The Place:
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 flavour of a frontier town. The village hosts the Clinton Ball, the longest running event in Canada since 1868.
The Person:
Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle under Lyne
Known as Lord Lincoln until he inherited the dukedom in 1851, Henry was educated at Eton and then Oxford. Almost immediately after completing his degree in 1832, the young earl embarked upon a career in politics, becoming M.P. for South Nottinghamshire (1832-1846) and later for the Falkirk Burghs (1846-1851).
Public office quickly followed. In 1834 Lincoln was made a Lord of the Treasury. It was to be a short-lived appointment, but it marked the first in a long line of public offices. He became First Commissioner of Woods and Forests, Chief Secretary for Ireland and Secretary of State for War and the Colonies at various dates between 1841 and 1864. Of particular note was his resignation from the War Office in 1855 in the wake of disastrous actions in the Crimea. Immediately following his resignation he departed on a tour of the Crimea, wishing to see the situation there for himself.
The 5th Duke was a political ally and friend of numerous leading politicians and statesmen. He had a lasting bond with Sir Robert Peel, and was extremely close to William Gladstone, his contemporary at Oxford. Indeed, he encouraged his father, the 4th Duke, to give Gladstone his first parliamentary seat - for the borough of Newark, Nottinghamshire. This was evidence of his political influence operating at a local as well as at a national level, where he has come to be regarded as one of the most effective colonial secretaries of the 19th century.
Newcastle's personal life was unfortunately rife with unhappiness. His marriage was fraught with difficulties and ended in divorce in 1850. His relationship with his father was strained, particularly in later life as the political beliefs of father and son became increasingly divergent, as were his relationships with most of his children.
From the University of Nottingham