of course, all of your Barkerville questions can be answered at barkerville.ca or by contacting the site. In Wells, you now have access to cell service if you require it.

Are you asking yourself if it’s too late to purchase a 2022 Membership? No, not at all! Our 2022 membership is active until April 30th, 2023. The winter season is only just beginning and you can present your card at Troll Ski Resort to receive 10% off of a day-pass on the slopes or stop into Barkerville Brewing for a winter warmer and an appetiser and receive 10% off of your bill. Your membership will pay for itself in no time.

Happy Holidays to one and all from the Friends near and far.

–Brendan Bailey

President’s Report

Winter is quickly approaching and 2022 is coming to a close. It’s been a good year in moving a number of FOB projects ahead: work continues with getting the signage completed for the CWR, the posts are up, and final drafts of signs (18 in total) detailing the history along the trail are being completed. We hope to be able to host an event on the trail next year to encourage people to use the trail and experience part of our history.

A Bloody Good Bash! was held at Troll Ski Resort on Saturday, October 22nd. It was deemed a success and we hope to make it an annual event.

We continue with our main goal to support Barkerville Heritage Site and the trails and Cemeteries that complement Barkerville. There is a fair bit of work ensuring our historic cemeteries don’t fall into total disrepair, and the historic trails leading to Barkerville be kept up. Any and all help is welcomed.

We have a wonderful group of dedicated directors at FOB making meetings and workbees fun and productive. Thank you all. –Hildur Sinclair, President

Treasurer’s Report

As mentioned in our summer newsletter, the Friends of Barkerville-Cariboo Goldfields Historical Society was granted charitable status by Canada Revenue in December 2021 and can now issue tax receipts for donations.

The previous year was a successful year for FOB donation-wise, while 2022 has been a little more challenging. We continue to receive membership renewals, new members, and cash donations from collection boxes in Barkerville, Wells, and Quesnel, which are all much appreciated. The first annual “Bloody Good Bash” fundraiser was held at Troll Ski Resort in October and thank-you to Hildur Sinclair and her staff for the facility and efforts in making this event a success.

Looking forward to 2023, we are in contact with a potential corporate partner which will allow the FOB to continue to fund upgrading on the Cariboo Wagon Road from Stanley to Barkerville and a much needed upgrade to the Stanley Cemetery. –Tony McDonald, Treasurer

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Barkerville’s Theatre Royal Part 1: 1864 - 1900

Connor Kenney linocut for Rediscovery Series, available in 5x7 card at www.barkerville.ca

Jack ‘O’ Clubs General 250-994-3242

4

The Theatre Royal in Barkerville continues to play a significant and important role in our provincial theatrical development, just as it has done over the last 157 years, but, you may be surprised to find that it is informally named. The designation of the title “Theatre Royal” was traditionally determined by Royal Patent and a long network of Theatre Royals can be found around the globe dating back to the 15th Century beginning under the rule of Charles II. Theatre Royals past and present can be located in England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, France, and here in British Columbia: a Theatre Royal stood in Victoria at Government and View street between 1861 and 1882. And, of course, Barkerville’s own Theatre Royal has a long history in British Columbia, being among its oldest, long-standing producing theatres.

Interestingly, regarding patent, extensive research conducted in the British Isles by historian Richard Wright determined that neither Barkerville nor Victoria were ever officially awarded a patent (nor likely even applied) to operate under so prestigious a designation.

However, this didn’t deter British performance-royalty, Charles and Ellen Kean, from engaging in an extended run in Victoria’s Theatre Royal from December 9th through 23rd of 1864 while on a world tour.

Charles Kean was one of Queen Victoria’s honoured Master of the Revels, and in keeping with traditional legitimate repertory, The Keans performed nine classics over nine evenings. This included King Henry VIII, Louis XI, The Jealous Wife, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, and Othello. Is it possible that this tour of great colonial and cultural significance had some influence on the vast number of Barkervillians wintering in Victoria that year? The question is, of course, rhetorical.

The origins of Barkerville’s own beloved theatre can be traced to a group of fifteen individuals in Barkerville and area who began holding performances as a Glee Club to raise funds for the Cariboo Literary Institute.

They were first recorded in 1865, but only because the Cariboo Sentinel began publications in June of that year and through which we have record of community events. It’s possible that the Glee Club were already active in 1864. One of their concerts was reported by the newspaper to be “the most creditable performance ever held in Cariboo,” adding, “We were glad to report the attendance of so large a number of ladies;” making note of the societal and community development during Barkerville’s first three years marking the change from mining camp to economic centre.

