Gold fever reached the Pacific Northwest in 1858 as thousands of optimistic prospectors crossed the 49th parallel into British territory, passing through "where no man should venture," and hoping to strike it rich. Faced with brutal weather and a lack of supplies, most returned later that same year. Even so, mining continued until simple fur trading posts were transformed into settlements, and finally, into civilization, making the Fraser River experience one of the major developments in Pacific Northwest history.
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Gold fever reached the Pacific Northwest in 1858 as thousands of optimistic prospectors crossed the 49th parallel into British territory, passing through "where no man should venture," and hoping to strike it rich. Faced with brutal weather and a lack of supplies, most returned later that same year. Even so, mining continued until simple fur trading posts were transformed into settlements, and finally, into civilization, making the Fraser River experience one of the major developments in Pacific Northwest history.
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