Elida Peers/Contributed

We still have a rugged coastline between downtown Sooke and Jordan River, but with todayB次元官网网址檚 fine highway, itB次元官网网址檚 generally a pretty safe ride. A century ago, folks in the industrial centre of Jordan River were excited to get a road connection, instead of having to hitch a ride on a passing tug.

This bridge, being constructed circa 1912, a few miles east of Jordan River at JacobB次元官网网址檚 Creek near Point No Point meant good news. Motor vehicles were beginning to come into use at that time, with fewer horse-drawn stages, and the opening of the road must have been a godsend to Jordan RiverB次元官网网址檚 1,000 residents, mostly hydro and forestry workers and their families.

Long before there was a bridge, we are told, the creek was named JacobB次元官网网址檚 Creek because of a Mr. Jacobs who lived there in the 1860s. Stripping trees of hemlock bark for tannery use was a local industry for a time, in fact one coastal route was called the B次元官网网址渢an bark trail.B次元官网网址� Apparently, Jacobs packed bundles of the bark he stripped and made use of any passing vessel that could carry the bundles to HawthorneB次元官网网址檚 Tannery in Victoria.

It seemed there was a theory among road construction workers that curved bridges had greater strength than straight ones. The JacobB次元官网网址檚 Creek crossing, high above the gulley, was an example. It is likely that the planking itself was cut at Charters Mill in Sooke and barged out to the site.

While this image, provided by Mabel Cook, indicates the crosswise deck planking, the base had lengthwise plank strips installed over, intended for vehicles to proceed with their tires on top of the lengthwise strips.

Though still unpaved, the road got even more use when the high school opened at Milnes Landing in 1946 and school buses travelled the route daily. Sports for youngsters have always been important to area parents, and when there were occasional cars driven by high school students, even more sports tourneys took place.

After an exhibition game in Jordan River, on Dec. 7, 1947, a carful of six students, aged 14 to 18, piled into a vehicle for the return journey to their homes in Sooke. The night was dark and rainy, the bridge was curved B次元官网网址� was it that the vehicle slipped off the lengthwise curved strip planking, that caused them to crash through the guard railing, falling 80 feet below?

No one who was here at that time will ever forget the horror of discovering that six of our boys lost their lives at JacobB次元官网网址檚 Creek.

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Elida Peers is the historian of the Sooke Region Museum. Email historian@sookeregionmuseum.com.