Deep in the wild country called New Caledonia, gold was discovered in the rivers and creeks in 1858. First in the Fraser River on gravel bars that would become world famous and set off a massive gold rush into unchartered lands.
Thousands of Argonauts would leave their homes and set out from across the world, the final destination would be at Hope and beyond as the thousand of miners ascended on the bars of the Fraser River. It soon became apparent that the gold would run out.
So the hardy and experienced gold prospectors set out heading upstream, finding gold in increasing quantities as they went. First to Lytton, Gold Bridge, Churn Creek, the Chilcotin and to the Quesnel.
In the spring of 1859 the Quesnel River was occupied by the advancing miners who wandered from bar to bar, who looked further afield for coarser gold and more of it. Late in the season of 1859 a definite report came that the search for gold on the Quesnel had been successful, and in the spring of 1860 the Cariboo Gold Rush was on.
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