How did Barkerville burn down?

Decline. On September 16, 1868, Barkerville was destroyed by a fire that spread quickly through the wooden buildings.

What was Barkerville like at its peak?

The layout is much like it was at its peak, although there was less grass! In its heyday, Barkerville was a bustling town, full of the excitement of new discoveries in the west. It was even the biggest city north of San Francisco and west of Chicago and the pride of British Columbia.

How was Barkerville created?

Barkerville National Historic Site of Canada is located on Williams Creek in eastern British Columbia. The historic town was founded in 1862 after the discovery of significant gold deposits in the Cariboo gold fields, but was destroyed by fire in 1868.

Is there still gold in Barkerville?

In Wells, the hard-rock gold mining takes place on a large scale, but in Barkerville — and all those little creeks — it’s more mobile, and one on a smaller scale, something called “placer mining.” Yes, people still walk around these parts with gold bars in their pockets, but with boom comes bust.

When did the fire in Barkerville New York happen?

On September 16, 1868, Barkerville was destroyed by a fire that spread quickly through the wooden buildings. Rebuilding began immediately, and at an impressive pace. Within six weeks, ninety buildings had been rebuilt. Boardwalks were improved, and the narrow and winding main street was widened and straightened.

How long did it take to rebuild Barkerville after fire?

On September 16, 1868, Barkerville was engulfed by fire which spread through all the dry-as-tinder wooden buildings. Within two and a half hours, only a handful of buildings were left standing. Winter was approaching, so they had to rebuild fast. Within six weeks, over ninety percent of the building were rebuilt.

What’s the history of the town of Barkerville?

Today, Barkerville appears as it did in its heyday and is referred to as Barkerville Historic Town and Park. The history of each building has been researched and documented. No residents remain; they were either bought out or moved to New Barkerville during the restoration of the site.

Who was responsible for the burning of Barkerville?

This, the only known manuscript account of the burning of Barkerville on Sept. 16, 1868, was composed by Mr. Frederick Dally, one of the town’s photographers. Editor’s note: Some grammatical and punctuation changes were made to this manuscript to render it more easily readable.