Wandering through the overgrown foilage near the confluence of the Quesnel
and something rivers, it is hard to imagine that this was once the site
of a bustling 'metropolis' of the day in 1859. Older than Barkerville and
a true 'ghost town' (unlike Barkerville which was never uninhabited). The
town of Quesnelle Forks was the largest settlement north of San Franscisco,
if only for a brief time. When the began to pan out and more was found on
creeks further north (such as Antler and Grouse), Quesnelle Forks days were
numbered. The death knell came when the decision was made to bypass the
Forks in favour of another route during the construction of the Cariboo
Waggon Road.
Today, the Barkerville-Cariboo Goldfields Historical Society, the Ministry
of Small Business, Tourism and Culture and a local Quesnelle Forks Historical
Society are working together to help salvage some of the remains of the
once proud town of 5,000. Included among the remaining treasures is one
of the oldest Chinese tong (free mason's society) houses in Canada.
Also in the immediate vicinity of Quesnelle Forks and Likely is the famous
Bullion Pit, the largest man-made open-pit gold mine in the province. It's
BIG!!!
For more information about this fascinating historical footnote, visit
Likely and drop in to speak with Henry Hicks, founder of the Quesnelle Museum
and Historical Society and a character in his own right.
Phone 790-2300 · Fax 790-2517
Box 77 Likely, B.C. V0L 1N0
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This page last updated September 28, 1996
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