Campbell Creek in Kamloops in Thompson-Nicola, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast (North America)

Great Train Robbery

B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), June 15, 2016

1. Great Train Robbery Marker

Marker is shown in its previous location on Kokanee Way.

Inscription. Bill Miner, notorious American stagecoach and train robber, stole $7,000 in British Columbia's first train holdup, near Mission in 1904. For two years, unsuspected, he lived quietly near Princeton, well-liked by all. In 1906 he stopped the wrong C.P.R. train here and found only $15! After a 50-mile horse chase he was caught and sent to the B.C. Penitentiary for life, but escaped to the U.S. in 1907.

Erected 1966 by Province of British Columbia.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Law Enforcement • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.

Location. 50° 39.278′ N, 120° 4.752′ W. Marker is in Kamloops, British Columbia, in Thompson-Nicola. It is in Campbell Creek. Marker can be reached from Dallas Drive, on the left when traveling west. Marker is at the BC Wildlife Park entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9077 Dallas Dr, Kamloops BC V2C 6V1, Canada. Touch for directions.

More about this marker. It was refurbished and relocated to the zoo in 2019.

Regarding Great Train Robbery. The well-known American film of the same title as this marker was not inspired by Miner's exploits: It was released in 1903. Miner's trial for the 1906 Kamloops train robbery was a media sensation,

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turning Miner into a celebrity. The strongest evidence against him was a bottle of kidney pills taken during the robbery: He still had it in his pocket when he was arrested. After his escape from Canada, he continued his criminal career in Georgia, where he died in prison.

Also see . . . Bill Miner. Wikipedia entry on the outlaw, called the "Gentleman Bandit" for his politeness while committing robberies and reputedly the originator of the phrase "Hands up!". (Submitted on December 13, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Ezra Allen "Bill" Miner (c. 1847-1913) image. Click for full size.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Archives (public domain), 1906

2. Ezra Allen "Bill" Miner (c. 1847-1913)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 230 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on December 13, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Closeup photo of refurbished marker. Wide shot of marker and surrounding area in context. • Can you help?