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History Post-confederation (1867-)

Stagecoach North

A History of Barnard's Express

by (author) Ken Mather

Publisher
Heritage House Publishing
Initial publish date
Jun 2020
Category
Post-Confederation (1867-), Pacific Northwest, Pre-Confederation (to 1867)
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781772033090
    Publish Date
    Jun 2020
    List Price
    $22.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781772033106
    Publish Date
    Jun 2020
    List Price
    $22.95

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Description

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.

About the author

Ken Mather has been involved in researching, writing and interpreting western Canadian heritage for nearly four decades. He started out as a researcher for Fort Edmonton Park in 1973. In 1979, Ken moved to BC to work at Barkerville Historic Park; he became the park's curator in 1982. From 1984 until 2004 he was the manager/curator of the historic O'Keefe Ranch near Vernon, BC, where he developed his love of early cowboy history. Ken continues as the curator at the O'Keefe Ranch and lives with his wife, Debbie, near Armstrong, BC.

Ken Mather's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"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

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