British Columbia and Yukon Gold Hunters

Although the 1848 discovery of gold in California was the first bonanza to trigger an invasion of migrants to North America’s Pacific Coast, it was relatively short-lived. Soon, grander findings farther north led to an even greater influx of gold hunters. In 1851, a twenty-seven-ounce gold nugget was found on Haida Gwaii, ushering in fifty years of gold fever that brought a wave of Californians to the Fraser River and then farther inland to the gold-laden creeks of the Cariboo.

In this masterful collection of stories, historical images, and handcrafted maps, Donald Waite celebrates the human quest for gold. In addition to the best-known stories of gold hunters—including those who participated in the Cariboo rush to Barkerville and the 100,000 souls who clawed their way toward Yukon—Waite introduces many lesser-known discoveries and characters who became legendary during BC and Yukon’s first century.