Packtrail – SusanSmithJosephy

Jean ‘Cataline’ Caux in his later years.

When I was doing research for “Cataline: The Life of BC’s Legendary Packer,” I was at the Quesnel & District Museum & Archives and stopped in at their gift shop and found two postcards and one card. Of course I bought them, took them home and propped them up on my desk as inspiration during the writing and editing process.

This is the back of the above postcard. It says it was printed by Pioneer Postcards, Kelowna, BC.

Writing on the front of this card says “H.B.C.’s mule train, freighting from Hazelton, BC

Cataline used to pack for the Hudson’s Bay Company, and correspondence from that time showed he frustrated the straight-laced Company’s men with his unique and somewhat casual approach to business and financial matters.

Back of the above H.B.C. mule train postcard

I also picked up a few pen and ink printed greeting cards depicting local (Quesnel and Barkerville, BC) historical events and people. I love this little card that depicts Cataline:

There is an anecdote inside:

And the back of the card says “The Barkerville Trail HastiNotes” which were printed by Spartan Printing, Quesnel:

Whenever I’m doing a research project or research for a book or article, I always scour local stores or online sites like eBay for related ephemera. It makes the past so much more real and alive.

New blog post: The landscape of Cataline

A big part of researching a book for me is getting out into the world of the person or people I’m writing about. Jean ‘Cataline’ Caux travelled on many trails through his long and interesting life, many of which were made long ago and used by the Indigenous people in the different locales that the pack trains later worked. In my own travels on the backroads of British Columbia, I’ve been lucky enough to see and experience the beautiful surroundings and the historic landscapes that surround us and which gave so much inspiration to me with the Cataline book.

When I’m out exploring the backroads and the history of British Columbia, I try and take some photos that will reflect the feelings that I get when I’m immersed in the beauty of our surroundings. Here are a few that I particularly like and I hope you will like them, too.

On the Dog Creek Road, driving south from Alkali Lake
Dog Creek Road junction near Gang Ranch (east side of river)
Heading towards Lillooet with Fraser River in distance
A silhouette of goats heading towards Big Bar on north side
Ranch land and sagebrush near Lillooet
Marble Canyon–Cataline often wintered near here
Near Bridge River, close to Lillooet
Hat Creek Ranch on a hot day
Hat Creek Ranch–Cataline spent time here enjoying drinks with friends
Back on the trail again, heading away from Hat Creek area

Cataline would have spent time in all of these places as he travelled around the province. Irene Bjerky, whose research gave such a basis to the family background of Jean ‘Cataline’ Caux, and who wrote such a lovely introduction to the book, has compiled lots of information about Cataline’s travel routes on her ‘Packtrails‘ website and I urge you to check it out.

To purchase ‘Cataline: The Life of BC’s Legendary Packer’ go to Caitlin Press’s website, or buy it from your favourite bookseller.