Telegraph Creek | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Coordinates:57°54′N131°10′W / 57.900°N 131.167°W /57.900; -131.167[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional district | Kitimat–Stikine |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.46 km2 (0.56 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 53 |
| • Density | 36/km2 (94/sq mi) |
Telegraph Creek is a small community located offHighway 37 in northernBritish Columbia at the confluence of theStikine River and Telegraph Creek.[3] The only permanent settlement on theStikine River, it is home to approximately 250 members ofTahltan First Nation and non-native residents. The town offers basic services, including Anglican and Catholic churches, a general store, a post office, a clinic with several nurses on-call around the clock, twoRoyal Canadian Mounted Police officers, and a K-9 school. Steep river banks and rocky gorges form the terraced nature of the geography.
The community includesTelegraph Creek Indian Reserve No. 6,Telegraph Creek Indian Reserve No. 6A, andGuhthe Tah Indian Reserve No. 12[4][5][6] which are under the governance of the Tahltan First Nation of Telegraph Creek.Stikine Indian Reserve No. 7, which is one mile west (downstream) and on the opposite side of the Stikine River, is under the governance of theIskut First Nation of the settlement ofIskut, which is on theriver of the same name. The two bands together comprise theTahltan Nation.
Tahltan (or Nahanni) refers to aNorthern Athabaskan people that live around Telegraph Creek,Dease Lake andIskut.
TheStikine region is the traditional home of theTahltan people, who have lived there for generations. The modern history of the Telegraph Creek and Dease Lake area dates back to the 1860s and 1870s with theStikine andCassiar Gold Rushes. Telegraph Creek witnessed the discovery of gold by prospectors on the Stikine River in the 1860s and was the head of navigation. In 1866, the construction of theRussian-American Telegraph line to theYukon gave Telegraph Creek its name.
As early as 10,000 years ago, the Tahltan people usedobsidian from theMount Edziza volcanic complex to maketools andweapons for trading material. This is the main source of obsidian found in northwestern British Columbia.[7][8]
In 1874,Nellie Cashman, nicknamed "the Angel of Cassiar", opened a boarding house for miners in Telegraph Creek during theCassiar gold rush.[9]
AuthorEdward Hoagland wrote extensively about Telegraph Creek in his 1969 bookNotes from the Century Before: A Journal from British Columbia in which he reveals the presence of a high level of ghost activities.[10][11]
Telegraph and its surrounding areas are known for their hiking, riverboating, camping, hunting and fishing. There are organized tours lasting from half a day to several days.
The area surrounding Telegraph Creek holds five British Columbia Provincial parks:
The road between Dease Lake, BC and Telegraph Creek is beautiful but rough, with 113 km (70 mi) of gravel, steep gradients (up to 20%), narrow passages along canyon walls with no guardrails, and sharp-angled switchbacks. Only the first 4.7 km (2.9 mi) stretch is paved.[12]
Telegraph Creek Road (also called Hwy. 51) should be driven with caution and awareness; it is suitable for most vehicles but is not recommended for large RVs and travel trailers. One source indicates that "the road is prone to washouts and rock slides".[13][14] At times when the road is closed, the government of BC provides warnings on its www.DriveBC.ca Web site.[15]
The community can also be reached by water, via the Stikine River from Alaska and by air.