Mineral Exploration

CAMPS OF FAME W inte r 20 17 59 PHOTOS: PRINCETON MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES AND GRANITE CREEK PRESERVATION SOCIETY; MAP N.L. BARLEE. GOLD CREEK AND GHOST TOWNS Interestingly, Chinese miners were mining along parts of the Similkameen and Tulameen rivers for years prior to Chance's discovery, but they failed to find the riches of Granite Creek. The Chinese were very diligent and thorough miners, but they did little to no prospecting in search of new gold fields. If, by chance, they had discovered the gold along Granite Creek, they undoubtedly would have quietly worked the beds and benches without broadcasting their successes. With the flurry of activity on Granite Creek, the scene was described as a stretch of several miles of swarming humanity, with horses and tents and campfires everywhere. Supplies, groceries and accommodations were urgently needed to serve the ever-growing numbers of men seeking their fortunes. A flat, terraced bench at the mouth and on the east bank of Granite Creek o'ered a suitable location for a townsite and staging centre for all the activities. Building and development on this rather confined 10-acre site commenced immediately, and by the end of October 1885, seven general stores, two restaurants, two liquor stores and a butcher shop were operating. A local sawmill provided the lumber for all this development. The new townsite was named Granite City, also referred to as Granite Creek or simply Granite. One section of the townsite was developed and occupied by the Chinese, and another section became a suburb of tents. In the fall of 1885, it was estimated that 400 to 500 Caucasian and 150 to 200 Chinese miners were residing or camping at Granite City and in cabins or tents along Granite Creek. The influx of people and construction at Granite City continued at a frenzied pace, and by 1886 there were about 40 houses; nine general stores; 14 hotels, saloons and restaurants; three bakers; two livery stables and eight pack-horse trains; a doctor; and an attorney. There was a jailhouse with no bars on the windows, but the windows were too small for jailbirds to squeeze through. G.C. Turnstall was appointed gold commissioner. Space for Granite City was very confined, and with the booming development there were almost 200 buildings crowded onto two main streets. Those two main drags – Granite Street and Government Street –Ÿwere narrow and never more than trails of mud or dust. In 1886, with a population of 2,000, Granite City was the fourth-largest city in British Columbia after Victoria, Vancouver and New Westminster. In every sense, Granite City was a flamboyant boomtown. It was a bustling hive of activity during the day, and at night it was a lively, crowded centre where the miners traded in their hard-earned gold nuggets for booze, women and gambling. And with all this excitement, there was absolutely no intention of building any churches. Gold prices increased to $17.25 per ounce in 1886, and this coincided with the reported peak production of 10,722 ounces from Granite Creek. The actual gold production was probably significantly higher. The miners on Granite Creek were noticing the presence of a hard, steel- grey metallic mineral associated with the gold in their panning and sluicing process. They called it white iron or white gold and, believing it was worthless, were throwing the material back into the creek. However, one Scandinavian prospector, Johanssen, kept his white gold in a pail with hopes that it might become valuable at a later date. Some Chinese miners also collected their white gold. Eventually, the white gold was identified as platinum, which, in 1886, was only $2.50 per ounce and shortly afterwards, $4 per ounce. Platinum purchasers at Granite City were buying platinum from some miners at $0.50 per ounce and, as a result, the purchasers were reaping a handsome return. Incidentally, Johanssen did not sell his cache of platinum, and when he left Granite City in 1907, he buried his 25-pound pail of platinum beside his cabin. He never returned to retrieve his cache; apparently, the pail of platinum, now worth about $460,000, is still buried somewhere in the ruins of Granite City. There were stories that the Chinese also buried their (Far left) Flume and water wheel; (above) first bridge over the Tulameen River, circa 1890; (left) map of Granite Creek vicinity.

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