When gold was discovered on the Fraser River, the rush was on. By early spring of 1858 the need for shelter, food, rest stops and stores became very apparent, as miners and would-be-miners made their way up into the hinterland. From Yale to Barkerville, roadhouses sprung up along the Cariboo's gold-rush trail. From their crude beginning, the roadhouses soon grew to be more than just stopovers. The roadhouses are gone, but the communities, villages, towns and cities remain. Golden Nuggets, with pictures and written text, brings the roadhouses back to life and gives us a glimpse of yesterday.

Branwen Patenaude moved to British Columbia with her parents and brothers in December 1941. Born in Shanghai, China, where she led the sheltered life of a British schoolgirl, her life changed dramatically when her family moved to West Vancouver. When Branwen was in Grade 11, her family moved to the Cariboo, and shortly thereafter she met Wilfred H. Patenaude. The two were married in Ashcroft in 1947. In 1960 Branwen, Wilfred and their two children Anne and David Honor moved to Quesnel, where eventual Branwen volunteered at the Quesnel Museum and began writing. Branwen has published eight books on Cariboo history, making her a great contributor to the information available on pioneer life in the Cariboo during the last century.

Branwen Patenaude's profile page