Colonial Settlers

Community of Villages

Pre-emptions

Agriculture

Timelines

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• In 1808 the explorer Simon Fraser landed at what became Minto Landing, located at the end of Young Road North.

1858

• The main route between Fort Langley and Hope, before 1858, was a Hudson Bay Company Brigade Trail, that later became part of the Telegraph Trail. Parts of Yale Road are remnants of this trail.
• On August 2, 1858 the Crown Colony of British Columbia received royal assent.

1861

• In 1861 there were approximately 300 Euro-Canadians in the entire Fraser Valley.

1862

• Jonathan Reece was the first to take up land in Chilliwack.

1863

• Settlers brought in the first plow and turned the first sod. At this time there were some 250 farms along the Fraser River.
• Pioneer Matthew Sweetman originally claimed the land on which Cottonwood Corners is located.
• Their work completed, the members of the Royal Engineers were given the opportunity to leave the service with 160 acres of free land.

1864

• John Ryder arrived in 1864 and was a gold rush pioneer. He drove bull teams over the Cariboo Road. Ryder Lake is named for him.

1865

• The longest trail in the Lower Fraser Valley was the one required for the Collin's Overland Telegraph Project. It followed existing trails wherever possible and became known as "Telegraph Trail". Settlement began along some of the routes.
• On June 6, 1865, the first Protestant religious service in the Valley was held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Kipp, with eight people present. Ebenezer Robson conducted the service.
• The Collins Overland Telegraph Line provided Chilliwack's first communication with the outside world. John McCutcheon was Chilliwack's first telegraph operator.

1866

• The New Westminster British Columbian noted that Chilliwack farmers were cultivating 653 acres.
• On January 12, 1866, the first pioneer child was born in Chilliwack - Jenny Kipp (1866-1953), later Mrs. William Knight.
• The Kipp and Reece farm was one of fifteen farms in the Valley and was by far the largest. In one year they were able to harvest 150 acres of oats and hay at an average of 3 tons per acre.

1869

• The first Protestant church in the Valley was built on the banks of the Atchelitz River. By 1882 the church was unable to meet the needs of the growing congregation and a new church was built.

1870

• The first threshing machine was purchased jointly by Rueben Nowell, Jas. Blanchard and the Kipp brothers in the early 1870s. It was built as a 10-horse power piece of equipment but often took 15 horses to operate due to the length and toughness of the straw.
• The government through the Hudson's Bay Company originally instituted Postal Service. Mail came by riverboat once or twice a week. Settlers would extract their own mail from the bag. John McCutcheon was the first Postmaster.

1871

• July 1, 1871, Dominion Day was first celebrated in Chilliwack.

1873

• On April 26, 1873, Chilliwhack was incorporated as a Township, making it one of the oldest municipalities in the province, with only New Westminster and Victoria being older. Langley is the same age.
• Gillanders Road is named after Donald Gillanders who came to Chilliwack in 1873 and pre-empted 1,000 acres in the Cheam area.
• On July 31, 1873 the area's first schoolhouse was built in Sumas on land donated by George Chadsey. There were 16 students registered in 1872-73.
• A Fall Fair was held on October 1 in a barn supplied by Mr. Jonathan Reece [now the site of A. D. Rundle School].
• Banford Road, approximately two miles east of Five Corners, takes its name from George Banford, an Irishman, who came to Chilliwack, with his wife and children from California via Australia.
• George Ashwell started a general merchandising store at Chilliwack Landing. Twelve years later he moved into the city and opened a new store. Later the store was purchased by Pride & Nash; then bought by Spencers and finally Eatons.
• The first Township Council was elected on June 10, 1873.
• Before 1873 taxes were levied at a rate of one quarter of one percent per acre owned and two days of labour from every resident male. Horatio Webb ploughed the right of way for Wellington Avenue in payment of his taxes.

1874

• The Chilliwack Agricultural Society was incorporated on May 7, 1874.

1875

• In 1875, owing to flood condition, each home was equipped with a canoe.
• W.H. Cooper opened the post office at Popkum on August 1, 1875.

1876

• On September 18, 1876, Young Road was surveyed to 40' wide. It is named for Charles Young who had a farm in the area. Young Road was originally a survey road.
• The first flour mill was established at Sumas by James Chadsey.