This particular concert featured Messrs T. Barry, G. Eaton, Frank Richards, Wm. Robertson, William Barry, Devine, Hudson, and Ramage, as well as Mr. Atcheson (sic) who “created roars of laughter by his execution of several comic songs,” Mr. Joshua Spencer Thompson who gave two noted recitations “in his usual manner,” and Mr. James Anderson who “created great enthusiasm by his very artistic rendering of several Scottish

New Years Eve Ball in the Theatre Royal, Barkerville, circa 1909; BC Archives C-09681

The Theatre Royal and Williams Creek Fire Brigade, July 1st, 1871; BC Archives A-03761

The Cariboo Amateur Dramatic Association, 1872; courtesy of Barkerville Archives

songs; the rapturous encores that followed each of his songs testified how highly they were appreciated by the audience.”

By September of 1865, the Glee Club had either grown into or merged with the Cariboo Amatuer Dramatic Association, sometimes referred to as the Barkerville Dramatic Society, and the group was performing weekly in the Parlor Saloon (the proprietor of which was perhaps the Glee Club’s same, Mr. T.J. Atchison). Although the movement of realism in acting was already prevalent by the early 19th century, the CADA concerned themselves with generally lighter fare and concerts, though this may not have always been the case as their work was critically recognized as “intelligent entertainment for all classes.”

Although amateurs, most of the CADA were well-educated, which for Victorian societal expectations included deportment and training in the fine arts: singing and musicianship, study of the classics, terpsichorean (dancing) decorum and skill, and speech and recitation skills. By today’s standards, their training would have been on par with many contemporary professional performers. Some other early members may have included later luminaries Mrs. Catherine Parker and Mrs. Elizabeth Kelly, as well as poet and entrepreneur, Miss Florence Wilson, and director, Mr. John Bowron (and later, his wife, Emily Edwards), of the literary institute. All five would become significant members of the CADA. It’s also true that some who joined the troupe over the years and lent their valuable time and effort to the worthy cause of camaraderie and community did not have the privilege of a high society upbringing.

Performers were sometimes documented by the local critic as displaying a noted nervousness and lack of vocal projection, but they were always heralded in the same review for overcoming their nerves and settling into the performance.

Their repertoire spanned popular British farces of the era, dramas, and even operas with local musicians forming the orchestra. Performance evenings usually included a formally rehearsed theatrical production followed by a recital including performances of ballads, comedic or variety songs (British Music Hall was only just beginning to grow in popularity and influence, and although it wouldn’t reach its apex for another few decades, its particular performance style was rooted in comedic songs), and popular music and sing-alongs of the era.

James Anderson gained notoriety as the Poet Laureate of Cariboo, partially for his updating of popular songs with lyrics pertinent to Barkerville society and mining life - pairing humour and wit with pathos. As the original melodies were well-known, the songs found their way along the creeks and into the mine shafts and Anderson’s work became extremely popular. While he doesn’t appear to have acted in the plays, he regularly recited his poetry and sang on performance evenings.

It is remarkable that the CADA performed as often as they did, as most, if not all, of their core members ran businesses, mines, boarding houses, or were tireless volunteers, labourers, parents, or were otherwise gainfully employed or occupied. The CADA clearly met and performed for an affection for and commitment to the work and community. The very fact that the CADA renamed the Parlor Saloon the Theatre Royal after they purchased the venue and converted it on May 11th, 1868, demonstrates how seriously they took their endeavour: Theatre Royals had an historic centuries-old legacy of performing serious (as in: legitimate, or, professional) content and it’s unlikely the CADA applied the name to their venue satirically. The Keans, afterall, only four years earlier, had likely offered inspiration by demonstrating the spirit and definition of legitimate theatre in Victoria’s Theatre Royal.

The CADA’s work was popular; the venue could hold up to 250 patrons, but this was not enough seating for audience demand. The tickets were initially quite expensive; the contemporary equivalent of between $75 to $250 per person, varying on the show and evening’s event.

In September of 1868 most of Barkerville was destroyed by a conflagration, including the newly converted Theatre Royal at a loss of $1,000 (approximately $50,000 today). The townsite was rebuilt with a formal, albeit rushed, plan and layout over the next few months, and the new Theatre Royal was located on a second storey above the firehall of the Williams Creek Fire Brigade.

While serving as the producing house for the CADA, the new Theatre Royal unveiled on January 16th, 1869, also functioned as a community hall, hosting Church Institute Nights, lectures, and community benefits. It was also a receiving house for popular professional travelling troupes such as Lafont and Wards, the McGinley Family Variety Troupe, a magician and ventriloquist named Martin the Wizard, and also a Chinese theatrical performance in 1872 which includ-

ed dragon dances, acrobatics, and traditional plays.

Barkerville entered a post-goldrush recession after the fire of 1868 and the CADA and its Theatre Royal faced financial hardship during its latter three decades.

Performances that had once been every week, relaxed to every fortnight, then dwindled to every month, and then acquiesced to every few months.

