Atlin Stikine, British Columbia

Community - An unincorporated populated place, generally with a population of 50 or more, and having a recognized central area that might contain a post office, store and/or community hall, etc, intended for the use of the general public in the region. E. side of Atlin Lake, Cassiar Land District

Mapped Location

Atlin: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.

 

Information

General information on Atlin

  • Feature Type: Place

 

Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Atlin

A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named

Name Description
Atlin Official

 

Origin Notes and History of Atlin

References to Atlin that document the origin of its place name

Atlin (Village) adopted in the 18th Report Geographic Board of Canada, 31 March 1924, as labelled on BC map 1H, 1917; form of name changed to Atlin (Post Office) 1 October 1951 on 104 N, as listed in the 1930 BC Gazetteer; form of name changed to Atlin (Community) 15 December 1982 on 104 N/12.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

Atlin Post Office opened 1 April 1899, the year after the start of the gold rush. "Post Office & mining town. Has offices of Provincial Government Agent, Assessor and Collector, Gold Commissioner and Mining Recorder, Provincial Police, Land Commissioner, Registrar of Supreme and County Courts, telegraph, school, hospital, and churches." (1930 BC Gazetteer)

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

Situated on Atlin Lake, which name is derived in turn from the (Taku River) Tlinkit name "Ahklen" or "Aht'lah" meaning "big water" (Atlin Claim, 1903). Same explanation given by Chief Henry Taku Jack, Vancouver Province, 25 March 1948. A Tagish Indian word meaning "big water" or "stormy water" (BC Historical Quarterly July-Oct 1952, p.129).

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

Fritz Miller and his partner Kenny McLaren staked the Discovery claim at Pine Creek, 25 July 1898. Their original cabin was still standing in the late 1970's. The cabin's owner at the time, Whispering Bill Husselbee, frustrated by tourists searching for souvenirs posted this sign on the door: "This Cabin belongs to W.G. Husselbee, Atlin. Keep out i am dam mad at peoples braking in heer and there is not eny gold in their or eny think Else werth a dam, ant do not brake in ore brake the Door down like the other rats."

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

 

Stikine

Political Boundaries

Last updated: 2023-09-27