Lytton

Lytton, BC, incorporated as a village in 1945, population 228 (2011c), 235 (2006c). The Village of Lytton is located on the Trans-Canada Highway, 260 km northeast of Vancouver, at the junction of the THOMPSON and FRASER rivers, in one of the driest and warmest spots in Canada. The village is on the former site of a Nlaka'pamux (see SALISH, INTERIOR) village called Camchin meaning roughly "crossing over" and was later the site of the short-lived Hudson's Bay Company post Fort Dallas. In 1858 the settlement was named after Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton, British colonial secretary and popular Victorian novelist.

The area was important during the FRASER RIVER GOLD RUSH on the Fraser in the late 1850s and was a stopping point on the CARIBOO ROAD from the 1860s. A bridge over the Thompson River built there in 1866 was nearly swept away in the great flood of 1894.

Present Day

Today, logging and sawmilling provide the economic base along with tourism and agriculture. Ginseng became a valuable crop for the area in the 1980s. White-water rafting on the rivers in the area and hiking in Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park bring many international visitors.

Author JOHN R. STEWART Rev: KEN FAVRHOLDT

Links to Other Sites
Lytton
The website for the Village of Lytton.

Encyclopedia of British Columbia
Fast facts and a timeline of the history of British Columbia from the website for the "Encyclopedia of British Columbia." Most of the website content, including articles, photos, and graphics, is available through subscription.

The Colonial Despatches
View digitized copies of correspondence (dated 1846 - 1859) between the British Colonial Office and the "colonies" of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Search or browse this site for references to specific individuals, communities, companies, or industries in the province. Also includes digitized images of maps of various locations. From the website for the University of Victoria.

Community Profiles
See maps and statistical data for regions and communities throughout British Columbia. A Government of British Columbia website.

BC Geographical Names
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British Columbia Archives
Explore the fascinating history of BC through online digitized copies of selected government documents, manuscripts, maps, architectural plans, photographs, illustrations, audio and video files, newspapers and much more.

One of Canada's earliest roads: the Cariboo
A CBC Radio audio clip about the history of the harrowing Cariboo Wagon Road in BC.

Attitudes Toward Chinese Immigrants to British Columbia 1858-1885
Download a copy of a thesis about the widespread discrimination suffered by Chinese immigrants in BC during the late 19th century. From Simon Fraser University.