Established as a stopping and supply centre for prospectors headed to the
Cariboo Gold Rush, Clinton grew quickly following the completion of the
Cariboo Road in 1863, which led to
Barkerville and the surrounding gold fields. Originally
47 Mile or
47 Mile House, a common naming practice along the
Cariboo Road, on June 11, 1863 the name Clinton was officially adopted by Queen Victoria to inaugurate the retirement of
Henry Fiennes Pelham Clinton, the Colonial Secretary of the day and the 5th Duke of Newcastle.
The original wagon road on which Clinton arose is now Highway 97, the major north-south thoroughfare through the centre of the British Columbia interior. Following much of the original
Cariboo Wagon Road, it runs for 2,081 km (1,293 mi), from the Canada–United States border in the south to the British Columbia/Yukon boundary in the north.
Clinton's
Village Office stands on the east side of Highway 97, now known as the
Cariboo Highway, between Le Bourdais and Dewdney Avenues. Clinton itself is approximately 98 km (61 mi) northwest of Cache Creek and the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 1, the
Trans Canada Highway. The third building to have occupied this location, this long, low Arts & Crafts style building has, since its construction in 1927, been expanded with additions to both the north and south. In its lifetime, it has been town hall, government agency, courthouse and jail in the concrete basement. Over the main entrance is a three dimensional rendition of the British Columbia coat of arms.
While the old Clinton Hotel is now gone, having burned down at approximately 3:45 a.m. on May 15, 1958, a contemporary, the
Palace Hotel, still stands, set well back from the street, across from the Village Office/Town Hall. Built as a residence in 1862 and assumed to be the oldest building in Clinton, it didn't become a hotel until the 1880s. Immediately south of the village office is the
Clinton Museum, housed in a one room 1892 schoolhouse.
In front of the village office is a rustic three part kiosk displaying a Clinton town map, with legends, a short treatise on the village itself, and a Clinton area map. Text from the kiosk follows.
CLINTON
Originally known as "The 47 Mile", with the completion of the Douglas-Lilloet Road in 1861 and the Yale-Cariboo Road in 1863 "The Junction" became the townsite of Clinton. The townsite became an important settlement, providing supplies and rest for travelers to the Cariboo Gold Fields. The early 1900s gave rise to the lucrative forest industry. Clinton and area boast many good facilities and a landscaped park, while still retaining the flavor of a frontier town. The village hosts the Clinton Ball, the longest running event in Canada since 1868.