Barkerville

Barkerville is a gold mining ghost town in British Columbia of one hundred and twenty five heritage buildings where history comes alive through the characters that take you through a time warp from 1862 to 1930 as they interact with you in their time period. I met Judge Begbie who presided in the Wesleyan Methodist Church since the recent rains made the roads to Richfield impassible. I noticed Queen Victoria’s picture on the wall. The owner of the mine used a Cornish Waterwheel to clean the gravel from the gold. She was interested in obtaining sponsors for her mining operation so, with her supervisor of the mine; she explains the geology of gold and the principals of the waterwheel prior to a demonstration of the wheel in operation. She changed her mind about the sponsors when she found big nuggets of gold. We could buy goods in the restaurants and stores or ride the stagecoach. Terry and I attended a stage show where the talented professor played the piano and the others sang and danced in a joyous entertaining family style. A taste treat was the coconut cake that a young man baked in this old stove with the boiled coffee that he prepared on top of the stove. He told the story of his partner Mr. Wendle and the grizzly bears that Mrs. Wendle shot. Since he cut the cake in small pieces, Terry and I even got a second piece. I missed the Chinese History tour and the lessons at the Williams Creek Schoolhouse. We spent from nine am to five pm at Barkersville but there wasn’t enough time to participate in all the activities in one day. To see photos more clearly, please click on the photos.