As the year 2005 quickly
approaches, so does the 200th
birthday of our town, and the
residents of Hudson’s Hope
start to think back about the
history of our community.
   As a natural stopping
place along the Peace River,
thought to be a route to the
Pacific Ocean, the Natives of

the area had been camping on
the flat for decades.
   First came the fur
traders and explorers like
Alexander Mackenzie. Next
came the white trappers. The
community remained this way
for 100 years, simply a
couple of trading posts and a
Native encampment for the

three times a year when the
trappers came to “town” to
trade.
   The rumor of a railroad
started the “invasion” of
settlers (as told by one of
the Hudson's Bay post factors
of 1910). Men started
arriving, claimed parcels of
land, began building houses

and clearing land for
farming.
   The mention of gold in
the river brought more men,
and the discovery of coal
seams started another
business craze.
   Unfortunately, the
railroad didn’t come, but
many people settled to farm