BRALORNE HISTORY
Bralorne has a colourful history rich in gold! Bralorne and Pioneer were the most important gold mines in BC for much of the 20th century. Over 3 million ounces of gold was produced until the mine closed in 1971 due to low gold prices.
The first gold nuggets were found in the Bridge River Valley in 1858 by early prospectors. In 1897, three men hiked in from Lillooet to Cadwallader Creek looking for gold. They made three claims - the Lorne, Marquis and the Golden King. These would form the core of the complex of claims which became the Bralorne Mine. Arthur Noel bought the claims and worked them sporadically, holding on in bad times, waiting for the good. Unfortunately, the mine became tied up in litigation and stood idle for a dozen years. By 1914 Pioneer Gold Mines was set up with more industrial equipment, boilers and modern rock mill. The site worked through the 1920s and the profitable King vein exploited.
In 1931 Austin C. Taylor and associates acquired the Bralorne property and financed construction of a 100 ton mill. The Bralorne Mine operated from March 1932 until 1971. During the depression, men flocked to the region to work as miners for the high wages of up to $5 per day. The collapse of world markets and the solid price of gold in the Depression caused a boom in Bralorne and men and investment ramped up production. The district was one of the few bright lights in the BC economy during the Depression - in a seven-year period in the 1930s, the mines of the Bridge River produced $370,000,000 in gold. In the 40 years of operation, over 100 miles of underground tunnels were dug under Bralorne.
In the peak of the golden era, Bralorne boasted a population of over 3,000 people with all the conveniences of a big town - banks, general store, post office, church, school, hockey rink, skating rink, tennis courts, ball field, gymnasium, community hall, police station and a hospital.
Recreation was just as important to Bralorne residents back then as it is now. Ice Hockey became a popular pastime and good players were imported from around the country and assured of jobs in the mine. Intense rivalry between the Bralorne and Pioneer teams provided spectators with quite a show. Proof of the high calibre of play was found in the fact that the Bralorne Golddiggers won the provincial championships 2 years in a row!
Baseball was the favourite summer sport and this tradition continues today with the Annual Bralorne Ball Tournament held each summer.
Skiing was another popular winter activity and the Bralorne Pioneer Ski Club was formed on Sunshine Mountain. Races and other events were held on weekends and the rope tow cost 50¢ to ride. The crowning of the Ski Queen was the highlight of the Winter Ball. The ski cabin is still standing on Sunshine Mountain today and has a Facebook page dedicated to it.
One can still view the vintage houses and town structure that were the heart of this place a century ago. Visit the Bralorne Pioneer museum to learn more about the history of Bralorne and see the exhibits and photographs. Click here to view the online exhibit.
Information from this page was taken from the book "Bridge River Gold" by Emma de Hullu and Evelyn Cunningham. The Bralorne Pioneer Museum has plans to print another edition of this book soon.