James Anderson left Barkerville in late 1871 and another three core members of the CADA left in late 1872. Regardless, John and Emily Bowron’s daughter, Lottie, remembered occasional performances put on by the CADA right through the late 1890s.

Lottie Bowron described the interior of the theatre to historian Michael Palmer in 1960 as having had a raised stage with a narrow lobby lined with fire buckets, a gallery reached by staircase from that lobby which spanned the width of the building, and bench seating in the auditorium. This description is not at all unlike the present-day venue which was rebuilt in the late 1930s (more on that next newsletter); this is also evidenced in a 1909 New Years Eve photograph.

Miss Bowron also shared with Palmer a picture of the stage wherein the wings were designed to look like rock, a back cloth was painted with mountain peaks and sky, and a drop curtain was hung from the proscenium. In its last decade, the CADA had rebranded as the Cariboo Amateur Dramatic and Athletic Association: the CADAA. Was the Theatre Royal in Barkerville ever an officially patented legitimate theatre in the eyes of the Crown?

Thorough research indicates that it was not. The real question is whether or not the venue and its performers were legitimate to the community of Barkerville, the Cariboo, and to the people of the colony (and later: province). The answer, of course, was a resounding yes then, and is a resounding yes now. A noble legacy that must be carried forth and honoured by the performer’s working on the stage deck underneath its proscenium-arch while entertaining both the tourists and the locals of today.

Copyright Brendan Bailey, 2022. This entry has been condensed from a chapter in the forthcoming book: Where the Past is Present: Loving Living History in Barkerville, BC., by the article’s author. For References and Sources, please inquire with the author.

–Brendan Bailey

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Buried Treasure

(Is it the Gold or the People?)

Miners came to Cariboo in search of gold.

Many died young, a few managed to grow old.

There were First Nations, Chinese, Europeans, North Americans.

Some of them never did return back to their home of origins.

Catholics and Chinese passed with stories and possessions concealed.

Laid to rest on the hillside in the cemetery of Richfield.

Barkerville, Cameronton, Marysville, some were destined to be temporary.

Permanent, is the place pioneers were laid to rest – Barkerville cemetery.

Scattered along the wagon road, individuals are buried in a grave.

Blessing is one of those poor souls resting alongside the road that we now pave.

Welsh and Chinese miners worked to bedrock on the bed of Lightning Creek.

Stanley cemetery became their final stop, as gold, they could no longer seek.

Quesnel Forks was where miners, packers, Quesnel, and Cariboo Rivers did meet.

A few buildings remain along with some graves that are dug as deep as 6 feet.

Keithley and Snowshoe creeks were rugged, cold, clear, and gold bearing.

All that remains are the graves of those that were brave and daring.

Quesnellemouth, now Quesnel, became a stopping point between remote Cariboo mines and long distances to home.

Pioneer cemetery on Carson Street under cover of firs, is home to those who no longer roam.

Still buried, are hidden treasures, not necessarily the mineral we call gold.

Little known or forgotten characters have stories yet to be uncovered and told –Grant Johannesen

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Stanley Cemetery Workbee After heavy snow levels this past winter, a hot dry period this summer, and wind events, the Stanley cemetery is in need of repair work. Trees blew down and damaged fence rails, grave enclosure picket rails, and a bench. On October 21, 2022, Robin Grady, Grant Johannesen, and Tony McDonald spent half a day bucking up blown-down trees and removing them from the cemetery. Brush and limbs of conifers were pruned and removed along trails, fences, and from in-front of signage.

The outhouse and the tri-sign displaying pictures of animals, plants, birds and information about Stanley needs the posts painted. Paint is peeling from fence rails and grave enclosure pickets and it will be necessary to sand and paint them.

Snow load and blown down trees have broken about 20 fence rails, some grave enclosure pickets and a bench had a metal leg broken off. The damaged fence boards, some picket fencing, and the bench leg need to be repaired or replaced.

We are pursuing a partnership with a company working in the Stanley area to help us with the work required at the Stanley Cemetery. Our hope is to action the repair work next summer.

The Friends maintain the Stanley Cemetery. We recently had a kiosk built, displaying pictures and information about people buried in the cemetery. It is worth taking a side trip on Stanley Road to visit the historic cemetery that became the resting place for Chinese, Welsh, and European miners.

–Grant Johannesen

Stanley Cemetery workbee photos, courtesy of Judy Johannesen

The Impact of Friends Are you considering getting involved with the Friends of Barkerville? You might be asking yourself just how much the Friends actually do for Barkerville and the surrounding goldfields in the way of promotion, preservation, and protection. Well, the proof is in the (holiday) pudding: your annual memberships go a long way. If you know anyone who wants to help, please encourage them to start by purchasing a membership for this year (active through April 30th) and then purchasing an annual membership for 2023 in May. Current perks of being a FOB-CGHS member are listed on the front page and under the Membership Report.

