Bridge River, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Bridge River was used to describe three separate towns or localities in the Lillooet Country
of the Interior of British Columbia
connected with the river and valley of the same name.
of Bridge River was one of a half-dozen gold rush-era settlements which sprang up in the vicinity of today's Lillooet
, the others being Cayoosh Flat (Lillooet itself), Parsonsville, Marysville, the Upper Fountain (Fountain), and Pavilion. Located at the confluence of the Bridge River with the Fraser, the location of the Bridge River Fishing Grounds (aka Six Mile or Setl) the town sprang up around a toll bridge spanning the rapids, aka the Lower Fountain, as the location of this townsite was also called. The bridge was built by an entrepreneur who tore down a First Nations-built pole bridge which had spanned the river at the same spot. The resulting town included hotels, a bank, a barber and various "restaurants" and a blacksmith's, but it vanished very quickly as the river crossing at this point did not turn out to be popular, as ferry crossings farther downstream were closer to Cayoosh Flat and Parsonsville, which were across the river from each other, and charged fares competitive with the bridge tolls. No mention is made of when the bridge was torn down, or when the last surviving remnant of the town's buildings and businesses finally closed. Nothing survives of the townsite today. On the triangle of bench above the confluence of the rivers there are a couple of old log-cabin ruins, but they are remnants of a rancherie
of the Xwisten First Nation
, the Bridge River Indian Band, who now mostly live farther up the Bridge River a few miles.
s. The residents of the lower Bridge River - below its Big Canyon - sometimes refer to themselves as living in "Bridge River" but normally will refer to the specific locality where they live - Moha, Applespring, Antoine Creek.
at South Shalalth
on Seton Lake
following its establishment in the 1920s. This usage fell out of use after completion of the hydroelectric project, when most residents moved away and the economic and social character of the Lillooet Country changed as a result. The townsite was a model development by the 1920s power company which launched and then abandoned the project, and included well-built beam-frame houses, a fine hotel geared at mine-bound investors, community hall, skating rink-tennis court, and landscaped gardens. Virtually empty during the 1930s the townsite became one of the five relocation centres for Japanese-Canadian internees
in the Lillooet area and thereby became the temporary home of Dr. Masajiro Miyazaki
, who was appointed coroner in Lillooet during the war despite his internment and became one of Lillooet's two Order of Canada
winners.
After World War II, the townsite was expanded as the power project was revived and went into full swing. In addition to new housing built on the ridgetop above the village, and extensive trailer camps and other housing at nearby Seton Portage and in Shalalth proper, and facilities in the original townsite were expanded to include large modern bunkhouses and a movie theatre, although the hotel had burned down in the early 1950s.
Lillooet Country
The Lillooet Country, also referred to as the Lillooet District., is a region spanning from the central Fraser Canyon town of Lillooet west to the valley of the Lillooet River, and including the valleys in between, in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Like other historical BC regions, it...
of the Interior of British Columbia
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
connected with the river and valley of the same name.
1858-60
The boomtownBoomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
of Bridge River was one of a half-dozen gold rush-era settlements which sprang up in the vicinity of today's Lillooet
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
, the others being Cayoosh Flat (Lillooet itself), Parsonsville, Marysville, the Upper Fountain (Fountain), and Pavilion. Located at the confluence of the Bridge River with the Fraser, the location of the Bridge River Fishing Grounds (aka Six Mile or Setl) the town sprang up around a toll bridge spanning the rapids, aka the Lower Fountain, as the location of this townsite was also called. The bridge was built by an entrepreneur who tore down a First Nations-built pole bridge which had spanned the river at the same spot. The resulting town included hotels, a bank, a barber and various "restaurants" and a blacksmith's, but it vanished very quickly as the river crossing at this point did not turn out to be popular, as ferry crossings farther downstream were closer to Cayoosh Flat and Parsonsville, which were across the river from each other, and charged fares competitive with the bridge tolls. No mention is made of when the bridge was torn down, or when the last surviving remnant of the town's buildings and businesses finally closed. Nothing survives of the townsite today. On the triangle of bench above the confluence of the rivers there are a couple of old log-cabin ruins, but they are remnants of a rancherie
Rancherie
A Rancherie is a First Nations residential area of an Indian Reserve in colloquial English throughout the Canadian province of British Columbia...
of the Xwisten First Nation
Bridge River Indian Band
The Bridge River Indian Band also known as the Nxwísten First Nation, the Xwisten First Nation, and the Bridge River Band, is a First Nations government located in the Central Interior-Fraser Canyon region of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
, the Bridge River Indian Band, who now mostly live farther up the Bridge River a few miles.
