ous ▁D alles ▁des ▁Mort s ▁or ▁" De ath ▁Rap ids " ▁of ▁the ▁Columbia , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁hor rend ous ▁tra ged ies ▁twice , ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 ▁and ▁ 1 8 3 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁main ▁town ▁cent res ▁of ▁the ▁r ush ▁were ▁at ▁La ▁Por te , ▁British ▁Columbia , ▁at ▁the ▁foot ▁of ▁the ▁rap ids , ▁and ▁Down ie ▁Creek , ▁nearby ▁at ▁that ▁stream ' s ▁confl u ence ▁with ▁the ▁Columbia ▁just ▁down stream ▁from ▁La ▁Por te . ▁ ▁Historical ▁context ▁The ▁r ush ▁was ▁a ▁spin - off ▁of ▁the ▁F ras er ▁C any on ▁Gold ▁R ush , ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁gold ▁r ush es ▁which ▁domin ate ▁the ▁col ony ' s ▁history , ▁out ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁huge ▁infl ux ▁of ▁min ers ▁from ▁California ▁on ▁the ▁F ras er ▁f anned ▁out ▁into ▁other ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁col ony ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁gold . ▁ ▁Other ▁r ush es ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁years ▁were ▁the ▁Rock ▁Creek , ▁Wild ▁Hor se ▁Creek , ▁Car ib oo , ▁Om ine ca , ▁and ▁St ik ine ▁Gold ▁R ush es , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Col ville ▁and ▁Colorado ▁Gold ▁R ush es ▁which ▁were ▁man ned ▁by ▁many ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁on ▁the ▁F ras er ▁and ▁such ▁r ush es ▁as ▁Big ▁B end . ▁ ▁Access ▁The ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁Big ▁B end ▁Gold