150 Mile House (also referred to as "the 50") is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
of 1,172 people in the
Cariboo
The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia, Canada, centered on a plateau stretching from Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the Caribou (North America), caribou that were once abundant in the reg ...
region of
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
Cariboo Gold Rush
The Cariboo Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Colony of British Columbia, which later became the Canadian province of British Columbia. The first gold discovery was made at Hills Bar in 1858, followed by more strikes in 1859 on the Horsefly Ri ...
. Its name is derived from the distance from
Lillooet
Lillooet () is a district municipality in the Squamish-Lillooet region of southwestern British Columbia. The town is on the west shore of the Fraser River immediately north of the Seton River mouth. On BC Highway 99, the locality is by road abo ...
, which was Mile 0 of the
Old Cariboo Road
The Old Cariboo Road is a reference to the original wagon road to the Cariboo gold fields in what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia. It should not be confused with the Cariboo Road, which was built slightly later and used a differen ...
. It is the junction for roads to the communities of Likely and Horsefly to the northeast.
History
In 1856, Thomas W. Davidson, was transporting goods to Fort Alexandria when he came across empty farmland near Williams Lake. The local Shuswap Chief (Chief William) granted Thomas permission to set up a farm on the land. He established a store and stopping house near the Cariboo Wagon Road. A community grew and prospered, during the
Cariboo Gold Rush
The Cariboo Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Colony of British Columbia, which later became the Canadian province of British Columbia. The first gold discovery was made at Hills Bar in 1858, followed by more strikes in 1859 on the Horsefly Ri ...
and became known as 150 Mile House.
In 1913 the 150 Mile Courthouse was built beside Highway 97. It has been rescued from demolition twice and is the only evidence of 150 Mile House involvement with the government during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century leaving it an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
.
Modern day
150 Mile House today is occupied by farmland. One of the main attractions in 150 mile house is the “50 centre”, a mini mall and
gas station
A filling station (also known as a gas station [] or petrol station []) is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold are gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel.
Fuel dispensers are used to ...
. 150 Mile House is home to the oldest functional school building in the Cariboo region. The Little Red Schoolhouse was built beside the original Cariboo Wagon Road in 1896. The schoolhouse is located beside the 150 Mile House Elementary School. The Little Red Schoolhouse is the only operating building that was a part of the original townsite of 150 Mile House. The
stable
A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed.
Styles
There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
where students would leave their horses still stands in a nearby field, and the doctors house sits across Highway 97.
Economy
150 Mile House residences are considered commuters for Williams Lake prime industries in
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...
,
logging
Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, truckssawmilling,
mining
Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
and
ranch
A ranch (from /Mexican Spanish) is an area of landscape, land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often ap ...
ing. The size of the 150 Mile House community limits the jobs available for 150 Mile House residents.
See also
*
70 Mile House
70 Mile House is a community situated on Highway 97 in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, Canada. Its name is derived from its distance from Lillooet, which was Mile 0 of the Old Cariboo Road. Other examples of towns named by their distan ...
*
93 Mile House
93 Mile House (officially 93 Mile) is an unincorporated community in 100 Mile House (outside edge of) the South Cariboo region of British Columbia, Canada. It is at the junction of Highway 24 and Highway 97. It is located approximately 11&nbs ...