The Van Winkle Mine

History of the Famous Claim

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The Town of Van Winkle and Lighting Creek are synonomous with Gold. Gold Miners alike all know what Lighting Creek and Van Winkle are.

 

 

A successful claim named Van Winkle was located on a bar of the lower Fraser near Lytton during the Cariboo Gold Rush. A Creek of the same value was named after this claim and a town developed where it entered Lightning Creek.

This was the first settlement on Lightning Creek and by the summer of 1862 Van Winkle was booming. The town had the privilege of a post office, the Bishop of Columbia came in August to preach on Sundays, there were saloons, hotels, gambling houses, shoe makers, blacksmiths, and bakers.