Seasons of Gold: an Environmental History of the Carib00 Gold Rush
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SEASONS OF GOLD: AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF THE CARIB00 GOLD RUSH Megan Katherine Prins Batchelor of Arts, Thompson Rivers University, 2005 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS In the Department of History O Megan Katherine Prins, 2007 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Summer 2007 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL Name: Megan Katherine Prins Degree: Master of Arts Title of Thesis: Seasons of Gold: An Environmental History of the Cariboo Gold Rush Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. John Craig Professor, Department of History Department Chair Simon Fraser University Dr. Joseph E. Taylor Ill. Senior Supervisor Canada Research Chair Associate Professor, Department of History and Geography Simon Fraser University Dr. Mary-Ellen Kelm Supervisor Canada Research Chair Associate Professor, Department of History Simon Fraser University Dr. Matthew Evenden External Examiner Assistant Professor, Department of Geography The University of British Columbia Date DefendedlApproved: 3!!7 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Declaration of Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution. on its own behatFor for one of its users. The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection (currently available to the public at the "Institutional Repository" link of the SFU Library website <www.lib.sfu.ca> at: <http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/l892/1 12>) and, without changing the content, to translate the thesidproject or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work fbr financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's written permission. Permission for public performance, or limited permission for private scholarly use, of any multimedia materials forming part of this work, may have been granted by the author. This information may be found on the separately catalogued multimedia material and in the signed Partial Copyright Licence. While licensing SFU to permit the above uses, the author retains copyright in the thesis, project or extended essays, including the right to change the work for subsequent purposes, including editing and publishing the work in whole or in part, and licensing other parties, as the author may desire. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, BC, Canada Revised: Summer 2007 ABSTRACT Seasons are history's constant companion. Spring, summer, winter, and fall mark the calendar and define the possibilities of labour and gender. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the pivotal events that unfolded during the Cariboo gold rush of 1862. In a world before climate-controlled homes, miners, Natives, Chinese, and Hurdy Gurdy girls all had to reckon with nature's rhythms. This thesis explores how seasons, compounded by the contradictory forces of geographical isolation, a global market for gold, and environmental experiences in previous North American rushes, played a key role in how miners and their accompaniments related to nature and to each other. To pursue the latent wealth of the Cariboo, gold miners had to accommodate the region's seasonal contingencies. The result was a peculiar rhythm of mining that revealed the intricate ways that nature shaped the most northern mining frontier before the Yukon. Keywords: lgthcentury, British Columbia, Cariboo, gold rush, mining, seasons. Subject Terms: Environmental History, Western History DEDICATION For my family who have supported me through all of life's seasons. There are many people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude. At the top of that list is Dr. Joseph E. Taylor 111. He has offered firm and understanding guidance that enabled me to continue and follow my passion. I feel privileged to have studied under Dr. Taylor and I will never forget the lessons he imparted. His experience and intellectual acumen became my own personal Eldorado. Any errors in this work are, of course, entirely my own. Dr. Mary-Ellen Kelm has also been a generous mentor who provided me with key insights into my work. Her alert and discerning mind pushed me to think harder about my subject. For this I am especially grateful. Dr. Matthew Evenden thoughtful suggestions also helped to make this project better. Clearly, "thank you" will never encompass my gratitude for having the opportunity to work with Dr. Taylor, Dr. Kelm, and Dr. Evenden. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the kind guidance provided by the archivists and staff at the British Columbia Archives, Quesnel Archives, and Barkerville Archives. My family have been a fountain of support and love through this process. Mom, Dad, and Steven have been a steady source of understanding for intellectual pursuits. More importantly they gave me confidence. From my family I draw my greatest inspiration. I carry this with me wherever I go. Finally, this work is in loving memory of Claire Dixon and her soul mate Kees Brenninkrneyer. Their boundless love for each other was forged in their strength as individuals and realized in a shared passion for nature in all its forms. TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval ..............................................................................................................ii ... Abstract ..............................................................................................................111 Dedication .......................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ............................................................................................v Table of Contents ..............................................................................................vi Introduction........................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1 : Rhythms of gold .............................................................................10 Chapter 2: Seasons of Work ............................................................................ 34 Chapter 3: "Naturing" Gender ......................................................................... 72 Conclusions ......................................................................................................93 Bibliography...................................................................................................... 98 Abbreviations ...................................................................................................98 Primary Sources ..............................................................................................98 Archival Sources ..........................................................................................98 Published Primary Documents ..................................................................100 Newspapers............................................................................................... I01 Visual Records ..........................................................................................101 Secondary Sources .......................................................................................102 Books and Journals ...................................................................................102 Theses and Dissertations ..........................................................................106 INTRODUCTION Simon Fraser University houses two John Innes paintings that attempt to depict the history of the Cariboo gold rush. The 1925 images hang side by side in the Academic Quadrangle. "Finding Placer Gold by Pioneer Miners in the Cariboo A.D. 1858" and "Overland Pioneers journey through the Rockies A.D. 1862" are large but not artistically spectacular, and they tell a powerful metanarrative about Western pioneering, reinforcing myths of rough and ready Anglo-European masculinity, the ability to conquer nature, the allure of yellow treasure, and the civilizing influence of the white female. The paintings in short reflect British Columbia's "imagined West," a history that "began with the coming of the pioneers" and where nature yields to their will.' The Overlanders were a group of Canadian and British goldseekers who travelled overland from Ontario to the Cariboo. Most were pauperized at the end of their journey. Some perished. Few struck it rich. But to reinforce the myth of the white pioneer, Innes chose instead to portray these miners as pioneers. The Overlander painting reveals a tangled forest that blurs seamlessly into distant Rocky Mountains, and a pack train of people, horses, and oxen struggle through this picturesque wilderness. Conveying a sense of healthy, clean, and vigorous manhood,