For those of you who are able to donate in other ways, whether it be with your time and skills, items for fundraising, or other monetary donations, the Friends have covered a lot of ground in the past: all the way from operating interpretative and demonstrative exhibits such the Cariboo Sentinel decades ago to operating a specialty store in the Barkerville Hotel for eight years. The Friends have contributed to expansive mobility upgrades, costly mobility equipment, costly first aid equipment, and new exhibit construction and development. The Friends have also funded critical research projects, publications, documentaries, archival curatorial projects, ‘edu-taining’ productions, and spent many years as a lobbyist group and funding resource.

They also conduct workbees on the 1861 Gold Rush Pack Trail, Cariboo Wagon Road, Van Winkle Trail, and Grouse Creek Trail, as well as leading snowshoe hikes along Williams Creek and the Richfield Cemetery, and hikes along the 1861 Gold Rush Pack Trail.

The Friends were involved in the preliminary revitalization of the Quesnelle Forks historic site in 1987 and ‘88 (long since managed by the Likely Cemetery Society), maintain the Stanley Cemetery, and have put tremendous effort into cemetery maintenance and beautification at Barkerville over the past 36 years.

From maintenance, beautification, installation, restoration, innovation, curation, interpretation, to education, over the last 36 years, the Friends have contributed to it all.

If you’d like to learn more, in our previous newsletter we featured an article recapping the early years of the Friends from the mid-80s through the early-90s titled A Blast from the Past by founding chair, Richard Wright. Furthermore, a cache of archival information regarding the work of the Friends is available on our website in the form of digitised past issues of our newsletters. While Covid slowed down our momentum for two years, just like the rest of the world, here’s a little sampling of what we’ve been up to over the last couple of decades (photos courtesy of former director, Lana Fox): • 2 annual scholarships of $500 awarded to students graduating secondary school and enrolled in post-secondary, weighted by demonstration of academic aptitude in historic research pertaining to local gold rush history.

• Sponsored the play Sawney’s Legacy in the 2022 Victoria Fringe Festival: site and regional promotion.

• Sponsored the Bonepicker documentary series 2015-present: site and regional promotion.

• Bought defibrillators (AED’s) at nearly $2,000 per unit for the site in 2019, 2020.

• Sponsored the spring The Phoenix Tour of the Newman & Wright’s 2019 Theatre Royal production: Mrs. McGinley’s Gold Rush Variety Show for communities impacted by wildfire in 2017/2018: site and regional promotion.

• Bought electric medi-scooters for the site at nearly $4,000 per unit in 2018.

• Built the kiosk at Stanley and added new informational signage across from the cemetery in 2017.

• Donated $5,000 towards the Richfield Cemetery project in 2016, as well as two bicycle stands for the VRC complete with combination locks and instructional material, and $2,000 for the construction of replacement headboards in the Stanley Cemetery (custom built by Andrew Glitherow).

• Donated $5,000 toward the Barker Company Shafthouse construction in 2015 (director Lana Fox had the honour of cutting the ribbon during the opening ceremonies), and $5,000 towards the Bonepicker: Gold Rush Backstories documentary series promoting the site and region.

• Hauled in and donated the Boiler (sitting beside the stamp mill) in 2014.

• Donated $5,000 towards wheel-chair accessibility from Barkerville to the cemetery (including benches).

• Donated $20,000 to the Canadian Claim revitalization in 2013. Installed the three-panelled signage at Stanley. The Friends were also instrumental in securing a grant to continue employing interpretive performance staff in the site.

–Lana Fox, Brendan Bailey, and Friends of Barkerville past and present

• Brought in a steel bridge (donated from Dunkley Mills through the Friends) for accessibility to Canadian Claim over Williams creek in 2010.

• Donated $19,000 towards repair of the stamp mill, and $10,000 for repair and stabilisation at Barkerville cemetery in 2008.

• Fundraised and contributed extensively to the construction of the (new at the time) Cornish Waterwheel and sold souvenir shares to the Canadian Claim for $5. The souvenir shares were playfully shilled by interpreters in conjunction with the Waterwheel Show,

The Cariboo Road

By River Nelson

The story of the Cariboo Gold Rush has been told many times over. Characters such as the formidable Judge Begbie and the fortunate Billy Barker have become famous for their roles in the history of the Cariboo Gold Rush. There are many stories about those motivated by the promise of unimaginable fortune who travelled far from home to the distant Cariboo Goldfields. These stories often overshadow the influential story in the history of the Cariboo Gold Rush: the construction of the Cariboo Road. Had there been no gold rush, it is unlikely that there would be a highway through the heartland of British Columbia.