1878

• Mrs. Matilda Harrison came to Chilliwack in May from Kingston, Ontario. She established the Valley Hotel and Store at Chilliwack Landing. In 1892, she moved to Centerville where she managed the Harrison House Hotel for 15 years. Harrison Street is named for her.

1880

• Castleman Road was named for James Castleman who came in the 1880s and operated a blacksmith's shop in Rosedale.
• Mt. Baker erupted in December 1880, and residents said that although they could read a newspaper by night, the air was filled with acrid smoke by day.

1882-83

• The British Columbia Directory listed 153 families in Chilliwack and Sumas.
• The Chilliwack Methodist Church was built on land donated by Isaac Kipp.

1883

• At Five Corners, there were five general merchants, a Chinese grocer, three blacksmiths, two milliners, a flour mill, a shingle mill, cooperage, plasterer, two carpenter, two laborers, a Pastor and a Vicar; a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Sheriff.

1885

• By November 7, 1885 Chilliwack was linked with the Canadian Pacific Railway by ferry service from Harrison Mills to Minto Landing.

1886

• Sumas Methodist Church was built on land donated by George Chadsey. Dedication services were held in October. In February 1971 the congregation joined Carman United Church that has served as a place of worship since 1898.
• The I.O.O.F. Lodge was instituted on May 24, 1886.

1887

• The Post Office was opened in Chilliwack with Sam Mellard Sr. as first Postmaster. He was responsible for changing the name of Centerville to Chilliwack.

1888

• Cooke's Presbyterian Church, located on Wellington Avenue, was built on land donated by J.C. Henderson and A.C. Henderson.
• Protests were made against legislation that required voters in Chilliwack District, about 50 in number, to cross the Fraser and wade knee deep in ice cold sloughs in order to record their votes at Agassiz in the Dominion election.

1889

• The B.C. Fruit Growers Association was organized in the Fraser Valley.

1890

• The Chilliwack Progress notes that on November 6, 1890, Governor General and Land Aberdeen visited Chilliwack, Sardis and Coqualeetza.

1891

• Chilliwack had a brass band, known as one of the best on the mainland.
• On September 9, 1891 First Nation's people from the Soowahlie Reserve completed the first bridge across the Vedder Creek. With the exception of the lining out of the truss, which was done by Councilor J. Bailey, all work was done by the First Nations people.

1892

• On July 29 the Canadian Order of Foresters [known as Court Hope] was organized in Chilliwack.
• On May 11 the school district of Fairfield Island was created.
• The March 17 edition of the Chilliwack Progress noted that it now had its first newsboy.
• By August cherries had gained ground as a money making crop.

1893

• The Hulbert Hop yards began, the first hop farm to be established in the Valley.
• A Charter was granted by the Grand Lodge on June 23 to Ionic Lodge #19 (Masons).
• The First Baptist Church congregation in Chilliwack was formed. The church was built in 1896 and dedicated December 3 of that year.
• The coldest recorded temperature in the valley occurred, at a chilly -25 degrees F.

1894

• The most disastrous flood in the Valley occurred. With no protection against the rising waters of the Fraser River, the Valley was completely inundated and the crops destroyed.
• On February 8, 245 students were in attendance in the area's nine schools.
• On April 28, the Coqualeetza Institute was opened to replace the home for First Nation's children that had been destroyed by fire. This building had accommodations for 120 pupils and staff. In 1924, a larger accommodation was constructed for 200 pupils, and in 1941, was converted to a tuberculosis hospital.

1897

• The Chilliwack Progress notes that Chilliwack was gearing up for the celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday on May 24.
• St. Thomas Anglican Church was rebuilt in 1897 at Five Corners, replacing the structure brought down from Port Douglas in 1873. In 1909, it was moved to its present location at Gore and First Avenue in Chilliwack.

1898

• Carman Methodist Church was dedicated on December 4, 1898 on Higginson Road, and was later moved [in 1926] to Vedder Road in Sardis.
• The trail built in 1898 through the Chilliwack River [now Called Chilliwack Lake Road] was towards the Gold strike in Mount Baker and was part of the Whatcom Trail.
• The formation of the area's first Farmers' Institute took place on February 5, 1898. Thirty-two members were present and Edwin Wells delivered a paper on dairying.

1899

• On May 17, Judge W.N. Bole arrived here to hold a session of the County Court but was much chagrined to find that all the cases had been settled and withdrawn.