Just like other places in the late 1800s hydraulic and drift mining driven by mining companies and syndicates quickly replaced hand mining techniques. On McCullough Creek pay streaks averaged 1/8 of an ounce per yard for many years. In 1865 miners were bringing out multiple ounces per day to the man on some claims. A 14 ounce nugget was reported to be found on French Creek and numerous smaller nuggets were also found.

Other notable creeks in the area are Carnes Creek, Downie Creek, McCullough Creek, and the Goldstream River. The lake network allowed boat passengers to travel from areas as far South as the US border. Many of the prospectors reached the area on steamboats via the Arrow Lakes which make up part of the Columbia River. Steamboats were a major factor during the big bend gold rush. The inhabitants came mostly from the Wild Horse area and other areas in BC. Other important towns of the rush were La Porte and Downie Creek. Nothing is left today but during the rush French Creek had a general store, saloons with cabaret shows, barber shops and of course brothels. Within the first year the town reached a population of over 4000 people. As in other gold rushes a town was quickly erected named French Creek City. In 1865 gold was discovered on French Creek which is straight North of Revelstoke. This region encompasses several different mountain ranges including the Selkirks, the Cariboo Mountains, the Monashees and the Rocky Mountains. The Big Bend refers to the shape of the Columbia River as it makes a huge detour at the continental divide. 1865 Big Bend Gold Rush 1897 Map of the Big Bend Area Their adventurous spirit was rewarded greatly and eventually led them into the Yukon and Alaska. As time went on gold hungry adventurers pushed further in the wild North of the Canadian West coast. In part one of the top ten gold rushes of BC we covered the early gold rushes primarily in the Southern regions.

Golden nugget near me