Jasper, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)
The Overlanders of 1862 / Les Argonautes de 1862
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 6, 2022
1. The Overlanders of 1862 / Les Argonautes de 1862 Marker
In 1862, the Overlanders, numbering about 250, left their homes in Canada for the Cariboo gold fields. They journeyed via Fort Garry and Edmonton, and thence, guided by Indians to the mountains and westward by the Yellowhead Pass to the Fraser River. The majority rafted downstream to the gold-fields, others followed the North Thompson to Kamloops. The hardships they experienced and the perils they encountered, particularly between Jasper and Tète Jaune Cache and in the canyons and rapids of the Fraser and North Thompson, make their journey one of the epics of Canadian travel and adventure.
Au nombre d'environ 250, des Canadiens délaissèrent leurs foyers en 1862 pour la ruée, par voie de terre, vers l’or du Cariboo, passant par Fort Garry et Edmonton. De là, guides par des Indiens, ils prirent le défilé Yellowhead jusqu'au fleuve Fraser, qu’ils descendirent par radeaux jusqu'aux champs aurifères. D’autres suivirent la North Thompson jusqu’à Kamloops. Les dangers affrontés entre Jasper et la cache de la Tète Jaune dans les canyons et les rapides du Fraser et de la North Thompson
this page online
Erected by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada/Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1862.
Location. 52° 56.593′ N, 118° 2.342′ W. Marker is in Jasper, Alberta. Marker is on Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16) 4.2 kilometers north of Maligne Lake Road, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located in a pull-out on the east side of the highway, overlooking the Athabasca River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Jasper AB T0E 1E0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 24 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Henry House (approx. 7.7 kilometers away); Jasper Information Centre/Le centre d'information de Jasper (approx. 7.9 kilometers away); Gateway to a Community and a Park (approx. 8 kilometers away); Jasper House (approx. 22.9 kilometers away).
Also see . . .
1. Overlanders of 1862.
The party left Fort Garry in early(Submitted on August 13, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)June 1862, equipped with Red River carts and a few horses. They reached Fort Edmonton on 21 July 1862 and traded their carts for pack horses. Some members of the party decided to stay. The others hired André Cardinal, a Métis guide, for the difficult journey through Yellowhead Pass in the Rocky Mountains to Tête Jaune Cache on the Fraser River. The Overlanders forded icy rivers and crawled along narrow mountain passes. By the time they reached Tête Jaune Cache, the party was nearly starving. They were saved by a band of Secwepemc (Interior Salish), who gave them provisions.Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 6, 20222. The Overlanders of 1862 / Les Argonautes de 1862 Marker(looking east from Yellowhead Highway • Athabasca River in background)
2. The Overlanders of 1862.
Most of them came from the west of Canada, but a few were from the east, the United States, and Britain. Some were to drop out, while others went home, or to prospect the Peace River. The twenty people that chose The Thompson River route had to cut a trail to the river through unkown territory. Their trip down the Thompson River was a horrific ordeal. Their rafts were wrecked, supplies were lost. When the Overlanders arrived at their destinations, the Cariboo gold rush had passed its peak, and miners were going home. But some Overlanders stayed in British Columbia and many enjoyed successful careers.(Submitted on August 13, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 12, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 191 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 12, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2. submitted on August 13, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
