Early in 1864, Gustavus Wright undertook the construction of the wagon road from Quesnel to Cottonwood, on the way to Williams Creek, a distance of twenty-six miles (42 kilometres).

BC ARCHIVES A-03748 View of Williams Creek looking towards Barkerville

In April of 1865, Malcolm Munroe, a road builder from Victoria, was given the contract to complete the remaining 25 miles (40 kilometres) of road from Cottonwood to Williams Creek then to Barkerville for $45,000.