The Cariboo Gold Rush began in 1858 when word spread in San Francisco that gold had been found in the Fraser River. Thousands of miners rushed to the Fraser River and eventually worked their way up into the Cariboo. The trail into the Cariboo was narrow at this time so the cost of transporting supplies into the Cariboo was extremely high. This created the need for a road into the Cariboo that was viable and efficient.

Governor James Douglas recognized the necessity for a road to the Cariboo and work commenced on the project in May 1862. The plan to build the four hundred mile road was daring and would require quarrying great expanses of rock across canyons of the

but were sold by the Friends through their office in the Barkerville Hotel. These shares accumulated $6,000 toward the wheel and Canadian Claim restoration. The Friends donated an additional $16,000 towards the wheel’s construction in 2006. Perhaps their greatest contributions, however, were their lobbying and their critical connections to West Fraser who donated the lumber, and to the Quesnel Antique Mill who milled the lumber, ultimately reducing the completed Cornish Waterwheel project cost by thousands.

• The Friends were the primary distributor of the 2006 republication of Bill Hong’s And So That’s How It Happened…

• Received the Fred Ludditt Achievement Award in recognition of contributions to Barkerville’s Development in 2000.

• Undertook the extensive and exhausting revitalization, marking, documenting, and mapping of the 1861 Goldrush Pack Trail (with thanks to the Goldrush Cycling Club who helped us brush a portion of the trail).

Thank you to all of our directors, members, benefactors, and volunteers over the years. We’ve done so much together, and yet there’s always more to do.

Good friends can always use a helping hand in order to lend a helping hand.

Fraser River. The road would span over a distance of four hundred miles and cross through sheer rock and over mighty torrents. Although this project would present many challenges, Governor Douglas believed that it was a paramount duty of the government to provide an accessible means of transport into the Cariboo.

The project was built by men from all walks of life with pickaxes and shovels. The project unfortunately did not proceed without significant problems. The contractors found it difficult to find enough men because many had left to follow the wild rumours of the untold riches the Cariboo had to offer. A violent outbreak of smallpox made matters worse by decreasing the supply of available workers even lower.

The Cariboo Road that spanned four hundred miles between Yale and Barkerville was completed in the fall of 1865. The road was the pride of British Columbia and an instant success. It would promote the initial development of numerous communities a cross British Columbia and withstand the heavy burden of gold being transported from the Cariboo Goldfields.

There are numerous old legends associated with the Cariboo Gold Rush that have been proven false: that Billy Barker was a member of the Royal Navy who deserted to follow the gold rush, that Barkerville was a crimeless gold rush society, and many others. A legend that would prove to be completely true is that camels

FOB-CGHS SCHOLARSHIP (in memory of Jerry Macdonald)

The Friends would first like to thank Ruby Nicholas and River Nelson for their submissions, and to congratulate them both for being awarded this year’s Jerry MacDonald Scholarship. Ruby Nicholas’ Letter to Mifflin Gibbs from the perspective of Rebecca Gibbs appeared in our last newsletter.

once carried supplies across the Cariboo Road.

Twenty-three camels that had been imported from the Gobi Desert in East Asia were sold to an entrepreneur named John Calbreath who intended to use them for the transport of supplies from Lillooet to Alexandria.

The idea was that since camels had worked well during the California Gold Rush, they would work just as well in the Cariboo. John Calbreath believed that camels would have an advantage over mules because they could carry twice as much. The harsh terrain of the Cariboo unfortunately proved to be difficult for camels and one of the camels stumbled off a cliff on the first trip. The owners also received many complaints from passerby as their horses would bolt in terror at the sight of the camels. The camels were soon to be retired and taken in at several different ranches.

The Cariboo Road has seen wagons, coaches, camels, mules, and the earliest steam traction engine used in North America. The road has echoed the steady steps of travellers far from home and the swift gallop of the outlaw’s horse. The road has listened to the lamentations of the disappointed and to the joy of the lucky few who struck it rich. The road is a road of history that has lasted many generations and still operates today as the Cariboo Highway.

Sources and References were provided with this essay submission.

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A ‘Dramatic’ Discovery

By Dawn Ainsley, Site Archaeologist

Clockwise from top: September 2021 excavation on northern side, facing Barkerville Hotel; buried mineshaft; 1865 photo Barker Co. shaft and shaft house; post fire photo of Scott & Lipsett 1868; recovered artifacts.

During the summer of 2021 the Theatre Royal remained closed to tourists and performers as Barkerville Historic Town & Park contracted the removal of the former failing foundation, and constructed a new foundation in order to aid with the continued preservation of the iconic 1930s building.

