Harry McDame
Encyclopedia
Henry "Harry" McDame was a Bahamas-born prospector in the California
and British Columbia gold rushes
. He arrived in the Colony of British Columbia
in 1858, along with many other blacks from California encouraged to move to the colony by Governor James Douglas
and took up land near modern-day Quesnel
. He and his neighbour at Quensellemouthe, Robert Giscome, explored and established a major route to the Peace River Gold Rush at what became known as Giscome Portage
, connecting the northern bend of the Fraser River
with the Parsnip River
, thereby connecting the Fort George area to the Peace and, by a roundabout route, to the Omineca River
goldfields. They explored the Peace
, Nation
and Smoky River
s, as reported in a column in the British Colonist, December 15, 1863. They prospected on Germansen Creek in the Omineca
area in 1870, but in 1874, like thousands of others, went to the Cassiar Country
following reports of rich gold deposits around Dease Lake
.
McDame and Giscome, with other partners, formed the Discovery Company and staked on what became known as McDame's Creek (McDame Creek today). British Columbia Mines Reports for 1874 for this area, by Gold Commissioner
J.H. Sullivan, comment "I learn that a new creek has been discovered...now known as McDame's Creek"...."Within 30 days they had extracted gold valued at $6000" (approx. $250,000 today). In 1877 McDame Creek was the location of the find of a gold nugget
weighing 72 ounces, worth $1,300 at the time (≈$52,000 today) and which is the largest nugget found in British Columbia's history. McDame mined with his partners in this area until the early 1880s when McDame returned to the Omineca, discovering gold on Lorne Creek in 1884, but went broke later in the year and wound up in hospital in Victoria, British Columbia
. He returned to the Omineca after his recovery, staking with a new partner, Sam Booth, and died in that region sometime before 1901.
, originally known as McDame Post or McDame's Creek Post, which was sold to the Hudson's Bay Company
in 1875 and has also been known as Fort McDame. McDames Creek Indian Reserve No.2
is located in the same area and is named for the creek, which in the Kaska language
is known as Kasha (the source word for the term "Cassiar", referring to fibrous rock - or a crow).
McDame also prospected in other areas, such as the Skeena
, which was another route to both the Omineca and Cassiar gold districts; there he conferred a few placenames including Chimdemash Creek, the meaning of which is not known.
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
and British Columbia gold rushes
British Columbia Gold Rushes
The presence of gold in the region that is now British Columbia is mentioned in old legends that, in part, led to its discovery. The Strait of Anian, claimed to have been sailed by Juan de Fuca for whom today's Strait of Juan de Fuca is named, was described as passing through a land "rich in gold,...
. He arrived in the Colony of British Columbia
Colony of British Columbia
The Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1866. At its creation, it physically constituted approximately half the present day Canadian province of British Columbia, since it did not include the Colony of Vancouver Island, the vast and still largely...
in 1858, along with many other blacks from California encouraged to move to the colony by Governor James Douglas
James Douglas (Governor)
Sir James Douglas KCB was a company fur-trader and a British colonial governor on Vancouver Island in northwestern North America, particularly in what is now British Columbia. Douglas worked for the North West Company, and later for the Hudson's Bay Company becoming a high-ranking company officer...
and took up land near modern-day Quesnel
Quesnel, British Columbia
-Demographics:Quesnel had a population of 9,326 people in 2006, which was a decrease of 7.1% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Quesnel was $54,044, which is slightly above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709....
. He and his neighbour at Quensellemouthe, Robert Giscome, explored and established a major route to the Peace River Gold Rush at what became known as Giscome Portage
Giscome Portage
The Giscome Portage was a portage between the Fraser River and Summit Lake in British Columbia, Canada. The south end of the portage is now the location of a heritage site, the Huble Homestead, which is located on the Fraser River, 40 km north of Prince George and 6 km off Highway...
, connecting the northern bend of the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
with the Parsnip River
Parsnip River
The Parsnip River is a 240 km long river in central British Columbia, Canada. It flows generally north-westward from the Parsnip Glacier in the Hart Ranges to the Parsnip Reach of Williston Lake, formed by the impounding of the waters of the Peace River by the W.A.C. Bennett Dam in 1968...
