John Likely (1846 - 1930)

Born 17 Mar 1846 in Saint John, St. John, New Brunswick, Canada

Ancestors

Died 12 Jul 1930 at age 84 in Kamloops, Thompson-Nicola, British Columbia, Canada

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Biography

John was born on 17 Mar 1846. He was the son of Thomas Likely and Mary Brooks. According to notes from Muriel Likely he was probably brought to Canada from Ireland by his older siblings, George and Katherine. Their parents stayed in Ireland. John moved to BC at an early age, prospecting. He discovered a rich lode of gold in the Cariboo District near Williams Lake^[1].

On 15 April 1878 John submitted a claim for a Homestead Grant, but he did not complete the occupancy requirement^[2].

In 1881 John was 40, a contractor in Manitoba, District Number 186 1/2 (192), District Manitoba Extension, Sub-District Number C, Subdistrict North Eastern Extension^[3].

In 1891 John was 45, a Blacksmith, born in St. John NB, living in New Westminster/Vancouver BC^[4].

In 1897 John lived on a property near Quesnel, BC^[5].

In 1901 John was 53, a Gold Miner in Yale/Cariboo^[6].

In 1921 John was 80, living in a Provincial Care Home for the Aged in Kamloops, BC^[7]. He was interviewed for a Calgary paper:"GOLD PROSPECTS CONSIDERED GOOD AT CEDAR CREEK Many Claims Have Been Staked and the Excitement Runs High ... It is said at Cedar Creek that some credit should be given to John Likely, namer of Likely Gulch, not so far from Cedar Creek, for the luck some of them are having. Now John Likely is in the Old Men's Home, this city. If he were not almost 80 and rather crippled with rheumatism, he's be up north with the gang, he said in an interview. . . .Likely is a native of New Brunswick and has been a miner pretty well all his life. He has been some 33 years in BC and some twenty-five years ago went up to Quesnel Lake and named the creek which he mined "Likely Gulch", because, as he says, "that seemed a pretty good name to me!" The Gulch is three miles from Quesnel dam, near the Forks, which is twelve miles from Quesnel by the old trail. For three years he remained alone there taking out pay dirt and one year, with the help of a Chinaman, did very well; that was the last season he held it"^[8]. He then sold the claim and it continued to produce.

Likely BC was named after John in 1923. "NEW MINING TOWN TO BE NAMED "LIKELY" AFTER WELL-KNOWN OLD PROSPECTOR Vancouver, Jan 26, Out of the little mining camp at Cedar Creek a new municipality is being organized. A committee of citizens is arranging the petition for presentation to the government asking for a village charter. The name of the new town is to be "Likely". The miners thus hope to perpetuate the memory of old John Likely, the veteran prospector whose tip to look for gold way up on the hilltops was the foundation of the camp. The town of Likely is to be on the northeast shore of Quesnel Lake, 62 miles from Williams Lake on the P.G. E. (railway). Transportation is afforded by motor stages and trucks on the road connecting the two towns, supplemented by a steamboat on Quesnel Lake. The townsite already boasts a hotel, a general store, a school and is about to achieve the distinction of a weekly paper. One of the banks has promised to instal (sic) a branch in the spring."^[9].

He died on 12 July 1930 in Kamloops, BC, age 88^[10]. John, the son of Thomas and Mary Likely was buried in Section G, Lot 5, Row 3, Sub Lot N. Pleasant Street Cemetery, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada^[11]. His obituary was published in The Province, Vancouver BC, 16 Jul 1930^[12].

Sources

1. ↑ Muriel Likely, March 1968, original notes are attached as an image to Likely-87
2. ↑ Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, Homestead Grant Registers, 1872-1930, Homestead Number 4517, Part NE 1/4, Section 7, Township 17, Range 15, Meridian W1
3. ↑ 1881 Census of Canada, Year: 1881; Census Place: North Eastern Extension, Manitoba Extension, Manitoba; Roll: C_13284; Page: 64; Family No: 307
4. ↑ 1891 Census of Canada, Year: 1891; Census Place: Vancouver City, New Westminster, British Columbia; Roll: T-6291; Family No: 91
5. ↑ Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906, Henderson's British Columbia Gazetteer And Directory And Mining Encyclopedia, 1897
6. ↑ 1901 Census of Canada, Year: 1901; Census Place: Cariboo, Yale & Cariboo, British Columbia; Page: 6; Family No: 51
7. ↑ 1921 Census of Canada, Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 13; Census Place: Kamloops (City), Cariboo, British Columbia; Page Number: 12
8. ↑ Calgary Herals, Calgary, AB, Thu Dec 15, 1921, P. 14
9. ↑ The Kamloops Telegram, Kamloops, BC, Sat., Jan 27, 1923, P. 2
10. ↑ British Columbia, Canada, Death Index, 1872-1990, BCA Number B13140, GSU Number 1952651
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98192568/john-likely: accessed 02 February 2024), memorial page for John Likely (17 Mar 1842–12 Jul 1930), Find a Grave Memorial ID 98192568, citing Pleasant Street Cemetery, Kamloops, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia, Canada; Maintained by Terry James (contributor 47631731)
12. ↑ The Province; Publication Date: 16 Jul 1930; Publication Place: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/499308336/?article=aeb12e2c-efd9-4be6-9ab2-5da1eff71c8a&focus=0.49485245,0.21704212,0.6165282,0.4462722&xid=3355