Monthly Archives: March 2014

Mastodon Peak

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British Columbia. Peak
Previous name of Mastodon Mountain
52.6167 N 118.35 W — Map 83D/9 — Google — GeoHack
Earliest known reference to this name is 1922 (Wheeler and Cautley)
Name officially adopted in 1963
Not currently an official name

Named in 1922 by the Alberta-British Columbia Boundary Commission survey party because of a resemblance to the extinct form of elephant.

“Mastodon Peak” adopted in 1924, derived from “Mount Mastodon” as indicated on Boundary Commission sheet 28, surveyed in 1921. Form of name changed to “Mastodon Mountain” in 1962 by Alberta and 1963 by British Columbia.

References:

  • Cautley, Richard William [1873–1953], and Wheeler, Arthur Oliver [1860–1945]. Report of the Commission appointed to delimit the boundary between the Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Part II. 1917 to 1921. From Kicking Horse Pass to Yellowhead Pass.. Ottawa: Office of the Surveyor General, 1924. Whyte Museum
  • Cautley, Richard William [1873–1953], and Wheeler, Arthur Oliver [1860–1945]. Report of the Commission Appointed to Delimit the Boundary between the Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Parts IIIA & IIIB, 1918 to 1924. From Yellowhead Pass Northerly. Ottawa: Office of the Surveyor General, 1925. Whyte Museum
  • Holmgren, Eric J., and Holmgren, Patricia M. Over 2,000 place names of Alberta. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Modern Press, 1973. Internet Archive
Also see:

Martinson Creek

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British Columbia. Creek: Fraser River drainage
Flows NW into Doré River
53.2986 N 120.26 W — Map 093H08 — Google — GeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1965
Official in BC – Topo map from Canadian Geographical Names
The 1918 Wrigley’s British Columbia Directory lists “Martinson I mixed farming” under McBride, and “Martinson, Mentz farming” under Rooney.
References:

  • Wrigley Directories, Limited. Wrigley’s British Columbia Directory. Vancouver: 1918, p. 271. Internet Archive [accessed 6 February 2025]

Manteau Creek

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British Columbia. Creek: North Thompson River drainage
Flown NE into North Thompson River W of Gosnell (railway point)
52.5083 N 119.3972 W — Map 83D/11 — Google — GeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1962
Official in BC – Canada
This creek appears on:
Zillmer maps of Cariboo 1939-1948 [1947]

“Manteau” is French for a coat or blanket. What its significance is in this case is unknown.

Also see:

Malton Range

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British Columbia. Range
W of Canoe River, E of Albreda Riverand North Thompson River
52.6333 N 119.0667 W — Map 83D/11 — Google — GeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1961
Official in BC – Canada
This range appears on:
Milton and Cheadle’s map 1865

Although this range was not mentioned in Milton and Cheadle’s published account, it appears on the map accompanying the report of their trip from Saskatchewan to British Columbia in 1863-64. Malton is a village in Yorkshire. Milton’s father, William Wentworth-FitzWilliam, 6th Earl FitzWilliam, was member of parliament for Malton from 1837 to 1841. One of Fitzwilliam’s seats, “The Lodge,” was situated at Malton.

References:

  • Milton, William Wentworth Fitzwilliam [1839–1877], and Cheadle, Walter Butler [1835–1910]. The North-West Passage by Land. Being the narrative of an expedition from the Atlantic to the Pacific, undertaken with the view of exploring a route across the continent to British Columbia through British territory, by one of the northern passes in the Rocky Mountains. London: Cassell, Petter and Galpin, 1865. Internet Archive
  • White, James [1863–1928]. “Place names in the vicinity of Yellowhead Pass.” Canadian Alpine Journal, Vol. 6 (1914–1915):107-114

Main Street

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Feature type: street
Province: British Columbia
Location: McBride
Latitude: 53.3011 N
Longitude: 120.1695 W
Google Maps

“The towns fringing the Grand Trunk Pacific, which on the average are spaced about eight miles apart, are all located on the northern side of the line, with one or two exceptions. The principal thoroughfare striking directly from the station is always the Main Street, and is generally known as such. It is a noble highway 80 feet in width, which provides a 60 foot roadway.” So wrote Frederick Talbot in his book written for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1912.

References:

  • Talbot, Frederick Arthur Ambrose [1880–1924]. The making of a great Canadian railway. The story of the search for and discovery of the route, and the construction of the nearly completed Grand Trunk Pacific Railway from the Atlantic to the Pacific with some account of the hardships and stirring adventures of its constructors in unexplored country. London: Seely, 1912. Internet Archive
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Macleod Creek

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British Columbia. Creek: Fraser River drainage
Flows SE into Goat River, E of Legrand
53.4056 N 120.8789 W — Map 93H/7 — Google — GeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1965
Official in BC – Canada
This creek appears on:
Pre-emptor’s map Fort George 1G 1916
Pre-emptor’s map Tête Jaune 3H 1919

Possibly named for Kenneth McLeod, a trapper who in 1886 accompanied Robert Buchanan on an expedition from Barkerville down the Goat River.

References:

  • Wright, Richard. “Tales of a trail [Goat River].” BC Outdoors, (1985)
Also see:

Mackenzie Creek

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British Columbia. Creek: Fraser River drainage
Flows SW into Fraser River, S of Humbug Creek
53.6992 N 120.8756 W — Map 093H10 — Google — GeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1965
Official in BC – Canada
This creek appears on:
Pre-emptor’s map Fort George 1G 1916

Origin of the name unknown. Probably not named after fur-trader Alexander Mackenzie [1764–1820], who crossed into the Fraser River drainage about 100 km downstream.

MacDonald Meadows

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Feature type:
Province: British Columbia

Donald MacDonald was a packer around 1910, in the days just before the railroad. His headquarters were near the present Tête Jaune Cache Motel, and the field across the highway was pasture for his horses.