▁of ▁San ▁Francisco ▁and ▁west ▁of ▁Chicago ", ▁with ▁an ▁estimated ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 6 , 0 0 0 . ▁This ▁title ▁was ▁also ▁briefly ▁held ▁by ▁Port ▁Douglas , ▁Y ale , ▁and ▁later ▁on ▁by ▁B ark er ville . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁however , ▁the ▁gold - b ear ing ▁sand bars ▁of ▁the ▁F ras er ▁were ▁de ple ted . ▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁min ers ▁had ▁either ▁dr ift ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁or ▁dispers ed ▁further ▁into ▁the ▁British ▁Columbia ▁w ilder ness ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁un st aked ▁rich es . ▁ ▁Other ▁gold ▁r ush es ▁pro l ifer ated ▁around ▁the ▁col ony , ▁with ▁notable ▁gold ▁r ush es ▁at ▁Rock ▁Creek , ▁the ▁Sim il k ame en , ▁Wild ▁Hor se ▁Creek ▁and ▁the ▁Big ▁B end ▁of ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River ▁spin ning ▁immediately ▁off ▁the ▁F ras er ▁r ush , ▁and ▁gold ▁expl oration ▁soon ▁after ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁Om ine ca ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁and ▁the ▁St ik ine ▁Gold ▁R ush , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁St ik ine ▁Territ ory ▁to ▁the ▁col ony ' s ▁north . ▁ ▁The ▁Fort ▁Col ville ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁in ▁Washington ▁Territ ory ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁spin - off ▁of ▁the ▁F ras er ▁Gold ▁R ush , ▁as ▁many ▁min ers ▁from ▁the ▁F ras er ▁head ed ▁there ▁once ▁news ▁of ▁the ▁strike