The Meeting of the Rivers - Kamloops, BC - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

THE MEETING OF THE RIVERS

The name Kamloops is a Shuswap word meaning "meeting of the waters" or "point between the rivers". The confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers has been an important meeting place for thousands of years. The Secwepemc settled in the Kamloops valley along the banks of the North Thompson River at the foot of Mounts Peter and Paul. They used the rivers as an important source of food for the village with huge catches of fish being caught, dried and stored in preparation for winter. The water supported many types of animal, bird and plant life all of which were used to feed and clothe the people. The rivers also provided important cultural and transportation links between the Secwepemc in Kamloops and the rest of the Province.

1n 1812 the first fur trading post was set up at the confluence of the rivers, first in the area of the Mt. Paul Industrial Park and then across the river in North Kamloops. The fur traders actively exploited the resources of the two rivers for food, transportation, irrigation for crops, and livestock raising. Gold was discovered along the Thompson River at Nicomen in 1856 and at Tranquille in 1857. The resulting flood of miners and settlers transformed the valley into a lively community. Ranches and farms were established along the rivers. The famous Overlanders arrived in Kamloops in 1862 On rafts floated down the North Thompson River. The town of Kamloops itself grew up on the shore of the South Thompson River opposite the confluence.

With the completion of Canadian Pacific Railway construction in 1885 Kamloops became not only a meeting of waters but a meeting place of people from all over the world.
From the Sign in the Park