About the Book
A newly revised and updated edition of the classic pictorial account of the Cariboo Gold Rush trail.
First published in 1960, Wagon Road North is the quintessential popular history book chronicling gold-rush-era BC. Focusing on the Cariboo Wagon Road—the crucial transportation route stretching from Fort Yale to Barkerville that made it possible for tens of thousands of prospectors to make their way to the Cariboo goldfields in the 1860s—this newly updated, expanded, and re-designed edition brings to life the adventures, hardships, and blind ambitions of the men and women who risked everything in the quest for gold. Packed with more than one hundred archival photos, many of them rarely seen, as well as maps and contemporary images of historical sites, this fascinating book is a visual celebration of a pivotal chapter in early BC history.
About the Author(s)
Ken Mather has been researching western Canadian heritage for over four decades, working in curatorial, management, and research roles at Fort Edmonton Park, Barkerville, and the O'Keefe Ranch since the early 1970s. He is the author of several books on pioneer and ranching history, including Stagecoach North, Trail North, Ranch Tales, and Frontier Cowboys and the Great Divide.
Art Downs (1924–1996) was a writer, editor, historian, and pioneer of BC book and magazine publishing. Born in England, he moved to Saskatchewan as a young child and later settled in Quesnel, BC. He became owner of the Cariboo Digest, which evolved into BC Outdoors, a successful magazine about BC history, wildlife, and conservation. Downs and his wife, Doris, were the founders of Heritage House Publishing.
Reviews
"The book is as informative today as it was six decades ago—especially with Mather’s additions."
—British Columbia Magazine
"Updating a classic work is a tricky and dangerous business, but Mather has succeeded admirably here. ... Mather’s updates will help ensure that Wagon Road North remains a mainstay for years to come."
—BC Studies
