, this is just one of several heaping handfuls of historical markers strewn about the historical town of Quesnel.
The markers come in several different sizes and styles, this one being one of the smaller wood framed markers found primarily in the downtown area near the walking bridge and along Riverfront Trail.
THE GOLD MINERS
Benjamin McDonald of Prince Edward Island Canada, one of 10,000 Fraser River miners, was among the first to reach the site of Quesnel in March 1859. He and others prospected upstream for 60 miles to the rich deposits of gold at Quesnelle Forks in 1859, Keithley and Antler Creeks in 1860 and Williams Creek in 1861.
Established in 1863, Quesnellemouth soon became the supply centre for several north gold rushes, Omineca in 1869/70 Cassiar in 1870 and the Klondike in 1898.
During the 1930's depression hundreds of unemployed men eked out a living mining the fine Fraser River gold near Quesnel, to the profit of local merchants.
In 1933, while other centres suffered, Quesnel enjoyed an economic boom resulting from the development of the Cariboo Quartz Gold mine and the town of Wells, 50 miles east.