Williams Lake Fire Dept
Road Construction in Williams Lake

Williams Lake is named in honor of Secwepemc chief William. By 1861, Commissioner Nind had built a government house and had requested the funds to build a jail. Both met at Williams Lake, which made it a good choice for settlers and merchants. The story of Williams Lake began in 1860 during the Cariboo Gold Rush when Gold Commissioner Philip Henry Nind and Constable William Pinchbeck arrived from Victoria to organize a local government and maintain law and order.At the time, two pack trails led to the goldfields, one from the Douglas Road and another trail through the Fraser Canyon. With the center of local government being at Williams Lake, the miners and businessmen all had to travel there to conduct their business and soon the town had a post office, a courthouse, a roadhouse and the jail that Nind had requested.Williams Lake later became a hub for forestry, mining and transportation with the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, later BC Rail and now CN Rail.Williams Lake hosts the annual Williams Lake Stampede, which takes place over the Canada Day long weekend.