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Colonial Settlers : Donald McGillivray
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Born in Ontario, Donald McGillivray (1838-1913) left, at the age of 13, with his parents for New York State where his parents farmed. In 1860, he traveled west, working first for the Puget Mill in Washington State and then operating a pack train on the Cariboo gold rush trail. After he sold his company to the Western Union Telegraph Company around 1864, he worked, for a short time, constructing telegraph lines. He then settled on Sumas Prairie and operated a dairy and stock-raising farm until 1903, when he moved into the town of Chilliwack. During this time he operated the Centreville General Store.

Susan Hall (1853-1880), daughter of Corporal William Hall of the Royal Engineers, was born in Gibraltar. She arrived in Chilliwack in 1866. She married Donald McGillivray in 1868. The couple had six children. She died shortly after giving birth to her sixth child.

In 1881, McGillvray married Julia Ann Andrews (b. 1860). There were five more children by this marriage.

McGillivray was an active leader, serving as a Magistrate, Justice of the Peace, Member of the Provincial Parliament and Reeve of the Municipality of Chilliwack. He was a Conservative and a Methodist.

Portrait of Donald McGillivray Donald McGillivray with his wife, seated in a horse-drawn buggy, Wellington Street P40- Portrait of Donald McGillivray
P43- Donald McGillivray with his wife, seated in a horse-drawn buggy, Wellington Street

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