1897 British Columbia Prospectors Exchange

[Cariboo5]

Have this interesting prospectors exchange T.W. Grahame proprietor from July 13, 1897. The location is in the West Kootenays area of British Columbia. Stationed in Thompson’s Landing B.C. which is at the arm of the Upper Arrow Lakes and was the gateway to the Lardeau mining country. In 1902 the village name was changed to Beaton. Thompson’s Landing was reached via Arrowhead B.C. a steamboat port and town at the head of Upper Arrow Lake. Now this site has been submerged beneath the waters of the lake, which is now part of the reservoir formed by Hugh Keenleyside Dam at Castlegar.

From Thompson’s Landing their service included a stage leaving daily for Trout Lake City and Ferguson.Trout Lake City was a steam boat landing at the north end of Trout Lake and was founded in 1893. Ferguson was founded in 1896 at the junction of Ferguson and Lardeau creeks which was a strategic location and a short distance from several notable mines.

Their writing back then is so fancy it is going to take me a while to translate all correctly and put the correct names to the signatures. All in all an interesting piece of mining history and a personal detailed description of the way it was done in 1897......