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Welcome to Clinton!
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 by GetawayBC.com
Clinton sits at the base of the scenic Limestone Marble range that is nestled among rolling pastures and surrounded by foothills of green pine trees on Hwy 97 about 50 km north of Cache Creek.
During the Cariboo Gold Rush, Clinton was a busy junction on the wagon road leading to the gold fields of the north. The location of the settlement made it an ideal resting place for travellers and miners en route. Originally known as 47 Mile House, proprietors boasted of a well-stocked saloon, great food, friendly hosts and seven rooms. Today the proprietors in this town can add to the list of accommodations, but everything else remains the same.
In the Spring of 1861 George and Robert Watson began to build a new log structure which became the famous Clinton Hotel. Across the road from the Hotel there was a toll booth which was built in 1863 and used until 1868 to pay Gustavus Wright, the road builder, for his work.
In 1867 the land was sold to Joe Smith, Mary Smith and Tom Marshall. That winter, Mrs. Mary Smith and some friends were sitting around lamenting the long Cariboo winter. In an effort to liven things up they came up with the idea of hosting a weeklong Ball in January 1868.
That first event was a series of dances and dinners that were by invitation only, held in the hotel’s billiard room. Guests traveled from San Francisco, Vancouver, and even as far away as Boston by train, stagecoach and horse-drawn sled. Gowns were ordered from New York and even Paris as it just wouldn’t do to wear the same gown two evenings in a row.
In 1894, tickets for the Ball cost $5 per person, and that included two nights of bed and breakfast. This also included room and board for two horses.
Now recognized as the longest continuously running event of its kind in Canada, 2007 marked the 140th Annual Ball in Clinton. If you find yourself in the area next year during the Victoria Day weekend, plan to attend the Ball.
For nearly 100 years the Clinton Hotel was the landmark on the Cariboo Wagon Road (now Hwy. 97). It burned down at approximately 3:45 am on May 15, 1958.;