Horsefly Cariboo Regional District, 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. On Horsefly River, NE of 150 Mile House, Cariboo Land District

Mapped Location

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

 

Information

General information on Horsefly

  • Feature Type: Place

 

Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Horsefly

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

Name Description
Horsefly Official

 

Origin Notes and History of Horsefly

References to Horsefly that document the origin of its place name

Horsefly (Post Office) "not Harper's Camp" adopted in the 1930 BC Gazetteer as long-identified on maps. Confirmed 12 December 1939 on 93A/6. Form of name changed to Horsefly (Community) 14 January 1983 on 93A/6.

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

Harper's Camp Post Office was opened 1 July 1897. Renamed Horsefly Post Office 1 July 1921. See Harper's Camp for origin information.

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

"The name was originally given to the river and lake, some say by the Indians, because of the prevalence of horseflies in the district. Horsefly Mining Company's post office closed 1908. Settlers drew lots in 1920 for a new post office name; all but one entry favoured 'Horsefly'." (Donald Stainsby, Vancouver Province, 4 November 1961, p.5)

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Provincial Archives of BC "Place Names File" compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions  |  Province of British Columbia

Originally called Harper's Camp after Thaddeus Harper, pioneer rancher and miner. The Indians called the Horsefly River "The Wild Water." The present name of the village, lake and river comes from the fact that every summer this country is infested with horseflies.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; 1001 British Columbia Place Names; Discovery Press, Vancouver 1969, 1970, 1973.  |  Province of British Columbia

 

Cariboo Regional District

Political Boundaries

Last updated: 2023-09-27