Mary Creek is a creek 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 that were once abundant in the region. The Cariboo was the ...

region of

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, ...

. The creek is located in Cottonwood Country which is between

Quesnel Quesnel or Quesnell means "little oak" in the Picard dialect of French. It is used as a proper name and may refer to: Places * Le Quesnel, a commune the Somme department in France * Quesnel, British Columbia, a city in British Columbia, Canada ...

and

Barkerville Barkerville was the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush in British Columbia, Canada, and is preserved as a historic town. It is located on the north slope of the Cariboo Plateau near the Cariboo Mountains east of Quesnel. BC Highway 26, which ...

. Mary Creek is small tributary of John Boyd Creek which flows into the Cottonwood River. Terry Toop discovered gold on Mary Creek in the fall of 1972. The nuggets found were $150 in value, and $2,200 in gold could be found in a single yard of gravel. Bullion in 15 and 20 pound lots was shipped to a refinery in Richmond. Photographs of the nuggets were published in newspapers along the coast. Other miners moved in and staked claims around the area, but the gold was depleted in 1975.

References

Rivers of British Columbia Cariboo Land District {{BritishColumbia-river-stub