McDame Creek facts for kids
McDame Creek is a cool stream located in a wild part of British Columbia, Canada. It flows into the Dease River and is found south of a place called Good Hope Lake. This creek became famous because of the gold found there a long time ago!
Contents
McDame Creek: A Golden History
How McDame Creek Got Its Name
In 1874, a gold seeker named Harry McDame discovered this creek. That's how it got its name! People called "prospectors" like Harry were always looking for valuable minerals, especially gold.
The Gold Rush Begins
Soon after its discovery, McDame Creek became a busy place for gold mining in the 1800s. Many miners came hoping to strike it rich. A small town called Centreville grew up there. It had cabins and stores, and it was a trading spot for all the miners working along the creek.
The Biggest Gold Nugget
Imagine finding a huge piece of solid gold! In 1877, a prospector named Al Freeman found an amazing gold nugget in McDame Creek. This nugget weighed 72 ounces, which is about the same as a large brick of cheese! It was worth about $1,300 back then, which was a lot of money. This was the largest gold nugget ever found in British Columbia! It was discovered near where a smaller stream, called 1st N. Fork Creek, joins McDame Creek.
The Mystery of the Christie Lead
In 1876, another gold miner named Christie found a special area of gold near McDame Creek. This discovery became known as the "Christie Lead." It was like a hidden path of gold that was about 30 meters wide and stretched for almost 1.5 kilometers! Miners working on the Christie Lead were finding a lot of gold, sometimes earning between $2,000 and $6,000 every week. This gold-rich area was located between Snow Creek and 3rd North Fork Creek, running alongside McDame Creek.
However, in 1877, the Christie Lead suddenly seemed to disappear. Miners tried very hard to find where it continued, but they were never successful. To this day, some people believe that the lost "Christie Lead" is still waiting to be found again somewhere along McDame Creek!
