Franklin River in

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, is located between

Alberni Inlet Alberni Inlet (formerly known as Alberni Canal) is a long, narrow inlet in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, that stretches from the Pacific Ocean at Barkley Sound about inland terminating at Port Alberni. It was named by the Spanish ex ...

and

Barkley Sound , image = Fishing boat in the Broken Group Islands.jpg , image_size = 260px , alt = , caption = Barkley Sound , image_bathymetry = , alt_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , locat ...

, was named as part of the Vancouver Island Exploration Expedition of 1864. The river was named for

Selim Franklin Selim Franklin, Esquire (1814–1885) was an American pioneer, auctioneer, real estate agent, chess master, and Canadian legislator. Selim is listed in the Pioneer Club of San Francisco and The Society of California Pioneers. Franklin Street i ...

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

, who was Chairman of the Exploration Committee. The Franklin River flows west into

Sproat Narrows Sproat may refer to: *Alexander Sproat (1834–1890), Ontario land surveyor, businessman and political figure *Clyde Sproat (1930–2008), Hawaiian falsetto musician *Ebenezer Sproat (1752–1805), colonel in the Continental Army during the America ...

in the Alberni Inlet, south of the city of

Port Alberni Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. It is the location of the head offices o ...

. The traditional name of the river is Owatchet. In 1911 Seattle attorney

Julius Bloedel Julius Harold Bloedel (March 4, 1864 – September 21, 1957) was an American businessman and entrepreneur who operated primarily in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada. Biography Born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Bloedel mov ...

and the Bloedel Stewart Welch Company began purchasing Vancouver Island land for logging. Their Franklin River location became one of the largest logging operations in the world. Later in 1938 the company would become the first in British Columbia to plant seedlings in areas that had been logged.

References

* Vancouver Island Exploration Expedition, 1864. (Lands Vault, plan P.2.T.67) * Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office * Report of the 1864 Vancouver Island Exploration Expedition, published at Victoria, 1865, p.22; accession NW 971.1 V, V225 * See Victoria Colonist, 27 December 1858 for biographical information about Franklin * Source: Provincial Archives' Place Names File (the "Harvey File") compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions * 13 August 1945 on C.3609, as labelled on BC map 2A, 1913 et seq, and as identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer; Confirmed 8 July 1948 on C.3609

External links

BC Whitewater Rafting
- Rated Class 4 (perhaps 5+ in canyon below Bamfield Road) Alberni Valley Rivers of Vancouver Island {{BritishColumbiaCoast-geo-stub

See also

References

External links