▁re put ed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁largest ▁city ▁west ▁of ▁Chicago ▁and ▁north ▁of ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁It ▁also ▁earned ▁ep ith ets ▁such ▁as ▁" the ▁w icked est ▁little ▁settlement ▁in ▁British ▁Columbia " ▁and ▁" a ▁ver itable ▁S od om ▁and ▁G om or rah " ▁of ▁vice , ▁violence ▁and ▁law less ness . ▁ ▁Y ale ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁certain ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush ▁period ▁which ▁threatened ▁British ▁control ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁with ▁an nex ation ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States : ▁the ▁F ras er ▁C any on ▁War ▁and ▁McG owan ' s ▁War . ▁The ▁Governor ▁came ▁to ▁Y ale ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁crisis , ▁and ▁government ▁officials ▁Matthew ▁Ba ill ie ▁Beg bie , ▁Chart res ▁B rew ▁and ▁Richard ▁Clement ▁Mo ody ▁during ▁the ▁second , ▁to ▁address ▁American ▁min ers ▁and ▁take ▁control ▁of ▁matters . ▁The ▁un rest ▁threatened ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁the ▁Crown ▁over ▁the ▁Main land ▁( or ▁" New ▁C aled onia " ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁called ▁before ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁main land ▁col ony . ▁( New ▁C aled onia ▁was ▁usually ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁fur ▁district ▁north west ▁from ▁present - day ▁Prince ▁George , ▁British ▁Columbia ). ▁ ▁As ▁Y ale ▁was ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁river ▁navigation , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁best ▁location ▁to ▁be ▁designated ▁for ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁Car ib oo ▁W agon ▁Road , ▁as ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁us able ▁roads ▁between ▁Y ale ▁and ▁the