The initial research for the critical infrastructure project included studying archival files for the Theatre Royal / Williams Creek Fire Brigade (1869-1937), the current community hall / Theatre Royal (1937 – present), the Phoenix Saloon (1869-1872), and the Arcade Billiard Saloon (1867-1936). Features we expected

1865 photo and 1863 Toft painting, comparing and matching features

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to find included refuse, previous flooded layers of the theatre flooring, as well as the boardwalk and 1868 fire layer. Not much was expected outside of the footprint of the theatre as there has been previous infrastructure work done on and around the building.

Preparation for the project began in mid-August with the excavation portion of the project beginning the first week of September. The excavation was divided into three segments. Starting with the structure’s mid-section, there was a week of active digging followed by a week of setting the forms and pouring the concrete under the walls of each section. Due to seasonal high water, freeze/thaw, and the theatre being located over the original creek bed, we did not install a concrete floor. Our project went to a maximum 9 foot depth below surface. The excavation was completed in mid-October, and the project wrapped-up in November.

During the excavation we encountered many expected, and unexpected, features. Refuse was found off most doors of the current building, with date ranges from the 1860s to present; the largest concentration being off the North doors (facing Barkerville Hotel) from the wing to the façade. There was no natural stratigraphy to the material below the theatre; it was very much representative of gray tailings. An unexpected feature found associated with the current building was a cement encasement for the original wood furnace system with bricks from the chimney found nearby.

by July of 1864, but the Barker Co. was still mining on the creek until 1875, according to the mining accounts recorded in the Cariboo Sentinel, as well as into the 1880’s indicated by other archival evidence.

The Barker Co. sank several shafts on the creek, but appear to have remained focused on this general location throughout their tenure. Archival references from several key individuals seem to point out Barker’s Shaft as being located behind or beside the TR/WCFB as a point of interest. The post that was encountered during excavation would have been from the flume, as it lines up with the shaft location. After examining many historic photos, the Barker Co. shaft house has now been identified in several of them.

Research is still ongoing as there was so much material to process. Ideally, I would like to be able to excavate the shaft location further to see what lay beyond our project depth. But, for now, there are still archival files, photographs, floatation samples, and newspapers to explore for more tidbits of the early Williams Creek/ Barkerville lives. It cannot be said with absolute certainty that this is Barker’s discovery shaft, but it can certainly be said to be a Barker Company shaft.

Examination of all the evidence thus far is promising.

Once I have retrieved the drone footage from Tofts vantage point, I would like to get footage from both of Whymper’s vantage points for further comparison.

Now, if you can imagine standing the Theatre Royal up to face the main street with the stage wings as arms, our mine shaft would be in the Heart of the Theatre Royal!

Copyright Dawn Ainsley, 2022. Sources and References were provided with this essay submission. All photos courtesy Dawn Ainsley and Barkerville Historic Town & Park.

First building on right is Scott & Lipsett, Theatre Royal / Williams Creek Fire Brigade on left 1869

Several other features that were uncovered included an outhouse under the south wall, remnants of a structure under the south wing, decayed wood from original Theatre Royal/Williams Creek Fire Brigade (TR / WCFB) building floor and support footings, dark ash/ stain layer, a wood post, and most surprisingly: a mine shaft!

Due to the time constraint for completing the project, it was determined that the shaft could not be preserved. We put the material from inside the shaft to the side so that I could examine it once the excavation from that section was completed. Cribbed timbers made up the outside, with a mix of material inside including modern objects near the surface and a base formed of a hard mixture of diatomite and limestone.

Artifacts collected from the shaft included various animal bones (including a duck skull), keys, bottles, textile, nails, newsprint, human hair, and a pocket watch. Bottles ranged in dates from the 1860’s to the early 1900’s and they included Ed Pineau / Paris (perfume), Dr. Kilmer’s Swamp Root, Holloways pills and Chesebrough Vaseline. The pocket watch was a Waltham aprox.ca.1905, and dates retrieved from the newsprint were 1898 & 1908. It is apparent that the shaft was being reused for waste and cess disposal during this time frame. The organic waste and human cess were found within a narrow band third of the way down into the shaft, the pocket watch was found within this layer.

Through archival research utilising an extensive photographic collection, as well as file and newspaper

searches, I was able to determine that this was a Barker Company shaft. Interestingly, it was in the approximate location of the original discovery shaft.

My research began with a post-fire photo of Scott & Lipsett’s Arcade & Billiards Saloon (one of the few surviving buildings after the 1868 fire, owing to the proprietor using water from the Barker flume to protect the building). The Theatre Royal/ Williams Creek Fire Brigade is built directly to the north of the surviving building and this is seen in many photos of the two buildings up until their demolition. There are also references in the Cariboo Sentinel regarding consultation with the Barker Co. for the building’s construction as it would lay next to their workings and also required the removal of a Barker Co. water wheel.

