Barnard's Express - The Stage Years

The Stage Years

The first express service offered on the Cariboo Road was operated by William Ballou in 1858. Others soon followed, usually one or two man operations where the proprietor himself packed the express goods, either on his back or with the help of a trusty mule.

In December, 1861, Francis Jones Barnard established a pony express from Yale to Barkerville. The company had originally been owned by William Jeffray and W.H. Thain and had been known as the Jeffray and Company's Fraser Express. In the summer of 1862, Barnard merged his company into the British Columbia and Victoria Express Company and won the government contract to deliver the mail.

In 1863 Barnard incorporated a two-horse wagon on the run from Lillooet to Fort Alexandria. Another freighting company, Dietz and Nelson operated a stagecoach between Victoria, Lillooet and Yale, connecting with Barnard's Express.

In 1863-64, additions like the use of sleighs in the winter were used instead of wagons. The year of 1864 saw the start of a 14 passenger four-horse stage. Later, with increase of business, the stage was enlarged to a six-horse coach. By 1866 Francis Jones Barnard became the sole proprietor of the horse express business from Victoria to Barkerville and in 1867, Barnard purchased the interests of Dietz and Nelson.

Barnard's Express incorporated as the British Columbia Express Company in 1878, and became commonly known as the BX. By then company consisted of Barnard, holding one half interest, with Stephen Tingley and James Hamilton each holding one quarter interest.

In 1884, the bridge across from the Fraser was opened, and trains came to Lytton. It was at this time that Stephen Tingley moved his headquarters and established it at Spences Bridge.

In 1886 Hamilton had died and Barnard sold out to Tingley who thus became sole owner. That February, Tingley made his final move to Ashcroft and drove continuously until 1897 when he sold the company to a group of Toronto lawyers headed by Charles Vance Millar. In 1903, Willis West became General Manager, a position he held until the company demise in 1921.