Europeans Settle Victoria

I don't know how to conjugate in Latin, so I can't correctly write THEY Came, Saw, Conquered. But come and conquer they did reducing the First Nations' population on the island before 1800 through smallpox, fighting, alcohol.
British settling of Victoria happened in the 1840s.

Replica of 1840s Wharf

In the 1860s the gold rush came up from California. Victoria with the Hudson Bay Company was the only supply post and trade to the gold seekers took over as the beaver pelt industry began to wane.
Another smallpox epidemic in 1862 wiped out more than half the native and and European population in British Columbia. (Press Ctrl and click on these links if you are interested in the history.)
In 1871, when the island merged with the mainland of British Columbia and became part of the nation of Canada, Victoria was designated the capitol.

Good ol' North America provided a vast land for scruffy Scots, French, and English to become wealthy and show it off. Between 1887 and 1890, two of these immigrants, Robert and Dunsmore Joan Dunsmore, built Craigdarroch Castle. Poor Robert died in 1889 before the castle was completed. (It seems like at least half of the lavish homes I have visited in North America one or both of the new residents died before completion!)

Craigdarroch Castle 1

Craigdarroch Castle

Another View of the Castle

The house was so large, I could not get a complete picture of it.

View of Victoria

By 1896, the railroad was completed and Vancouver on the mainland soon grew to be the larger of the cities, but Victoria remains the provincial capitol. The population today in Victoria is about 70,000 and the city of Vancouver has over 600,000.
The Canadian Pacific Railroad hinted they would build a bridge so the railroad would connect the island. The Empress Hotel was built as the tourist destination point. It is assumed now, the bridge was never really part of the plan and the railroad continued to run the ferry system.

Historic Empress Hotel

By 1898, the Parliament Building was constructed.

Parliament Building

By this time, many upper middle class were able to build some Victorian homes that still stand today.

Example of TOC Upper Middleclass Home

There are homes and neighborhoods that maintain some features of English charm, particularly in the Cook Street neighborhood.

Rooftop on Cook Street

While learning about the history of Victoria - actually almost all of British Columbia and Canada, you will soon hear the name Emily Carr.

Who Is Emily Carr?

She Had Me to Tea

Every Friday at 2 PM, you can meet on the corner of the Empress Hotel adjacent to the Parliament Building and meet with a charming woman who will take you on a walking tour of the neighborhood where Miss Carr lived. The tour ends at her childhood and early adult home which is now a museum. She leads a delightful tour and I highly recommend it.
I almost forget to identify that Emily Carr was an artist and author. I have not been able to locate any of her prints,to purchase however.
For many years, Victoria and Vancouver Island had military installations and a military college.I thin that has all moved east. This statue is all that I saw of any military presence.

Homecoming

At this point, I dropped my camera with the lens open. Although I have replaced my camera, this interrupted any recording of historic locations!