There are other archival references indicating that the shaft was open as late as 1898, as it had still been worked into the late 1870’s and was an attraction to share with newcomers to town. The renditions of Williams Creek and the Barker Claim come from two artists, Toft and F. Whymper (2 paintings) 1863, who both painted the claim from varied vantage points.

The earliest photograph is from 1865. I am currently working on securing drone footage from the Canadian Claim (which was Toft’s vantage point) to compare with the landscape to see how the painting line-up with the Theatre Royal shaft location. Preliminary comparisons line up very well, but to get more precise data I needed to consider that the original vantage point has since been hydraulic-ed away.

Billy Barker had sold off his shares to the Barker Co.

Book Review From Denmark to Cariboo: The Epic Journey of the Lindhard Sisters by Linda Peterat (Heritage House Publishing, 2022; $26.95).

This historical account is a delight to read as Peterat has accomplished a great feat in combining an excellent narrative with comprehensive research, such that the writing flows with the ease of a novel but is interspersed with informative, supportive, and interesting historical background and anecdotes (a comprehensive list of citations and sources is provided). The descriptions of historic life and the social and cultural influences of the era are transportative and span from Denmark to Cariboo, Victoria to San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Calgary to Florida.

I was pulled into Peterat’s work quickly as in her Introduction she describes being drawn into history as navigating a jigsaw puzzle with compelling missing pieces (a metaphor sometimes also used on guided performance tours in Barkerville to describe the process of museology) and then addressed the obstacle of presentism in historical interpretation.

Presentism was originally a theatrical approach applied during the directorial interpretation of Shakespearean works wherein the director was concerned with how the literal present conditions the contemporary cast and audience’s interpretation of the past. It is also a perspective by which events of the past are interpreted or judged, often unfairly, by present-day ethical, societal, and moral standards or from a position of distanced privilege.

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Peterat explains: “my interpretations risk a bias of interpreting past events and conditions through my own twenty-first-century perspective.” This self-awareness from an historian and author is an affirmation of their dedication to the ethical responsibility of accuracy and observation in their work.

Much has been written about Barkerville’s economic activities and society in the 1860s, but the journey of the Lindhard sisters focuses on life in the nearby communities of Van Winkle, Stanley, and Cottonwood House in the 1870s through 1890s (the Friends maintain the Stanley Cemetery, a point of interest for visitors on their way to Wells-Barkerville today, and we have recently reopened -as a wilderness mountain biking trail- the 15.5 mile/25km Stanley to Richfield portion of the Cariboo Waggon Road). A comprehensive description of their travels, including stops of interest in the 1870s, historic observations, societal influences on gender roles with opportunities for progressive change, and objective descriptions of community infrastructure and economy, breathe life into the past.

Peterat also delves into the regional history of the prior two decades in order to give context to the relationships and socio-economic activity she expands upon.

An entertaining and informative read, divided into each of the three sister’s journeys including their families and associates, this compilation of research and narrative story-telling is an excellent addition to any history, Canadiana, feminist, human interest, and non-fiction library alike. It is also a superb reference and compendium for researchers and interpreters of the era.

I hope you enjoy it as I have. The next time you visit Cottonwood House, Stanley, and Barkerville, your perspective for what once was, what lives were lived there, and of what the wilderness has reclaimed, will be vastly widened thanks to Peterat’s enlightening, entertaining, and resonant work. In fact, a visitor to the Stanley Cemetery today will find Caroline’s first husband, J.W. Lindhard, laid to rest in 1873. I recommend that you add From Denmark to Cariboo to your holiday gift list.

–Brendan Bailey

Membership Report

Memberships are an important component of our society. As noted in The Impact of Friends, the revenue produced through annual memberships gives the society leave to be extremely active in the areas of Promotion, Protection, and Preservation of Barkerville Historic Town & Park and the surrounding Cariboo Goldfields.

Our Year-to-Date membership is currently 87 persons, including Society Directors and former Directors. This is the sum of 50 memberships (37 couples, 13 singles).

16 memberships were purchased via Paypal on our website, 16 memberships were purchased from Society Directors, 14 memberships were purchased through the Barkerville Visitor Reception Centre, 2 were lifetime memberships awarded to past directors for decades of service, and 2 were one-year memberships awarded to past directors for years of service.

The low membership this year can be attributed to the pandemic, lack of comprehension for both the legacy work and present work of the society, an increasing lack of promotion in sites such as Barkerville Historic Town & Park, and reduction and/or alteration of previous membership ‘perks.’

Current perks include: 20% discount on Barkerville Historic Town & Park admission, 10% discount on a day pass at Troll Ski Resort, 10% discount at Barkerville Brewing, a free ice cream at the Frog on the Bog Gifts, and a free flight of beer at the Bricklayer Brewing company in Chilliwack.

