Spences Bridge, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Spences Bridge is a community in the Canadian
province of British Columbia
, situated 23 miles north east of Lytton
and 32 miles from Ashcroft. In 1892, the population included 32 people of European ancestry and 130 First Nations
people. There were 5 general stores, 3 hotels, one Church of England
and one school. The principal industries are fruit growing and farming.
and Nicola peoples had lived in the region for thousands of years, hunting deer and fishing for salmon. Prior to the Goldrush, Mortimer Cook, an American, and his partner Charles Kimball, had been freighters for the Hudson's Bay Company
. With the sudden influx of prospectors on their way to the goldfields, Cook and Kimball built a rope ferry
across the Thompson River
, and the area became known as Cook's Ferry. By 1864, the ferry had been replaced with a bridge that was built by road contractor Thomas Spence during the construction of the Cariboo Road
from Yale
to Barkerville
.
In 1905, a terrible tragedy occurred just below Spences Bridge. A large slide came down, burying a First Nations village, damming the river for four hours, and washing the bridge out. Today the area is mostly a wasteland of sagebrush with some cultivated fields where irrigation allows.
Today the permanent population of Spences Bridge is 138. The Trans-Canada Highway
and both the CPR
and CNR
railways pass through the community, and Highway 8 from Merritt
and the rest of the Nicola Country
meets the Trans-Canada at town, meeting the Thompson River near the site of the old Cook's Ferry. Today, this is still the main rancherie
of the Cook's Ferry First Nation
, a Nlaka'pamux
band of the Nicola Tribal Association
. Agriculture is a major industry and produce of soft fruits and vegetables are sold in stalls beside the highway in town as well as at wayside stops, as well as at nearby roadside communities such as Bighorn
and Shaw Springs
.
(48 km). Also north is 100 Mile House (168 km), Williams Lake
(265 km), Quesnel
(386 km), and Prince George
(503 km). South of Spences Bridge is Lytton
(36 km), Hope
(147 km), and Vancouver
(301 km). And east of the town is Merritt
, which is only 65 kilometres east of the town.
BSk). The climate is very dry and mild by Canadian standards, with an average annual precipitation
of just 269.1 mm (10.6 in). Winters are short and moderately cold, while summers are quite long and hot compared to the rest of Canada. Like much of the lower places in the Thompson Nicola region, temperatures are some of the hottest in Canada during the summer albeit with very low humidity.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of 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...
, situated 23 miles north east of Lytton
Lytton, British Columbia
Lytton in British Columbia, Canada, sits at the confluence of the Thompson River and Fraser River on the east side of the Fraser. The location has been inhabited by the Nlaka'pamux people for over 10,000 years, and is one of the earliest locations settled by non-natives in the Southern Interior of...
and 32 miles from Ashcroft. In 1892, the population included 32 people of European ancestry and 130 First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
people. There were 5 general stores, 3 hotels, one Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and one school. The principal industries are fruit growing and farming.
History
ThompsonNlaka'pamux
The Nlaka'pamux , commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people) are an indigenous First Nations/Native American people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia...
and Nicola peoples had lived in the region for thousands of years, hunting deer and fishing for salmon. Prior to the Goldrush, Mortimer Cook, an American, and his partner Charles Kimball, had been freighters for the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. With the sudden influx of prospectors on their way to the goldfields, Cook and Kimball built a rope ferry
Cable ferry
A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....
across the Thompson River
Thompson River
The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson...
, and the area became known as Cook's Ferry. By 1864, the ferry had been replaced with a bridge that was built by road contractor Thomas Spence during the construction of the Cariboo Road
Cariboo Road
The Cariboo Road was a project initiated in 1860 by the colonial Governor of British Columbia, James Douglas...
from Yale
Yale, British Columbia
Yale is an unincorporated town in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was founded in 1848 by the Hudson's Bay Company as Fort Yale by Ovid Allard, the appointed manager of the new post, who named it after his superior, James Murray Yale, then Chief Factor of the Columbia District...
to Barkerville
Barkerville, British Columbia
Barkerville was the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush in British Columbia, Canada and is preserved as a historic town. It is located on the north slope of the Cariboo Plateau near the Cariboo Mountains east of Quesnel along BC Highway 26, which follows the route of the original access to...
.
In 1905, a terrible tragedy occurred just below Spences Bridge. A large slide came down, burying a First Nations village, damming the river for four hours, and washing the bridge out. Today the area is mostly a wasteland of sagebrush with some cultivated fields where irrigation allows.
