Soda Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Soda Creek
Xat'sull
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 Soda Creek
Location in British Columbia
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional District | Cariboo |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
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Soda Creek is a small community located about 38 kilometers north of Williams Lake in British Columbia, Canada. It sits on the east side of the Fraser River. This area was originally the home of the Xat'sull First Nation. The name Xat'sull means "on the cliff where the bubbling water comes out."
A place called Soda Creek Indian Reserve No. 1 is also found nearby. It is on the east bank of the Fraser River, a little south of the old Soda Creek train station.
European settlers started arriving in the 1860s. This happened because of the Cariboo Gold Rush and the building of the Old Cariboo Road.
History of Soda Creek
The Old Cariboo Road was a very important route. It was built from Lillooet to Alexandria. The section reaching Soda Creek was finished in 1863. A man named Gustavus Blin Wright was in charge of building this part of the road.
While building the road, Wright also planned to build a special boat called a sternwheeler. This boat would take travelers further north to Quesnellemouthe, which is now called Quesnel. From Quesnel, people could then travel east to Barkerville to find gold.
The Fraser River was too dangerous for sternwheelers in some parts. But the section from Soda Creek to Quesnel was much safer. This made Soda Creek a perfect starting point for sternwheelers on the upper Fraser River.
Steamboats and the Gold Rush Era
The first sternwheeler, the Enterprise, was launched in the spring of 1863. Many gold seekers used the Enterprise to travel. This was because the wagon road to Quesnel wasn't finished until 1865.
When the Enterprise started running, the government set aside land at Soda Creek. Soon, land lots were sold, and people began to build. Hotels, stores, blacksmith shops, and saloons quickly appeared. Some of the early builders included Robert McLeese and Peter Dunlevy.
In 1869, Wright added a second sternwheeler, the Victoria. Both boats carried people and supplies until 1871. The Enterprise then went north to help with the Omineca Gold Rush.
The Enterprise never returned, so the Victoria worked alone for 15 years. By 1886, the gold rushes were mostly over. Soda Creek became much quieter until a new railway was planned.
Soda Creek's Second Boom
Soda Creek became busy again starting in 1909. This happened when it was announced that the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway would go through Fort George.
Once again, Soda Creek was important because it was a good place for sternwheelers to start their journeys on the Fraser River. These boats were needed to take new settlers and supplies safely upriver to Fort George.
Several sternwheelers were built at Soda Creek. The Fort George Lumber and Navigation Company built the Chilcotin and the Fort Fraser in 1909-1910. These boats, along with others like the Chilco and Quesnel, carried people and goods to the new towns in Fort George.
The BC Express Company had been serving the area since the first gold rush. The company's owner, Charles Vance Millar, decided to expand. He added sternwheelers and even cars to his company's services.
The BC Express Company built an office and a construction site in Soda Creek. They built the BX in 1909-1910. Then, they built the BC Express in 1911-1912.
The cars they used were Winton Sixes, bought from a car maker in Seattle.
During the railway construction years, Soda Creek was a busy stop on the Cariboo Road. Travelers and supplies came from Ashcroft by stagecoach or car. Then, they would transfer to the sternwheelers to continue their journey north.
