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| Barkerville is an authentically reconstructed mining town of about 125 heritage buildings in the heart of the Cariboo Gold Country, British Columbia. In 1862, Billy Barker, a Welshman,found gold on Williams Creek, a discovery that started a rush of fortune seekers from all over the world. Between 1862 and 1870, over 10,000 people travelled the Cariboo Wagon Road from the West Coast into the interior, converging on the gold fields to seek their fortunes. Along the highway to Barkerville, where stage coaches and pack horses once travelled, there are historical points of interest with such intriguing names as Robber's Roost and Devil's Canyon. In its heyday, Barkerville was reputed to be the largest city west of Chicago and north of San Francisco. In fact, at that time, Victoria, the present capital of B.C., was a small port settlement of less than 200. |