About a quarter mile south of Rudy’s Bridge, right in the middle of the Fraser River, there lies a small island with a steep, rocky shoreline on three sides and a gradual rocky beach in its lee.

It’s accessible in winter, and sometimes when the river is really low, but most of the time it’s surrounded by fast-flowing water.

Actually, it is quite an unremarkable island, not unlike many others up and down the river, but this little piece of land is known by the locals as the Mad Russian’s Island, and therein lies a story.

About a quarter mile south of Rudy&rsquo;s Bridge, right in the middle of the Fraser River, there lies a small island with a steep, rocky shoreline on three sides and a gradual rocky beach in its lee.
It&rsquo;s accessible in winter, and sometimes when the river is really low, but most of the time it&rsquo;s surrounded by fast-flowing water.
Actually, it is quite an unremarkable island, not unlike many others up and down the river, but this little piece of land is known by the locals as the Mad Russian&rsquo;s Island, and therein lies a story.

The podcast version of the popular newspaper column ”The Haphazard History of the Cariboo Chilcotin” in the Williams Lake Tribune.

The podcast version of the popular newspaper column &rdquo;The Haphazard History of the Cariboo Chilcotin&rdquo; in the Williams Lake Tribune.

Haphazard History

Produced by the Williams Lake Tribune, Haphazard History is stories of the pioneers, people and places of the Cariboo Chilcotin region of British Columbia.

Produced by the Williams Lake Tribune, Haphazard History is stories of the pioneers, people and places of the Cariboo Chilcotin region of British Columbia.

This little piece of land is known by the locals as the Mad Russian’s Island, and therein lies a story.

The Mad Russian's Island Mystery

The Hudson’s Bay Company had known about gold finds on the Fraser River since early in 1856, and they had kept word of this to themselves, quietly sending gold which had come in on trade to Fort Langley for safekeeping. However, when the company had amassed some 800 oz. of gold, they sent it to San Francisco to be refined, and the secret was out.

Some 30,000 prospectors and entrepreneurs passed through Victoria and Fort Langley during the spring and summer of 1858. James Douglas had three major concerns. First, since most of the newcomers were American, he feared that they would make an attempt to take over the territory in the name of the U.S. Secondly, he worried that there was insufficient policing for the influx of people, some of whom were rather shady characters.

The third problem was that Douglas’ colonial government was virtually broke. A colonial Gold Escort was eventually formed for the sole purpose of carrying gold from the current diggings to government assay offices at New Westminster or Victoria.

The Hudson&rsquo;s Bay Company had known about gold finds on the Fraser River since early in 1856, and they had kept word of this to themselves, quietly sending gold which had come in on trade to Fort Langley for safekeeping. However, when the company had amassed some 800 oz. of gold, they sent it to San Francisco to be refined, and the secret was out.
Some 30,000 prospectors and entrepreneurs passed through Victoria and Fort Langley during the spring and summer of 1858. James Douglas had three major concerns. First, since most of the newcomers were American, he feared that they would make an attempt to take over the territory in the name of the U.S. Secondly, he worried that there was insufficient policing for the influx of people, some of whom were rather shady characters.
The third problem was that Douglas&rsquo; colonial government was virtually broke. A colonial Gold Escort was eventually formed for the sole purpose of carrying gold from the current diggings to government assay offices at New Westminster or Victoria.

A colonial Gold Escort was formed for the sole purpose of carrying gold to government assay offices at New Westminster or Victoria.

Gold Escort costly gold rush endeavor

The earliest recorded tourism visit to the Cariboo was by two English gentlemen, Lord Viscount Milton and Doctor Walter B. Cheadle.

Lord Milton was a young, willful aristocrat who had decided that he wanted to see Canada for himself, and Dr. Cheadle was retained by the Milton family to escort the impetuous young man to see to his health, and to ensure that no harm came to him.

The earliest recorded tourism visit to the Cariboo was by two English gentlemen, Lord Viscount Milton and Doctor Walter B. Cheadle.
Lord Milton was a young, willful aristocrat who had decided that he wanted to see Canada for himself, and Dr. Cheadle was retained by the Milton family to escort the impetuous young man to see to his health, and to ensure that no harm came to him.

The earliest recorded tourism visit to the Cariboo.

The First Tourists to the Cariboo

For more than 50 years, from 1863 until 1917, the red and yellow B.C. Express Company’s stagecoaches transported mail, express, and passengers from Yale to Barkerville, an 800 mile return trip.

With the completion of the CPR Railway in 1886, however, the new community of Ashcroft became the major southern terminus of the stagecoach route. To those of us who grew up on a diet of western movies, the term “stagecoach” brings to mind images of masked men on horses waiting in Ambush, holding up terrified passengers and galloping off with sacks of gold.

For more than 50 years, from 1863 until 1917, the red and yellow B.C. Express Company&rsquo;s stagecoaches transported mail, express, and passengers from Yale to Barkerville, an 800 mile return trip.
With the completion of the CPR Railway in 1886, however, the new community of Ashcroft became the major southern terminus of the stagecoach route. To those of us who grew up on a diet of western movies, the term &ldquo;stagecoach&rdquo; brings to mind images of masked men on horses waiting in Ambush, holding up terrified passengers and galloping off with sacks of gold.

For more than 50 years, from 1863 until 1917, the B.C. Express Company’s stagecoaches transported mail, express, and passengers.

The Mad Russian's Island Mystery

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