Brisco and Spillimacheen
Walking into the famous Brisco General Store is like finding yourself back in time a hundred years. (CVGuide photo)
If you drive south from Golden, along Highway 95, amid tall stands of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, sprinkled with aspen groves, you will come upon the communities of Spillimacheen and Brisco. Nestled between the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Purcells on the west, these charming little gems are a lovely surprise, just waiting to be discovered.
‘Spilli’, as it is affectionately called by valley residents, and Brisco are located in what is primarily farming and ranching country, with some forestry and tourism tossed in. Wildlife is plentiful here. White-tailed and mule deer, elk, moose and black bear have their homes in the surrounding wilderness.
The area is rich in history, too. Pioneer explorer and cartographer David Thompson passed through the area in 1807. In the early days, travel was by steamboat on the Columbia River and it wasn’t until 1913 that the first train came to Spillimacheen.
You won’t want to miss historic St. Mark’s Church, known to the locals as the Galen church, with its lovingly-tended cemetery. Built in 1895, the church is the oldest in the valley and is just waiting to be explored and photographed.
Walking into the famous Brisco General Store is like finding yourself back in time a hundred years. Established in 1911, the store houses the post office and just about anything else you can imagine! Visitors can spend hours just browsing its shelves and chatting with its neighborly owners. You may want to pick up a copy of Brisco and Spillimacheen -– A History, compiled by local long-time resident, Hedi Trescher, to take with you on your journey of exploration.
In early June, in true community spirit, you are invited to the Annual Spilli Chili Cook-off at the Spillimacheen Festival Grounds. Since 1995 cooks from up and down the valley and beyond have been cooking up huge pots of their favorite chili recipes and competing for the title of the best chili ever -– anywhere! In a true country-fair atmosphere, you can camp on the grounds for the weekend and enjoy the music, the campfires and the camaraderie and then feast on chili with lots of extras, while you let your taste buds decide who to vote for.
We think you will be glad you stopped for a while in Brisco and Spillimacheen.
