Hurley River
Encyclopedia
The Hurley River is a major tributary of the Bridge River
of west-central British Columbia
that was earlier known as the South Fork of that larger river. It was for a while known as "Hamilton's River" after Danny Hamilton, an American
who was among the first to settle in the goldfields region of the upper Bridge River
. By the 1920s that name was changed to the Hurley River, commemorating one of the main pioneers of the Lillooet Country
, Dan Hurley.
The Hurley begins near Railroad Pass
, a cleft in the mountains between the basins of the Bridge
and upper Lillooet River
s, and flows through a marshy upper valley eastwards before turning north just west of the famous gold-mining town of Bralorne
. From that point the river goes over semi-hidden Hurley Falls into the Hurley Canyon, which makes up ten of the last twelve miles of the river before its confluence with the Bridge River near Gold Bridge
, just below Lajoie Dam
. An operating placer mine at the outlet of the canyon goes by the name South Fork, alluding to the river's older name.
The Hurley has given its name to a famous B.C. backroad
between Gold Bridge
and Pemberton
- the Hurley Main. A "main" is a logging main, that is to say a major trunk road for a network of logging roads. The route of the Hurley Main uses a defile
known as Railroad Pass near the head of that river to emerge high above the Lillooet River
, to which a steep, switchbacking descent must be made. Railroad Pass gets its name from its consideration as a possible railway route between the Coast and the Interior during the initial surveys for the Canadian Pacific Railway
in the 1870s, and again during the heyday of railway speculation in British Columbia in the 1890s-1910s.
Bridge River
The 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)...
of west-central British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
that was earlier known as the South Fork of that larger river. It was for a while known as "Hamilton's River" after Danny Hamilton, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who was among the first to settle in the goldfields region of the upper Bridge River
Bridge River
The 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)...
. By the 1920s that name was changed to the Hurley River, commemorating one of the main pioneers of the Lillooet Country
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...
, Dan Hurley.
The Hurley begins near Railroad Pass
Railroad Pass (British Columbia)
Railroad Pass, 1385 m , usually known locally as Railway Pass, is a mountain pass in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in southwestern British Columbia, Canada...
, a cleft in the mountains between the basins of the Bridge
Bridge River
The 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)...
and upper Lillooet River
Lillooet River
The Lillooet River is a major river of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. It begins at Silt Lake, on the southern edge of the Lillooet Crown Icecap about 80 kilometres northwest of Pemberton and about 85 kilometres northwest of Whistler...
s, and flows through a marshy upper valley eastwards before turning north just west of the famous gold-mining town of Bralorne
Bralorne, British Columbia
Bralorne is an historic underground gold mining community in the Bridge River District, some sixty dirt road miles west of the town of Lillooet.-Background:...
. From that point the river goes over semi-hidden Hurley Falls into the Hurley Canyon, which makes up ten of the last twelve miles of the river before its confluence with the Bridge River near Gold Bridge
Gold Bridge, British Columbia
Gold Bridge is an unincorporated community in the Bridge River Country of British Columbia, Canada. Although numbering only around 250 inhabitants, Gold Bridge is the service and supply centre for the upper basin of the Bridge River Valley, which includes recreation-residential areas at the Gun...
, just below Lajoie Dam
Lajoie Dam
Lajoie Dam is the uppermost of the storage dams of the Bridge River Power Project, which is located in the southwestern Interior of British Columbia. It is located just west of the small semi-ghost town of Gold Bridge. An earthfill structure, it is 87 m and impounds c. of water in Downton Lake...
. An operating placer mine at the outlet of the canyon goes by the name South Fork, alluding to the river's older name.
The Hurley has given its name to a famous B.C. backroad
Backroad
A backroad is a secondary type of road.In North Carolina, where they are also referred to as "blue roads", the roads are often constructed of gravel, and are one or two-laned roads off of larger roads such as parkways....
between Gold Bridge
Gold Bridge, British Columbia
Gold Bridge is an unincorporated community in the Bridge River Country of British Columbia, Canada. Although numbering only around 250 inhabitants, Gold Bridge is the service and supply centre for the upper basin of the Bridge River Valley, which includes recreation-residential areas at the Gun...
and Pemberton
Pemberton, British Columbia
Pemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.-Climate:The climate of Pemberton is...
- the Hurley Main. A "main" is a logging main, that is to say a major trunk road for a network of logging roads. The route of the Hurley Main uses a defile
Defile (geography)
Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front...
known as Railroad Pass near the head of that river to emerge high above the Lillooet River
Lillooet River
The Lillooet River is a major river of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. It begins at Silt Lake, on the southern edge of the Lillooet Crown Icecap about 80 kilometres northwest of Pemberton and about 85 kilometres northwest of Whistler...
, to which a steep, switchbacking descent must be made. Railroad Pass gets its name from its consideration as a possible railway route between the Coast and the Interior during the initial surveys for the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in the 1870s, and again during the heyday of railway speculation in British Columbia in the 1890s-1910s.