This is Boston Bar's Fraser River bridge, opened on January 28, 1986 and named for one Cog Harrington.
Walter "Cog" Harrington's Shell service station in Boston Bar, BC on the Fraser Canyon Highway (Hwy. 1; Trans-Canada Highway).
"Cog" Harrington operated the Charles Hotel and the Shell service and his wrecker service rescued many a wreck along the treacherous old Fraser Canyon Highway during the 1930s, '40s and '50s.
After the Charles Hotel (built 1917) burned down in 1949, the hotel and service station were replaced with moderne structures.
Service station building extant as Fas Gas Plus station No. 330, 48165 Trans-Canada Hwy., Boston Bar, BC.
From Flickr
The Cog Harrington Bridge spans the Fraser River between Boston Bar and North Bend, affording the only access to North Bend. The Deck Truss Bridge replaces a ferry which ran across the river from 1940 to 1985, when this bridge was constructed. This was an aerial car ferry, or tramway, that would transport vehicles across the Fraser River from Boston Bar on cables. The aerial car was capable of transporting one vehicle with passengers or up to 40 people.
About 235 metres (775 feet) in length, this substantial bridge stands on three concrete pillars in the river and concrete abutments each end. On the ends are short steel girder approach spans.
Boston Bar - North Bend
Boston Bar and North Bend are located across the Fraser River from one another in the rugged Fraser Canyon, halfway between Yale and Lytton, British Columbia. About 500 people live in the area, and we are proud of the fascinating history and natural beauty our communities share with both residents and visitors.
The original settlement in this area was the First Nations' village of Koiaum, located on the west side of the Fraser River. By the 1860's, the area had became known as Boston Bar because of the large numbers of Americans that settled in the area during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. When the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885, the town's name was changed to North Bend, while Boston Bar began to be used for the community on the east side of the Fraser River. An aerial cable ferry was built to connect the two towns in 1940, and ran until 1985, when it was replaced with the Cog Harrington bridge.
Boston Bar and North Bend were “forestry” towns for many years. The closing of the local mill and the loss of active logging have led to a shrinking of our towns in the last decade. Currently, our towns provide services for travelers on the trans-Canada highway, and the CN and CP railways maintain bunkhouses and crew switching facilities in Boston Bar and North Bend. Affordable housing prices and close proximity to stunning nature have resulted in an influx of retirees and summer residents. Outdoor recreation opportunities are numerous, and attract many people to our special little section of the Fraser Canyon!
From Boston Bar, BC
