August 2, 1863: Dr. R. fell into the lake while boarding the steamer at the fence. He would have drowned had I not dived in after him. Now he complains he has a chill…
29 MILE HOUSE/ Q’VL’TKÚ7M DAM OF DESPAIR
In 1862, 29 Mile House was a launching point for steamers along Tenas and Lillooet Lakes. But Tenas was 15 feet lower than Lillooet, making it impossible for steamers to make an uninterrupted journey. So a dam was built to raise the lake level. The spring freshet washed it away that same year. The dam was repeatedly repaired over the years, but with the same result. In 1949 the narrows between the two lakes were lowered.
For more information about 29 Mile House/ Q’vl’tkú7m, please visit www.inshuckch.com.
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Three Fun Facts about 29 Mile House/ Q’vl’tkú7m
At its peak, 29 Mile House was second only to Port Douglas in size along the Douglas Trail.
Q’vl’tkú7m (cult-KOO-um) may mean “fence” or “stockade.” It was a major In-SHUCK-ch village with many houses, food storage structures and burial shrines.
A clearing, along with foundation depressions and darkened patches of earth, are all that remains of 29 Mile House today. However, Q’vl’tkú7m remains an important place for all of the In-SHUCK-ch people.
