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History Of Cache Creek
 
Natural Oasis On The Gold Rush Trail Via The Scenic Fraser Canyon
 
During the famous gold rush of the mid 1800's, many hopeful prospectors travelled the SCENIC FRASER CANYON en route to the newly discovered CARIBOO GOLD FIELDS. During their exhausting journey, they often sought refuge near a small creek at the halfway point where they could store or "cache" some of their belongings and rest overnight, Today, the Fraser Canyon route from the lower mainland to the interior has been dubbed "THE HISTORIC GOLD RUSH TRAIL", and CACHE CREEK still remains the halfway stop for the modern day explorer.
 
This historic community has continued to grow over the years, by providing for the traveller's needs. It can accommodate approximately 600 overnight guests. Together with its neighboring community of Ashcroft, there are more than a dozen different restaurants, as well as a wide variety of motels, and shopping facilities, all comfortably air conditioned.
 
This natural overnight stop, filled with historic points of interest, and mystery in the midst of a small desert belt, is the heart of the Gold Rush Trail and echoes many interesting stories of days gone by.
 
The newly restored HAT CREEK HOUSE (a historic hotel once operated by the Hudson Bay Company), just north of here, awakens the stories of some famouse outlaws, such and the MacLean Brothers or the well-known train robber Bill Miner, who first coined the phrase "Hands Up!"
 
There is another well-known legend about how Cache Creek was named during the CARIBOO GOLD RUSH. A fleet of horse-drawn freight wagons was responsible for the transportation of the precious yellow metal back to the Canadian Pacific Railway depot at Ashcroft.
 
The legend tells of a time when the wagons were robbed somewhere between Barkerville and 100 Mile House. A large amount of gold was apparently stolen by a pair of bandits who had a desire to return to their home south of the border.
 
The bandits fled directly south with their heavy cargo, but the famous B.C. PROVINCIAL POLICE, which became the Northwest Mounted Police, (now the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) were hot on their trail.
 
There was a fierce skirmish during the chase and one of the bandits was killed. The other also desperately wounded, was forced to bury (cache) the stolen booty near a small creek and flee home out of Canada where he died before he could return. The stolen gold was never recovered and is presumed still hidden in this area. Hence, the name "CACHE CREEK" - or so believers of this popular legend would claim.
 
For a more historical explanation of the origin of the name "CACHE CREEK" and other related history, click here to read the article, "Early History Of Cache Creek" by John Stewart.