Projects 2003 and prior
The Barkerville website was expanded to include information about the Friends of Barkerville ● the Barkerville Hotel opened and sold merchandise as well as interpretation of the building; sponsored a reception for new Canadians sworn in on July 1st ● purchased a Mac computer to show the Barkerville CD in the visitors center ● repairing and painting cemetery fence ● new head boards and cleaning gravesites ● row markers installed and crosses for unknown grave sites. The new 1861 Gold Rush Pack Trail map, Barkerville to Keithley is completed and distributed ● two hikes took place: Barkerville to Racetrack Flats via Gold Rush Pack Trail and Bald Mountain and Van Winkle to Groundhog Lake.
2002 ● Restoration and signage in cemetery ● launched CD and website for Friends of Barkerville ● funding for Living Landscapes ● restoration of Barkerville Hotel, Wake-up-Jake, Todd Store and Kibbee House foundations ● assisted rebuilding of hose tower ● digital camera to Archives ● monitoring of devolution process, ongoing repair of Rustin engine.
2001 ● Powderhouse, Van Winkle, Bald Mountain and 1861 Gold Pack Rush Trail marked and signed ● proclamation signs built and installed at Grouse Creek junction and Cariboo Waggon Road ● application to “name a feature” to recognize Dave Falconer and Bob Harris in the Snowshoe Plateau region ● application to Ministry of Forests regarding the Cariboo Waggon Road to be designated as a recreational trail ● removal of unnecessary water bars on the Cariboo Waggon Road ● lobbied for preservation of historical sites ● archival research ● production of newsletter ● Grouse Creek trail flagged, cleared and signed ● purchased a lap top computer, digital camera and acid free supplies.
2000 ● Millennium project, in conjunction with Barkerville Historic Town, the Millennium Bureau of Canada and the Friends of Barkerville, restoration and implementation of displays at the Chee Kung Tong building ● Gee Quon residence ● Min Yee Tong building ● Chinese miners cabin ● development of a display in the upstairs of the Lee Chong Company Chinese museum ● Tsang Quon residence in Barkerville’s Chinatown ● restoration and implementation of a display in the Tregillus house ● restoration of the Canadian Claim and Gunn Hydraulic mining exhibit ● development of a hay barn for storage and display of mining equipment ● restoration of mining equipment ● research of as-found drawings of Tregillus House ● cattle auction and barbecue with proceeds going to the FOB Millennium restoration projects initiated by Society money ● received Fred Luddit achievement award in recognition of contributions to Barkerville’s development ● restoration of historical artifacts and posters and participation in local forest plans ● 10 – 12 year promotion for designation of remaining Stanley to Barkerville section of original Cariboo Waggon Road culmination in a Royal Proclamation in regards to ensuring the historical value of the Cariboo Waggon Road for all time ● continuing with trail work to locate and connect the old Van Winkle trail and active participation in local forest plans in conjunction with Weldwood and West Fraser Mills ● Summer hikes included Van Winkle trail and Stanley to Barkerville on Cariboo Waggon Road ● Mac Grady Memorial hike to Bald Mountain ● partnered with Triple J Ranch for the “End of the Trail” cattle auction and barbecue.
1999 ● Official opening of the 1861 Gold Rush Pack Trail ● trail markers set up on Gold Rush Pack Trail and Van Winkle Trail along with four campsites on the GRPT ● set up the Jerry MacDonald Memorial Bursary in order to cherish the memory of the former Friends of Barkerville president ● continued summer student participation in Barkerville cemetery and archival projects (federal and provincial grants) ● assistance to Barkerville Historic Town financially with government grants, donations from the public and society money ● development of a volunteer program, established by a summer student funded by government grants.
1998 ● C.D. Hoy traveling photograph exhibition ● public donation and Canada year of Asia Pacific, Department of Foreign Affairs, Canada ● contracting of service in restoration of the Wells-Barkerville cemetery ● funded the clearing, snag falling and signing of the Bald Mountain and Mount Agnes to Groundhog Lake ● cleaning and signing of the Powderhouse Trail ● found the extension to join the Cariboo Waggon Road near Ella Lake ● crossings erected on the 1861 Gold Rush Pack Trail, McCallums Gulch, Victorian Creek and Racetrack Creek ● partially financed a reprinting of Richard Wright’s book “Barkerville” ● continuing with trail marking and signage ● two hikes took place: Barkerville to Sawmill Flats and the Mac Grady hike on the Powderhouse trail, Van Winkle trail and Groundhog Lake.
1997 ● installed headboards at the graves of the two miners buried in 1862 at Maloney’s Road House at Racetrack Flats ● continuing with trail locating and marking.
1996 ● Supported establishments of roadside interpretation signs, purchased two entry signs in Quesnel at LeBourdais Park and the junction of highway 26/97 ● established the Barkerville Historic Fund, a separate fund to fund ongoing projects such as the Barkerville cemetery ● headed an initiative to name “Mt. Cushman” to honor former Barkerville resident and stagecoach driver Frank Cushman ● set up the “Stake Your Claim in Barkerville’s Future”, a program to assist fund-raising for restoration projects ● assisted in the production and printing of the Hoy book also raising funds for the Art Show; yearly promotion of Barkerville through the Trades Fair booth in Quesnel ● yearly campaigns seeking membership with the Friends of Barkerville for promotion of the Friends of Barkerville’s goals ● continuing with trail locating and marking.
1995 ● Cariboo Historical Literature project, Federal Government Youth Employment Program ● continuing with trail locating and marking.
