McMicking, Thomas

  • DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY ARTICLE: Victor G. Hopwood, “McMICKING, THOMAS,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 9, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/mcmicking_thomas_9E.html
  • DCB profile notes:
    • Gold-seeker, municipal official, and author; b. 16 April 1829 in Stamford Township (city of Niagara Falls), Upper Canada, eldest son of William McMicking and Mary McClellan; m. 12 July 1853 Laura Chubbock, and they had two girls and two boys; d. 25 Aug. 1866 near New Westminster, B.C.
    • In autumn 1861, when news of the rich gold finds in the Cariboo reached Canada West, Thomas was the leading spirit in organizing a party of 24 or 28 to travel overland to the Cariboo from the Queenston and St Catharines area. The party, including Thomas’ youngest brother, Robert Burns McMicking, left Queenston in April 1862. It travelled through the United States by rail and steamer to St Paul on the Mississippi, by coach to the Red River, and then by steamer to Fort Garry.
    • The main party under McMicking reached Fort Edmonton, the last depot for supplies, on 21 July 1862. When it left eight days later, some of its members stayed behind to prospect before crossing the mountains the next year. McMicking crossed with pack animals, proceeding up the Athabasca and then the Miette River, and over the height of land by Yellowhead Pass to reach the upper Fraser and Tête Jaune Cache. Here, near starvation, McMicking’s party was provisioned by a band of Shuswaps. Owing to disputes about the best route to follow, a meeting of those still with the party was held on 1 September dissolving the agreement of 5 July.
    • Many of the Overlanders left the country without ever mining. As a gold seeking expedition the trek of the Overlanders of ‘62 was almost fruitless. A few returned to the Cariboo in 1863 but they found the gold deposits becoming exhausted. Late in 1862 Thomas McMicking went down from the Cariboo to New Westminster, where he was befriended, as many Overlanders were, by John Robson*, editor of the British Columbian. McMicking worked for a short time in a shingle mill. He also quickly prepared an interesting, well-written narrative of the journey which was published in the British Columbian between 29 Nov. 1862 and 23 Jan. 1863 in 14 instalments. This is the basic published primary document on the Overlanders.
  • Grandson of United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=5652
  • Find a GRAVE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/239858729/thomas-mcmicking