CNHE - The Overlanders Of 1862 - Kamloops, BC - Canadian National Historic Sites on Waymarking.com

THE OVERLANDERS OF 1862

In the Spring of 1862, 140 people gathered at Fort garry (Winnipeg) to begin the journey of a lifetime. They planned an overland trek across the Canadian Prairies and through the Rocky Mountains to reach the Cariboo gold fields of British Columbia. Once there, these brave pioneers would help transform the area from wilderness to settled homeland.

Food and supplies were loaded onto Red River carts for the June 1862 departure. By the end of July the Overlanders had just reached Edmonton and their food was nearly gone. The group pushed on until they reached Tete Jeune Cache, BC, late August.

There they split up into two parties with half the group continuing down the Fraser River to Barkerville. The other half made rough-hewn log rafts and trusted their lives and their fortunes to the unknown waters of the North Thompson River. The Overlanders reached this area in October where they formed the nucleus of the new community of Kamloops.

This statue commemorates this historic event by depicting Catherine and Augustus Schubert and one of their children. The day after their arrival, Catherine gave birth to her fourth child. Schubert Drive is named after this Overlander Family. From the Plaque at the Statue The Overlanders
Searching for a better life, a large group of Canadians left their Ontario homes to strike it rich in British Columbia’s gold fields. This group of 115 men and 1 woman travelled for months across Canada until they reached Fort Edmonton in 1862. Here, they restocked their supplies and prepared for the arduous journey across the Rocky Mountains. They decided to travel through Yellowhead Pass based on the feedback of a party of miners returning from the gold fields they met while restocking.

Crossing the Rockies
The Overlanders travelled as far as they could with carts, oxen and horses carrying their supplies, but by Lac St. Anne, they had to abandon the last of their carts and continue onward carrying their supplies in heavy packs. The large group was soon spread thinly across 300 kilometres of the western prairies.

The First Group
After the lead group of Overlanders crossed Yellowhead Pass, they camped at Cow Dung Lake, now known as Yellowhead Lake. This group was fighting starvation and while a few hunters in the group brought back squirrels and small birds, the group had to sacrifice some oxen and horses for the meat. Forging on with supplies of meat dried from their pack animals, this first group of Overlanders reached the Shuswap salmon-fishing camp at Tête Jaune Cache on August 27th. Here they traded much of their remaining ammunition, clothing, needles and thread, for much needed sustenance: salmon, huckleberries, saskatoons and pemmican.

The Final Group
On September 7, a second party of Overlanders passed Yellowhead Lake. Pausing there as well to replenish their supplies, they became trapped on an island by rapidly rising floodwaters. When the final group of Overlanders reached them, a few days later, the stranded party was nearing starvation. With the help of the new arrivals, everyone managed to get off the island and continue their trek. The final group of travellers reached Tête Jaune Cache on September 16.

Trials and Tribulations
From Tête Jaune Cache, the group divided again, choosing to take different routes to the lucrative Cariboo gold fields. The larger group decided to take the Fraser River to Fort George and then head south to Quesnel. They made canoes for their trip from hollowed-out cottonwood logs and ox hides and travelled down the first stretch of the Fraser quite easily. When they reached the Grand Canyon of the Fraser, a short gorge about 30 kilometres upstream from the confluence of the Bowron River, disaster struck. Caught in the tumultuous Scow Rapids, canoes were overturned and torn apart. Four men died from drowning or hypothermia and many supplies were lost. Worn down and badly beaten by the day’s events, the group pressed on, reaching Fort George on October 8.

A smaller group of Overlanders left Tête Jaune Cache and travelled overland up the McLennan River, which flows north into the Fraser River. Thinking they could make the trek to the gold fields by land, they purchased over 100 head of cattle and horses. Soon, the travellers discovered they would be forced to take the Thompson downriver to reach their destination. In preparation, they slaughtered their cattle and turned their horses loose. They constructed rafts and began their journey down the Thompson River to Fort Kamloops. This second group ran into trouble in the Murchison rapids and Hells Gate where two men died. The rest of the group arrived in Fort Kamloops in October of 1862.

The End of the Journey
While both groups suffered great losses, the majority of the travellers survived the epic journey and went on to take part in the Cariboo Gold Rush. The hardships they experienced and the perils they encountered, especially between Jasper and Tête Jaune Cache and in the canyons and rapids of the Fraser and North Thompson rivers, make their journey one of the most impressive events in Canadian travel history.

Fast Fact:
Arriving with the second group of Overlanders in Fort Kamloops, Catherine Schubert, the only woman amongst the travellers, gave birth to a baby girl on October 13, 1862, the day after their arrival.
From Parks Canada

	THE OVERLANDERS OF 1862

As a suggestion for your visit log, please make every effort to supply a brief-to-detailed note about your experience at the Waymark. If possible also include an image that was taken when you visited the Waymark. Images can be of yourself, a personal Waymarking signature item or just one of general interest that would be of value to others. Sharing your experience helps promote Waymarking and provides a dynamic history of your adventures.