70 Mile House, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Cariboo
The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia along a plateau stretching from the Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the woodland caribou that were once abundant in the region...
region of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Its name is derived from its distance from Lillooet
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
, which was Mile 0 of the Old Cariboo Road
Old Cariboo Road
The Old Cariboo Road is a reference to the original wagon road to the Cariboo gold fields in what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia...
. Other examples of towns named by their distance from Lillooet on the Old Cariboo Road are 93 Mile House
93 Mile House
93 Mile House is an unincorporated community in the South Cariboo region of British Columbia. It is at the junction of Highway 24 and Highway 97. It is located approximately 11 km south of 100 Mile House. 93 Mile House was the name of a roadhouse built to serve travellers on the Cariboo Road...
, 100 Mile House, and 150 Mile House
150 Mile House, British Columbia
150 Mile House is an unincorporated settlement of 893 people in the Cariboo region of British Columbia.It is located 15 km south of Williams Lake on Highway 97....
. In its heyday, 70 Mile House was a frequent stop for stagecoaches, such as the ones ran by Barnard's Express
Barnard's Express
Barnard's Express, later known as the British Columbia Express Company or BX, was a pioneer transportation company that served the Cariboo and Fraser Fort George regions in British Columbia, Canada from 1861 until 1921....
and for Cataline
Cataline
Cataline was the nickname given to Jean Caux or Jean-Jacques Caux, the most famous mule packer of the Canadian West.-Biography:In different biographies Cataline has been recorded as being born in Mexico, Spain and France...
's mule train.
History
70 Mile House was the first stopping place built on the Old Cariboo RoadCariboo Road
The Cariboo Road was a project initiated in 1860 by the colonial Governor of British Columbia, James Douglas...
. Charles Adrian pre-empted the land in 1862 and built a roadhouse
Roadhouse (facility)
A roadhouse is a commercial establishment typically built on a major road or highway, to service passing travellers. Its meaning varies slightly by country.-USA:...
on the property. The roadhouse was used in the winter of 1862-1863 by pioneer roadbuilder Gustavus Blin Wright
Gustavus Blin Wright
Gustavus Blin Wright was a pioneer roadbuilder and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. His biggest achievement was building the Old Cariboo Road to the Cariboo gold fields, from Lillooet to Fort Alexandria, but he was also a partner in a freighting firm that operated on the Douglas Road, he...
as a camp for his labors.
Then, in the spring of 1863, Wright purchased the property and leased it to other operators until 1869 when he sold it to JM Roberts and Edward Fisher. They in turn sold the roadhouse in 1875 to John and William Saul. The Saul's sold it to William Boyd in the 1880's, and he and his family operated it for twenty years.