1880s-1910s
The scattered population of the upper Bridge River in the days of its early exploration commonly referred to themselves as the residents of Bridge River, meaning the district and basin, although no town in the vicinity ever wore the name itself. Generally, especially in later years, residents of the upper Bridge River basin or the goldfield towns which eventually sprang up around it used the phrase "the Bridge River" to refer to the collection of communities, although as these became more well-established the specific usage to mean the upper goldfields area shifted to mean the entirety of the Bridge River Country, which includes the adjacent basin of Anderson and Seton LakeSeton Lake
Seton Lake is a freshwater fjord draining east via the Seton River into the Fraser River at the town of Lillooet, British Columbia, about 22 km long and 243 m in elevation and 26.2 square kilometres in area...
s. The residents of the lower Bridge River - below its Big Canyon - sometimes refer to themselves as living in "Bridge River" but normally will refer to the specific locality where they live - Moha, Applespring, Antoine Creek.
1920s-1960s
The name Bridge River also become the local convention for the hydroelectric townsite of the Bridge River Power ProjectBridge River Power Project
The Bridge River Power Project is a hydroelectric power development in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the Lillooet Country between Whistler and Lillooet...
at South Shalalth
Shalalth, British Columbia
Shalalth, pop. c. 400, is one of the main communities of the Seton Lake Band of the St'at'imc Nation and location of the two main powerhouses of the Bridge River Power Project....
on Seton Lake
Seton Lake
Seton Lake is a freshwater fjord draining east via the Seton River into the Fraser River at the town of Lillooet, British Columbia, about 22 km long and 243 m in elevation and 26.2 square kilometres in area...
following its establishment in the 1920s. This usage fell out of use after completion of the hydroelectric project, when most residents moved away and the economic and social character of the Lillooet Country changed as a result. The townsite was a model development by the 1920s power company which launched and then abandoned the project, and included well-built beam-frame houses, a fine hotel geared at mine-bound investors, community hall, skating rink-tennis court, and landscaped gardens. Virtually empty during the 1930s the townsite became one of the five relocation centres for Japanese-Canadian internees
Japanese Canadian internment
Japanese Canadian internment refers to confinement of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia during World War II. The internment began in December 1941, following the attack by carrier-borne forces of Imperial Japan on American naval and army facilities at Pearl Harbor...
in the Lillooet area and thereby became the temporary home of Dr. Masajiro Miyazaki
Masajiro Miyazaki
Dr. Masajiro Miyazaki D.O., CM was a Japanese-Canadian osteopath who practised in Vancouver prior to World War II. During World War II, he was appointed as a coroner by the British Columbia Provincial Police in the town of Lillooet, British Columbia...
, who was appointed coroner in Lillooet during the war despite his internment and became one of Lillooet's two Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
winners.
After World War II, the townsite was expanded as the power project was revived and went into full swing. In addition to new housing built on the ridgetop above the village, and extensive trailer camps and other housing at nearby Seton Portage and in Shalalth proper, and facilities in the original townsite were expanded to include large modern bunkhouses and a movie theatre, although the hotel had burned down in the early 1950s.
See also
- Bridge RiverBridge RiverThe Bridge River is, or was, a major tributary of British Columbia's Fraser River, entering that stream about six miles upstream from the town of Lillooet.-Name:Its name in the Lillooet language is Xwisten , sometimes spelled Nxwisten or Nxo-isten)...
- Bridge River Power ProjectBridge River Power ProjectThe Bridge River Power Project is a hydroelectric power development in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the Lillooet Country between Whistler and Lillooet...
- List of ghost towns in British Columbia