The gold rush attitude of get rich quick greatly affected the architectural style of many buildings in the Fort Steele area. Business people in Fort Steele, learned from the previous gold rushes at San Francisco and Barkerville to build quickly in order to maximize profits and sales to gold-hungry miners.
	British Columbia Archives #i_27641

Buildings such as the City Bakery, Johnson's Blacksmith, and Doyle's Warehouse represent early frontier architectural style. These structures, almost always built of wood, were put up quickly to provide a shelter for the business and were not expected to survive the test of time.

	These three buildings have been or are currently waiting to be restored. The City Bakery has been restored and is open for business. Doyle's Warehouse, another boomtown business, has been restored and is open for the public to see. Information about the history of the warehouse is provided along with an exhibit explaining the restoration process to the public.
British Columbia Archives #i_27640

It is not known when Johnson's Blacksmith shop was built, but we do know it was in operation during the 1890's. There is evidence that Johnson's shop made branding irons, and horseshoes. The blacksmith shop is now scheduled for restoration. (http://www3.islandnet.com/~bcma/museums/fsht/gblackj.html)

An exception to the quick building scheme was the home of Dr. Watt. His house was built right across the street from his office in 1897. Dr. Watt lived in this house until 1912 and it is on display for the public to see. (Fort Steele: Here History Lives, 94.)