1994 ● Partners in Science Awareness Program, design of Halverson House ● donation to the Wells Historical Society of $5,000 for renovations to the Wells Historical museum ● continuing with trail locating and marking.
1993 ● Operating Information Center at junction of Hwy.26 and 97, now moved to Cottonwood House ● more archival data entry ● aided Edukits ● financed Richard Wright’ first book ● continuing with trail locating and marking.
1992 ● Operating information Centre at Highway 26 and 97 junction’s ● began field work on re-discovering the 1861 Gold Rush Pack Trail.
1991 ● Began gathering information such as maps, photos, recorded history on pack trails.
1990 ● Federal government student employment program ● organization of Barkerville archival cross reference files ● construction of Gunn Hydraulic and Canadian mine display ● Lowhee walking trail; Highway 26 and 97 Information Center; library archival and data entry ● re-catalogued book collection ● organization of curatorial files ● organization of BC Archival photographs ● apprentice printer for Print shop, printer and part time printer/maintenance person funded by society ● Gatehouse – visitor info., tour tapes and headsets.
1989 ● organization of Barkerville library – Challenge ’89 ● data entry of hand written documents – Challenge ’89 ● file documentation, general file maintenance and file referencing – Challenge ’89 ● general book maintenance and shelf maintenance – Challenge ’89 ● Crown Land Transfer name index – BC government grant ● completion of data entry of all catalogued information that was stored on paper – in excess of 3000 records – Employment Plus grant ● cross checked the computer data entry of the files that would not be accepted – Employment Plus grant ● hand written cataloguing of 11,000 artifacts and data entry of the information into the computer – Employment Plus grant ● photographing of all of the above catalogued items – Employment Plus grant ● data entry of mining records, 1861-1931 for Cariboo Goldfields – Employment Plus grant ● creation of a computer program to obtain full printing potential – Employment Plus grant ● preparation of a list of all libraries within British Columbia and potential archives within Canada – Employment Plus grant ● organizing of the mezzanine area above the Resource Information Centre – Employment Plus grant ● manned a booth at the Gold Dust Mall with Barkerville Historic Town in order to promote and advertise for the town of Wells and Barkerville.
1988 ● prepared the exterior and opened the Friends of Barkerville’s new office in Wells ● built a boardwalk in Wells ● oral history interviews about Quesnelle Forks ● perimeter fence at Quesnelle Forks ● interpreters at Quesnelle Forks; uncovered 25 foundations at Quesnelle Forks and brushed out sites to make way for stabilization and restoration ● As Found Drawings of Quesnelle Forks – Phase 1 – grant from Heritage Trust ● As Found Drawings of Quesnelle Forks – Phase 2 – grant from Heritage Trust ● site history of Quesnelle Forks, grant from Heritage Trust ● cataloguing woodworking tools, photographs, albums, clothing, patent medicine, books, misc. Chinese items, (approx. 4760 items were catalogued and photographed and about 1500 of these were new accessions) – Job Trac grant ● computer data entry, 15316 catalogued records out of 22,167 – Job Trac grant ● sponsored making costumes, fireman’s shirt, pinafores, aprons and boy’s vests for the summer school programs – Job Trac grant ● develop new clothing patterns – Job Trac grant ● research Victorian, Edwardian and authentic Oriental clothing for towns people – Job Trac grant ● indexing mining records, ledger and land records and entering them into the computer – Job Trac grant ● historic trails cleared and track set for cross-country skiing as well as three warming huts built on the trails – Job Trac grant ● continuation of cataloguing ● initiation of 1870 census records ● Cariboo Land records on database 1800’s to 1951 – a total of over 50,000 entries – Job Trac grant ● Gatehouse project, sold memberships, books, provided information on the Society and local Heritage sites – Employment Opportunity Program.
1987 ● signed a co-operating association agreement with Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing ● hillside trail was located, marked and cleared by Friends of Barkerville ● clearing the wagon road was a major task, not just a brushing job ● staff of 27, budget just under $300,000 ● operated the Cariboo Sentinel under a park use permit ● prepared and printed a report for Heritage Trust “Quesnelle Forks ● A Gold Rush Town in Historical Perspective” ● hosted and arranged overview flight for Bill Reid, Minister, from the Bullion to Barkerville with a landing at Quesnelle Forks ● organization of Barkerville archives ● corral built on back street in Barkerville ● Agnes, Bald, Proserpine trail cleared, upgraded and garbage cleaned up around Groundhog Lake annually ● Pleasant Valley Ski circuit trail cleared and upgraded with 4km’s added ● Stanley trail clearing and improvements ● Barkerville cemetery restorations, graveyard fence repaired, reinforced banks ● Hydraulic pit across from the wheel slashed and cleared ● slashing and grass cutting on the Bulkhead and in between buildings ● headed a concise study of the importance of Quesnelle Forks to the history of the Gold Rush entitled ● “Quesnelle Forks, a Gold rush Town in Historical Perspective” ● waterline from Barkerville mountain slashed and troughs built ● new fence at Cottonwood built ● new waterline at Cottonwood built ● painting done at Cottonwood ● fenced and cleaned Barkerville cemetery ● organized, inventoried and catalogued Lee Chong and Boyd collections ● catalogued a rare book collection, 10,000 artifacts and 12,000 of 40,000 manual records transferred to data base.
1986 ● organization of Barkerville resource information centre, library, archives and data entry on computer ● financed original school traveling educational trunk “Edukit” and assisted financially in the privatization of their production ● as-found drawings of Quesnelle Forks.