, thereby connecting the Fort George area to the Peace and, by a roundabout route, to the Omineca River
Omineca River
Omineca River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows into the Williston Lake, and is part of the Peace River basin. It was originally a tributary of the Finlay River before the creation of Lake Williston.-References:...
goldfields. They explored the Peace
Peace River (Canada)
The Peace River is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River flows into the Slave River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River. The Mackenzie is the 12th longest river in the world,...
, Nation
Nation River
Nation River may refer to:* South Nation River in Ontario* Petite-Nation River in Quebec* Nation River , a tributary of the Peace River in British Columbia...
and Smoky River
Smoky River
Smoky River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River. The descriptive name refers to the presence of "smouldering beds of coal in the riverbank" noted by the Cree Indians....
s, as reported in a column in the British Colonist, December 15, 1863. They prospected on Germansen Creek in the Omineca
Omineca Gold Rush
The Omineca Gold Rush was a gold rush in British Columbia, Canada in the Omineca region of the Northern Interior of the province. Gold was first discovered there in 1861, but the rush didn't begin until late in 1869 with the discovery at Vital Creek....
area in 1870, but in 1874, like thousands of others, went to the Cassiar Country
Cassiar Country
The Cassiar Country, also referred to simply as the Cassiar, is one of the historical geographic regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
following reports of rich gold deposits around Dease Lake
Dease Lake (British Columbia)
Dease Lake is a lake in the Stikine Plateau of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located at the head of the Dease River, which flows north then northeast from the lake to join the Liard River...
.
McDame and Giscome, with other partners, formed the Discovery Company and staked on what became known as McDame's Creek (McDame Creek today). British Columbia Mines Reports for 1874 for this area, by Gold Commissioner
Gold Commissioner
Gold Commissioner was an important regional administrative post in the Colony of British Columbia.In the 1860s, Governor Douglas had three priorities to protect the two colonies he governed: to protect the boundaries, to uphold law and order and to provide access to the gold fields...
J.H. Sullivan, comment "I learn that a new creek has been discovered...now known as McDame's Creek"...."Within 30 days they had extracted gold valued at $6000" (approx. $250,000 today). In 1877 McDame Creek was the location of the find of a gold nugget
Gold nugget
A gold nugget is a naturally occurring piece of native gold. Watercourses often concentrate and grow the nuggets. Nuggets are recovered by placer mining, but they are also found in residual deposits where the gold-bearing veins or lodes are weathered...
weighing 72 ounces, worth $1,300 at the time (≈$52,000 today) and which is the largest nugget found in British Columbia's history. McDame mined with his partners in this area until the early 1880s when McDame returned to the Omineca, discovering gold on Lorne Creek in 1884, but went broke later in the year and wound up in hospital in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. He returned to the Omineca after his recovery, staking with a new partner, Sam Booth, and died in that region sometime before 1901.
Legacy
In addition to McDame Creek, also named for him was McDameMcDame, British Columbia
McDame, also known originally as McDame Post or McDames Creek Post and also known as Fort McDame is an abandoned settlement in the Cassiar Country of the Northern Interior of British Columbia,...
, originally known as McDame Post or McDame's Creek Post, which was sold to the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
in 1875 and has also been known as Fort McDame. McDames Creek Indian Reserve No.2
McDames Creek 2
McDames Creek 2 is a Statistics Canada census designation for what is properly known as McDames Creek Indian Reserve No. 2, which flanks both sides of the Dease River at its confluence with McDame Creek. See Harry McDame and McDame for name origin information...
is located in the same area and is named for the creek, which in the Kaska language
Kaska language
Kaska is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Kaska people in the southeastern Yukon territory and northern British Columbia in Canada.-References:***...
is known as Kasha (the source word for the term "Cassiar", referring to fibrous rock - or a crow).
McDame also prospected in other areas, such as the Skeena
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
, which was another route to both the Omineca and Cassiar gold districts; there he conferred a few placenames including Chimdemash Creek, the meaning of which is not known.
Further reading
- BC Historical News, Vol 18, No.3, 1985