By Susan Swan
In 1861, a man by the name of Robert Watson started building a roadhouse in Clinton, originally called 47 Mile House.
It came to be known as the Clinton Hotel, and before he completed it, he sold it to Joe and Mary Smith.
During the fall of 1867, Mary and some friends were sipping tea in the dining room of the hotel and bemoaning the fact another long Cariboo winter would soon be upon them.
No one is clear at this time as to who came up with the idea, but this handful of ladies soon had plans drawn up for an elaborate formal ball to break up the monotony of the winter. It would be held in January (1868) and would be by invitation only.
The first Clinton Ball was a weeklong event with a masquerade ball, dinners and dances. Guests were invited from near and far and many travelled to Clinton by train, horseback, stagecoach and horse-drawn sleds.
They arrived from Barkerville, Vancouver and San Francisco. Those who attended considered it an honour to be invited.
As the Clinton Ball became an annual event, many of the ladies ordered gowns up to a year in advance from the fashion houses of New York, London and Paris.
The ladies tried to outdo each other in the latest fashions. It just wouldn’t do to be seen two evenings in a row in the same gown.
The men attended in black broadcloth coats, boiled white shirts, top hats and white gloves.
Traditional dances included waltzes, Cotillions, Quadrilles, polkas, reels and schottisches with local musicians providing the music.
As the popularity of the Clinton Ball grew it became too large for the hotel. The Clinton Memorial Hall was built following First World War and became home to the ball.
Originally, the dinner was served in the basement of the hall, while dancing took place on the main floor.
With travel being difficult during the Cariboo winters, the ball was moved to March and then May and was pared back to a one-night event. Instead of being by invitation only, tickets could be purchased to ensure residents attendance at the Clinton Ball.
During the 1960s, a rodeo was added to make it a weekend affair again. The formal ball was held on the Friday night of the weekend following the Victoria Day weekend. The rodeo events were then held on the Saturday and Sunday.
In more recent times, the ball was moved to the Saturday of the May long weekend and the rodeo, parade, rodeo dance, etc. remained on the following weekend.
This made it easier for those coming from a distance to travel on the Saturday and be in Clinton in plenty of time for the formal ball.
Events have been added during the week between the ball and rodeo weekend to once again make it a weeklong celebration.
The village council has declared the week from the beginning of the May long weekend to the end of the following weekend as Western Heritage Week in Clinton.
A number of dignitaries have attended the ball in recent years. Lt.-Gov. Iona Campagnolo attended a few years ago, while Lt.-Gov. Steven L. Point and Her Honour Gwen Point attended last year.
