Horsefly, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Horsefly, formerly known as Harper's Camp, is an unincorporated community in the Cariboo
region of British Columbia
, Canada
. It is located between the Cariboo Mountains
and Quesnel Lake
and borders Wells Gray Provincial Park
.
Horsefly River
and Horsefly Lake
were given their names by the miners who came to the area during the Cariboo Gold Rush
and were greeted by masses of pesky horseflies, but the village of Horsefly was known as Harper's Camp until approximately 1920 when it was changed to Horsefly.
The first major gold discovery of the Cariboo Gold Rush was made on the Horsefly River by Peter Dunlevy in 1859. More goldseekers soon arrived and a town was built near the site of Dunlevy's strike including several hotels, a store and a post office.
Then in 1887, the area experienced a second boom when Thaddeus Harper built and operated the first of several hydraulic mines
and the town became known as Harper's Camp. One of these mines was also known as Horsefly.
based economy. Sockeye salmon
return each fall to spawn
in the Horsefly River.
Horsefly offers all the amenities to locals and visitors, including a general store, grocery store, gas station, hardware store, museum, motel and a neighbourhood pub.
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...
. It is located between the Cariboo Mountains
Cariboo Mountains
The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...
and Quesnel Lake
Quesnel Lake
Quesnel Lake is a glacial lake or fjord in British Columbia, Canada, and is the origin of the Quesnel River. With a maximum depth of 610 meters , it is the deepest lake in British Columbia, though not the deepest lake in Canada, as is often claimed. That distinction belongs to Great Slave Lake...
and borders Wells Gray Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres...
.
Horsefly River
Horsefly River
The Horsefly River is a river in the Cariboo district of British Columbia, Canada. Originating near the Wells Gray Provincial Park, it is a tributary to the Quesnel River, which in turn is a major tributary of the Fraser River. The Horsefly River is a spawning ground for sockeye, chinook and coho...
and Horsefly Lake
Horsefly Lake
Horsefly Lake is a lake in the eastern Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It lies at the head of the Horsefly River, a tributary of the Quesnel River, and is one of several large lakes at the verge of the Cariboo Plateau and the Cariboo Mountains ; Quesnel Lake,...
were given their names by the miners who came to the area during the Cariboo Gold Rush
Cariboo Gold Rush
The Cariboo Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Although the first gold discovery was made in 1859 at Horsefly Creek, followed by more strikes at Keithley Creek and Antler Horns lake in 1860, the actual rush did not begin until 1861, when these discoveries were...
and were greeted by masses of pesky horseflies, but the village of Horsefly was known as Harper's Camp until approximately 1920 when it was changed to Horsefly.
History
Then in 1887, the area experienced a second boom when Thaddeus Harper built and operated the first of several hydraulic mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and the town became known as Harper's Camp. One of these mines was also known as Horsefly.
Modern day
Today the village of Horsefly is a popular tourist destination with a forestryForestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
based economy. Sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon , also called red salmon or blueback salmon in the USA, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it...
return each fall to spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
in the Horsefly River.
Horsefly offers all the amenities to locals and visitors, including a general store, grocery store, gas station, hardware store, museum, motel and a neighbourhood pub.