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Peace River - Profile

The recorded history of the Peace River area begins with the arrival of the North West Company's great explorer, Alexander MacKenzie, in the winter of 1792-93. Over a century later, the onset of the Klondike gold rush brought the Northwest Mounted Police to the site of the present day Peace River to establish an outpost. Peace River Crossing (as it was called then) drew one successful prospector back from the gold fields. Henry Davis Fuller, "Twelve-foot Davis", made his fortune (and earned his nickname) by staking out a rich twelve foot piece of land between two much bigger claims. For many years Davis lived and worked in the Peace Country, becoming a legend in the area.

In 1903, steamboats began plying the river and the Peace River Crossing also became known as the Peace River Landing. In 1914, the settlement became a village; in 1919, a town. The name was permanently changed to "Peace River" in 1916 when some unknown official of the Post Office decided that a name with three words in it was too long to be convenient. In that same year the railroad arrived in Peace River, bringing additional homesteaders and providing local farmers with a means of getting their product to the national and international markets. While the depression meant hard times for almost everybody, it also brought a new wave of farmers to the area. The next three decades showed steady growth as more farmers moved into the area.

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