▁, ▁also ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁rendered ▁as ▁St ic ke en ▁Territ ory , ▁St ik ine ▁Territ ory , ▁and ▁St ike en ▁Territ ory , ▁was ▁a ▁ ▁territory ▁of ▁British ▁North ▁America ▁whose ▁brief ▁existence ▁began ▁July ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁and ▁concluded ▁July ▁of ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁The ▁region ▁was ▁split ▁from ▁the ▁North - West ern ▁Territ ory ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁St ik ine ▁Gold ▁R ush . ▁The ▁initial ▁strike ▁attract ed ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁min ers ▁— ▁mostly ▁American ▁— ▁to ▁the ▁region ; ▁by ▁det aching ▁the ▁region ▁from ▁the ▁exclusive ▁trade ▁zone ▁of ▁the ▁Hudson ' s ▁Bay ▁Company , ▁British ▁authorities ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁imp ose ▁tar iffs ▁and ▁lic ences ▁on ▁the ▁spec ul ators . ▁The ▁new ▁territory , ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁St ik ine ▁River , ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁Governor ▁of ▁the ▁Col ony ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia , ▁James ▁Douglas , ▁who ▁was ▁appointed ▁" Admin istr ator ▁of ▁the ▁St ic ke en ▁Territ ories " ▁and ▁under ▁British ▁law , ▁within ▁the ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia . ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁boundaries ▁of ▁the ▁territory ▁were ▁the ▁ 6 2 nd ▁parallel ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁the ▁ 1 2 5 th ▁mer id ian ▁to ▁the ▁east , ▁the ▁N ass ▁and ▁Fin lay ▁R ivers ▁to ▁the ▁south , ▁and ▁the ▁pan handle ▁of ▁Russian ▁America ▁to ▁the