Bungalows were built on Woody Island and were serviced by the Woody Island Ferry. Unfortunately, this venture did not last very long because of the inaccessibility of the island during the flood periods. By now, residents of the town had felt for quite some time that a bridge across the Vaal River was only its just due. The Woody Island Ferry service crossed on to Woody Island and from there another ferry completed the crossing. The service was infrequent and accidents happened frequently. Farmers on the Transvaal side even preferred to go to Potchefstroom, away, rather than face the expense of the ferry crossings. Towards the end of 1913, Tenders were requested a reinforced concrete bridge over the Vaal. The project began in May 1914. The outbreak of the First World War three months later caused long delays, and the bridge was only finished and opened for traffic around Christmas 1915. Because of the bridge over the Vaal, trade grew and Parys was a new market for farmers from the then Transvaal side. Many new buildings were built as more and more traffic ran through the town. Few of the original buildings and historic places remain today. The current Parys Palm Court Hotel is one of the surviving turn of the century buildings (the Parys Hotel), as is the museum (once the magistrate's office) and "Moedergemeente" Church in the centre of town. There are, however, a few original old houses remaining. Industries that have come and gone are the Orange River Canning Company, Parys Basket Works that used a special willow planted on the river banks, a jam factory, boat building factory, cold drink factory and Parys Roller Milling Company. By the middle 1950s big industries like ARWA, BASA (nuts and bolts factory), Vaalrivierse Tabakkooperasie, Vetsak (agricultural co-op which was founded in Parys) and Metro Clothing Company had settled in the industrial area of Parys. Only a handful of industries remain today, and, like in the early days, the town is becoming increasingly popular as a weekend and holiday destination to people wanting for escape the pressures of city life. Tourist attractions Many artists have settled in the town and many new interesting shops and attractions make it the ideal breakaway close to Gauteng and big centres. A unique attraction in Parys, the suspension bridge, was built in 1918 to connect Golf Island to the town. The current Town Hall