An in-depth look at the origins and operations of a pioneering transportation company that moved people and goods across the province throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

At the height of the Cariboo Gold Rush, demand for an efficient transportation route to and from the goldfields was reaching a point of desperation. With a lack of reliable roads to traverse the vast and rugged BC landscape, delivering food, mining equipment, and mail to the newly built gold rush towns was a constant challenge, not to mention the logistics of transporting people. This book tells the fascinating story of one company that attempted to connect the province at an unprecedented time of growth and change.

Barnard’s Express (1862–1878), later known as BX or the British Columbia Express Company (1878–1921) reflects the ingenuity, risk, and enterprising spirit of the era. Focusing on the stagecoach line, which ran from Yale to Barkerville from 1864 until 1886 and from Ashcroft to Barkerville after the construction of the CPR, historian Ken Mather uncovers new details about the gold rush through the lens of this groundbreaking company’s operations. Rich in anecdotes and character sketches backed up with extensive research, this is the first full-length book to cover the history of one of BC’s most important early businesses.

Ken Mather has been researching western Canadian heritage for over four decades, working in curatorial, management, and research roles at Fort Edmonton Park, Barkerville, and the O’Keefe Ranch since the early 1970s. He is the editor of the Okanagan Historical Society Report and is the winner of the Joe Martin Memorial award (2015) for his contribution to BC Cowboy Heritage. He is the author of several books on pioneer and ranching history, including Stagecoach North, Trail North (a finalist for the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Historical Writing), Ranch Tales, and Frontier Cowboys and the Great Divide.

Ken Mather's profile page

"Stagecoach North is invaluable in shedding light and clarity on Barnard's mythologised and under-examined contribution to BC's gold rush history. In detailing the development of transportation northward through Barnard's efforts, Mather allows for a newfound appreciation of this province's 19th century history and geography."—Matthew Downey, Ormsby Review

"An enjoyable read. . . suitable mainly to those with a general interest in the history of British Columbia but also offering useful nuggets to scholars of the time period." —Chris Herbert, BC Studies