Defot

Defot BC,

in the “Cassiar” Land District

Originally this was First Nation “Kaska” aka “Casca” Reserve area
They are related to the Tahltan.
Later the name was changed to “Cassiar”

On West Branch, Canyon River in map below
West of Dease 25 miles.
over 5,000 ft alt

Lat- 58º 54' N,
Long- 130º 27' W

Unincorporated Area

Defot
Defot, Mount Defot and Defot Creek shown top left.
named after an early French Canadian Prospector, John Defot, (see below)
He was born within 40 miles of Montreal Quebec
He came to BC in 1876
Defot had a couple saloon's, Blacksmith shop,
Henry Thibert, had a store,
also Callbreath, Grant & Cook had a store there, Sept 1878, and other usual business places in 1878

J. C. Callbreath
ca 1882- Merchant, Telegraph Creek

John Grant
ca 1882- M.P.P. Merchant, Laketon

G. W. Cook
ca 1882- Merchant, Laketon

Defot found Gold here June 24, 1878
His claim was about a mile from the mouth of Defot Creek
The Defot creek empties into Canyon Creek, aka: Canon Creek
It is 2 1/2 miles long, shallow, 20-25 ft wide.
22 1/2 oz nugget was found there
Gold Commissioner Vowell reported seeing one 42 oz.
largest reported 45 1/2 oz, found by McCrimmon & Co.
In the 1874 Minister of mines report, it is written a 9 Pound Nugget was supposedly dug out of this creek.
that is Pounds!!!
Author wrote he had not seen it himself, but had heard of its existance.

July 1879, It was the largest piece of clear gold yet found in Cassiar.
By 1880 Dafot Creek was nearly worked out.

John Defot
b- 40 miles from Montreal Quebec
d- He was at Thibert Creek in 1885, registered as a voter. Not many of these old guys escape my Genealogy grasp, but this fellow is hard to track down. I am now thinking his name was spelled differently, such as De Foe

1879 claims on Defot Creek

Peshtigo claim
Archibald H. Cameron, J. Dickinson, and Robert McDermott owners
Archibald Cameron- Miner McDame's Creek, ca 1882
Robert McDermott Saloon Keeper, McDame's Creek, ca 1882

New Hope Claim
J. Gillis & Co. owners
Gillis Creek, and Mount Gillis in Cassiar area of BC
possibly named after him?
John Gillis

Jeffrie Claim
W. Jeffrie, and J. Collins owners

Nil Desperandum Claim
Daniel McMillan, O. Kerrigan and P. Boyle owners
found a Charles Boyle miner at McDame Creek, ca 1882

Blue Bell Claim
J. Clark, and J. Colvin owners

Caledonia Claim
John C. McCrimmon, S. Evans, and W. E. Osterhout owners John McCrimmon, miner McDame's Creek ca 1882

1885

• Napoleon Brunnett, Miner, Defot Creek
• John McGillis, Trader, Defot Creek
• Daniel McMillan, Miner, Defot Creek
• Samuel Roach, Miner, Defot Creek
• William A. Simmons, Miner, Defot Creek

Chinese coins from 2637 BC, were found on this creek in 1882 per following report,
from Deans, James; American Naturalist, 18:98-99, 1884.
In the summer of 1882 a miner found on De Foe (Deorse?) creek, Cassiar district, Br. Columbia, thirty Chinese coins in the aurifeous sand, twenty-five feet below the surface. They appeared to have been strung, but on taking them up the miner let them drop apart. The earth above and around them was as compact as any in the neighborhood. One of theses coins I examined at the store of Chu Chong in Victoria. Neither in metal nor markings, this is a Chinese chronological cycle of sixty years, invented by the Emperor Huungti, 2637 B.C., and circulated in this form to make his people remember it.

Ext Links
not my sites

http://minfile.gov.bc.ca/Summary.aspx?minfilno=104J++006

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