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Through the distribution of our newsletter, fundraising events such as our Bloody Good Bash!, education of new Barkerville site staff, sponsorship in return for visibility, and through society activity, we will continue to rebuild our base of members and support for the Friends so that we can, in turn, continue to support Barkerville Historic Town & Park with maintenance, development, and curation, maintain and restore trails, promote the site and region, and inspire our upcoming generations to seek lessons for the future in the past.

Are you interested in a membership? Over the winter you can purchase a membership to the society either through the directors or via our website: friendsofbakerville.ca Let’s be Friends (of Barkerville)!

–Emily and Brendan Bailey

Newsletter Report

Our second-last newsletter was issued this time a year ago with thanks to editor and designer, Lana Fox. We remodelled the newsletter last June to test whether or not it could again serve as an adequate fundraising opportunity for the society as well as an entertaining and informative update for members. The newsletter is e-mailed digitally to all former and present Friends of Barkerville membership holders (mailed to select members by request), it is posted digitally on our website, and is posted digitally on our facebook page which has a reach of over 5,000 persons. The digital copies of our last newsletter were issued in colour. We then printed 500 black and white paper copies of the newsletter, 400 of which were available via suggested donation to the society through a number of locations: The Quesnel Visitor Centre, The Barkerville Visitor Reception Centre, The Frog on the Bog Gifts, The Wells Hotel, The Sunrise Cafe, Barkerville Brewing, The House Hotel, Rocky Peak, Sarras Stage and Recording Retreat, and the Goldfields Bakery. The collected donations ($442), as well as the inclusion of local advertisements, covered the expense of printing and even brought $100 to the society after expenses.

This, while promoting the Friends, providing interest articles, providing updates on society activity, educating, and also promoting other local sites and businesses in the goal of the preservation, protection, and promotion of Barkerville and the surrounding Cariboo Goldfields. We intend to resume quarterly publications in 2023, and hope that you enjoy! Our previous editions are available at friendsofbarkerville.ca.

Thank you to Connor Kenney and Dirk Van Stralen for the design layout of this newsletter.

–Brendan Bailey

With Thanks

This past AGM, our Founding Chair, Richard Wright, and former Secretary, Cameron Graham, resigned from the board of directors. Our deepest thanks for your hard work, dedication, and passion, both of you.

Richard has been a Director since 1985 (as Founding Chair). The author of over 22 books and hundreds of articles, his Barkerville and the Cariboo Goldfields, Heritage House, 2013 (as well as previous editions dating back to 1984), is considered the definitive guide to Barkerville Historic Town & Park. He is also a former director for Heritage BC and the Barkerville Heritage Trust. Alongside partner, Amy Newman, as Newman & Wright Productions, Richard was the contracted proprietor of the Theatre Royal for nearly two decades; 2004 through 2019, N&W are the present Project Managers for the Cariboo Waggon Road Restoration Project, and the award-winning documentary filmmakers behind Bonepicker: Gold Rush Backstories. Richard’s continuing contributions to Barkerville

date back to the 1970s and it is without question that Richard is among Barkerville’s most significant and pivotal players in the site’s museological history as well as being one of the most significant contributors to the site’s museological and archival database. In recognition of this (ongoing) work, in 2012, Richard was presented the President’s Award by the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association. Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, Richard, and we look forward to your correspondence and guidance as a society member.

Cameron has been a Director since 2017 and took on the executive role as Secretary in 2022. A Planning Coordinator for West Fraser in Quesnel, he was raised in Merritt, BC, where he enjoyed sports (namely rugby and hockey) and the outdoors, frequently camping and fishing around the area. His passion for the outdoors pushed him to pursue a career in forestry and after 5 years at UBC he graduated and was offered a position with West Fraser. Thank you for the last five years of dedicated volunteerism with the Friends, Cam, and we also look forward to your continued correspondence and insight as a society member.

Of special note, we would also like to recognize former director, Lana Fox, who stepped down as a director during our previous AGM in mid-November of 2021.

Lana has been a director with the Friends since shortly after its inception, is a superb researcher and historical knowledge resource, was the editor of the newsletter in recent years, and continues to remain involved as a society member. Thank you, Lana.

We welcome Hayley Archer to the board for a one-year term. Hayley brings with her a great deal of experience serving on the boards of other organizations, is a community relations professional, educator, spent many years working in Barkerville, and resides in Wells.

Welcome, Hayley!

We welcome Rocky Nenka to the board for a one-year term. Rocky brings to the board experience in business operation and management, society governance, and a passion for seeing Barkerville reach its full potential.

Rocky is the Commerce Manager for Barkerville Historic Town & Park. Welcome, Rocky!

–Brendan Bailey and the Friends