– **History:**
– Old Cariboo Road built from Lillooet to Alexandria in 1859-1863.
– Sternwheeler steamer launched in 1863 to transport travelers to Quesnel.
– Soda Creek served as a terminus for sternwheelers on the upper Fraser River.
– Various establishments like hotels, stores, and blacksmith shops were built in the area.
– Second sternwheeler, the Victoria, added to the route in 1869.
– **The Second Boom:**
– Soda Creek experienced a second boom starting in 1909.
– Grand Trunk Pacific Railways route through Fort George boosted prosperity.
– Sternwheelers were crucial for transporting settlers and supplies to Fort George.
– Fort George Lumber and Navigation Company built sternwheelers at Soda Creek.
– BC Express Company expanded its route to Fort George using sternwheelers and automobiles.
– **See Also:**
– List of rivers of British Columbia.
– Soda Creek/Deep Creek Band.
– **Further Reading:**
– “Paddlewheels on the Frontier Volume 1” by Art Downs (1971).
– “Stagecoach and Sternwheel Days in the Cariboo and Central BC” by Willis West (1985).
– **Notes:**
– References to Soda Creek Indian Reserve 1 and Xatsull Culture and History.
– Detailed information on the Cariboo Gold Rush and sternwheelers in the region.
Soda Creek is a rural subdivision 38 km north of Williams Lake in British Columbia, Canada. Located on the east bank of the Fraser River, Soda Creek was originally the home of the Xat'sull First Nation. Soda Creek Indian Reserve No. 1 is located on the left (E) bank of the Fraser River, one mile south of the Soda Creek BCR (CN) station, 431.10 ha. 52°19′00″N 122°16′00″W / 52.31667°N 122.26667°W
Soda Creek
Xat'sull | |
|---|---|
  Soda Creek Location of Soda Creek in British Columbia | |
| Coordinates: 52°20′3.82″N 122°17′11.24″W / 52.3343944°N 122.2864556°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional District | Cariboo |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
 | |
Xat'sull /ˈhætʃəl/ means "on the cliff where the bubbling water comes out".
European settlement began in the 1860s with the onset of the Cariboo Gold Rush and the building of the Old Cariboo Road.