The history of the Smithers, B.C. region started long before the European pioneers arrived in the Bulkley Valley to set up house. When the valley was the Wastsonquah River Valley, it was home to the Wet'suwet'en First Nation people. It was not until the 1860s when the Europeans arrived as fur traders passing through the territory.

The First Nation Village of Kyah Wiget (Today, referred to as Moricetown) was the main camp for the Wet'suwet'en people. Many great hunts and winter seasons were spent in this village. Kyah Wiget and Telkwa Village were two of the main villages along the hunting and fishing migratory routes the Wet'suwet'en First Nations followed every year.

The region consisted of many First Nation clans, each with its own Chief and Elders. The Laksilyu small-frog clan, the Gilseyhu big-frog clan, the Gitdumden bear & wolf clan, the Tsayu beaver clan and the Laksamashu fireweed clan - together were the Wet'suwet'en First Nation people. The five clans were scattered among 13 houses.

A missionary by the name of Adrian Morice arrived in 1862. Educated, he translated prayer books into the Wet'suwet'en's native tongue. 1866 saw a failed attempt at connecting North America to Asia by telegraph line. The trail left behind from the failed attempt was resurrected in 1896 when the government extended the line into the Yukon creating the Dominion Telegraph line.

First European settler was Gabriel Lacroix on the east shore of the Bulkley River in 1900 and then came Fred Heal in 1903 on the north end of Tyhee Lake. Soon later a townsite was formed in 1904 near the lake called Aldermere followed by Telkwa Village on the river three years later. This was to be the main community of the area until a fire destroyed it in 1914.

The fire sent people to live and operate their businesses in the community of, nearby, Smithers and when it came to recreate Telkwa, many decided to stay in Smithers. With the addition of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and claims of mineral deposits found in the area, Smithers was booming. In 1913 the community was recognized as a village and 1921 Smithers was the first village incorporated in the province of British Columbia, Canada.

The town of Smithers was named after the chairman of the board for the Grand Trunk Railway, Sir Alfred Waldron Smithers. Then in 1967, it was official - Smithers, B.C. became a town. Wahooo!