The granite obelisk denotes the 100th mile of the Cariboo Waggon Road, built in the early 1860s to provide a route to the gold fields of British Columbia's central interior. It was in 1859 that a major gold strike was made at what became Barkerville. Usable roads of any sort into the area did not exist, so the Cariboo Waggon Road was built from Lillooet to Soda Creek. In the following years thousands of hopeful gold seekers passed over the road, which remained in use for many decades after, part of it becoming today's Highway 97, a highway which extends from central California to the Yukon.
Alongside the obelisk is mounted this bronze plaque:
Along the Cariboo Waggon Road, roadhouses and small settlements arose to service the route's travelers. Many were named for their distance along the road from Lillooet, such as 70 Mile House, 100 Mile House, 108 Mile House and 150 Mile House. Some, such as the aforementioned four, remain as towns and small cities.
Though there were once many mile markers along the Cariboo Waggon Road, this is one of the very few which remain, though it isn't the original, that having been destroyed many years ago by road construction.
The 100 Mile House visitor centre is a wonderful place to visit as they offer a Nature Reserve where you walk along the trails and enjoy nature as you meander through the Marsh. Visit the World's Largest Pair of Skis, which stand in front of the Visitor Centre and as you stroll through town you will notice the huge murals displayed on businesses in downtown. Two can be seen at the Community Hall and the Legion, neither very far from the Visitor Center.
About 100 Mile House
The South Cariboo's historic roots go back to the fur trading days before the gold strike. By 1860, thousands of gold seekers thronged to the Cariboo to seek the precious metal. Between 1862 and 1870, over 100,000 people traveled the Cariboo Wagon Road from Lillooet, making their way north into Cariboo country.
Throughout this gold fever, certain roadhouses, because of their favourable locations along the Cariboo Wagon Road from Lillooet to Soda Creek, grew to be supply points for the gold seekers and the surrounding district. 100 Mile House, South Cariboo's dominant community, was originally one of these stopping points along the gold rush trail. 100 Mile House was so named because it was located 100 Miles from Lillooet (Mile 0) of the Cariboo Wagon Road. As the gold rush subsided, ranchers began to settle the surrounding area.
Today, the South Cariboo consists of a number of small unincorporated communities in the outlying area surrounding the District of 100 Mile House and has a population greater than 20,000.
Location
Geographically, the South Cariboo is found in south central British Columbia nestled on the Fraser Plateau between the heights of the Coastal and Rocky mountain ranges. The Fraser River cuts through the middle of this rolling plateau dividing the Cariboo from the wilds of the Chilcotin. To the south is the lower, drier hills of the Thompson-Okanagan, and to the north is the central Cariboo, extending into the vast forests of Northern BC.
From 100 Mile House