Today the permanent population of Spences Bridge is 138. The Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
and both the CPR
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...
and CNR
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
railways pass through the community, and Highway 8 from Merritt
Merritt, British Columbia
Merritt is a city in the Nicola Valley of the south-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Situated at the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater rivers, it is the first major community encountered after travelling along Phase One of the Coquihalla Highway and acts as the gateway to all...
and the rest of the Nicola Country
Nicola Country
The Nicola Country, also known as the Nicola Valley and often referred to simply as The Nicola, and originally Nicolas' Country or Nicholas' Country, adapted to Nicola's Country and simplified since, is a region in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada...
meets the Trans-Canada at town, meeting the Thompson River near the site of the old Cook's Ferry. Today, this is still the main 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 Cook's Ferry First Nation
Cook's Ferry First Nation
Cook's Ferry First Nation is a Nlaka'pamux First Nations government located in the Central Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is a member of the Nicola Tribal Association, which are two of three tribal councils of the Nlaka'pamux people...
, a Nlaka'pamux
Nlaka'pamux
The Nlaka'pamux , commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people) are an indigenous First Nations/Native American people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia...
band of the Nicola Tribal Association
Nicola Tribal Association
The Nicola Tribal Association is the official name of what is also known as the Nicola Tribal Council and the Nicola Valley Tribal Council, is a First Nations Tribal Council composed of bands in the Nicola Valley, Thompson Canyon and Fraser Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
. Agriculture is a major industry and produce of soft fruits and vegetables are sold in stalls beside the highway in town as well as at wayside stops, as well as at nearby roadside communities such as Bighorn
Bighorn, British Columbia
Bighorn is an unincorporated settlement and locality in the Thompson Canyon in British Columbia, Canada. It is a few miles south of Spences Bridge, British Columbia...
and Shaw Springs
Shaw Springs, British Columbia
Shaw Springs is a settlement in British Columbia....
.
Locations
North of Spences Bridge is Ashcroft (42 km) and Cache CreekCache Creek, British Columbia
Cache Creek is a junction community northeast of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is on the Trans-Canada Highway in the province of British Columbia at its junction with northbound Highway 97...
(48 km). Also north is 100 Mile House (168 km), Williams Lake
Williams Lake, British Columbia
Williams Lake, is a city in the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the central part of a region known as the Cariboo, it is the largest urban centre between Kamloops and Prince George, with a population of 11,150 in city limits....
(265 km), Quesnel
Quesnel, British Columbia
-Demographics:Quesnel had a population of 9,326 people in 2006, which was a decrease of 7.1% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Quesnel was $54,044, which is slightly above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709....
(386 km), and Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
(503 km). South of Spences Bridge is Lytton
Lytton, British Columbia
Lytton in British Columbia, Canada, sits at the confluence of the Thompson River and Fraser River on the east side of the Fraser. The location has been inhabited by the Nlaka'pamux people for over 10,000 years, and is one of the earliest locations settled by non-natives in the Southern Interior of...
(36 km), Hope
Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
(147 km), and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
(301 km). And east of the town is Merritt
Merritt, British Columbia
Merritt is a city in the Nicola Valley of the south-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Situated at the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater rivers, it is the first major community encountered after travelling along Phase One of the Coquihalla Highway and acts as the gateway to all...
, which is only 65 kilometres east of the town.
Climate
Spences Bridge experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk). The climate is very dry and mild by Canadian standards, with an average annual precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
of just 269.1 mm (10.6 in). Winters are short and moderately cold, while summers are quite long and hot compared to the rest of Canada. Like much of the lower places in the Thompson Nicola region, temperatures are some of the hottest in Canada during the summer albeit with very low humidity.
Pioneers of Spences Bridge
- John Murray
- Olivier Major
- James TeitJames TeitJames Alexander Teit was an anthropologist and photographer who worked with Franz Boas to study Interior Salish First Nations peoples in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
(ethnographer) - Archibald Clemes
- Pierre Morens
- Francoise Rey
See also
- Fraser Canyon Gold RushFraser Canyon Gold RushThe Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River. This was a few miles upstream from the Thompson's confluence with the Fraser River at present-day Lytton...
- Cook's Ferry First NationCook's Ferry First NationCook's Ferry First Nation is a Nlaka'pamux First Nations government located in the Central Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is a member of the Nicola Tribal Association, which are two of three tribal councils of the Nlaka'pamux people...
- Cariboo RoadCariboo RoadThe Cariboo Road was a project initiated in 1860 by the colonial Governor of British Columbia, James Douglas...
- Cariboo Gold RushCariboo Gold RushThe Cariboo Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Although the first gold discovery was made in 1859 at Horsefly Creek, followed by more strikes at Keithley Creek and Antler Horns lake in 1860, the actual rush did not begin until 1861, when these discoveries were...
- Thompson-Nicola Regional DistrictThompson-Nicola Regional District, British ColumbiaThe Thompson-Nicola Regional District is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Canada 2006 Census population was 122,286 and the area covers 45,279 square kilometres. The administrative offices are in the main population centre is the city of Kamloops, which...
- Thompson RiverThompson RiverThe Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson...
- Clear RangeClear RangeThe Clear Range is a small mountain range located in the angle of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers in south-central British Columbia. It has a small subdivision just northeast of that confluence named the Scarped Range...
- The Rattler