The Hazeley Letters
Follow along as we learn about the Wright siblings who travelled from Liverpool, England to Agassiz, British Columbia in 1896. This collection of letters, photographs, and stories from May, Cecil, Jack, and Harold Wright let us see into their daily lives in Canada. From being chased by chickens to a connection to the Titanic, their stories are being told here for the first time, and you won’t want to miss a moment.
“Each sunrise brings a new day filled with new hopes for a new beginning.”
Debasish Mridha
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Observation Cars, Mining Camps, and Settler Life in 1897
Mining camps become a part of the everyday sights for the Wright family as they experience the excitement of the gold rush and travel on Harrison Lake in British Columbia, Canada. This post is all about May and Harold Wright’s letters home about domestic labour, time on Harrison…
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Family Tension & Chinatown in Agassiz, B.C. 1897
Family tension was high as not everyone was pulling their own weight to make their farm run smoothly. The Wright letters from Agassiz April 1897 show us what life was like for those settling in the Fraser Valley. This post examines a series of letters written in April…
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Gold Mining in British Columbia 1897: Peril in the Mountains and Trains Through Agassiz
Gold mining was in full swing in Agassiz and Harrison Lake in British Columbia in the 1890s. Thousands of prospectors arrived hoping to strike it rich, while local residents continued on their daily lives and adapted to changes. This post explores the dangers and changes experience by gold…
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Harrison Lake: New Visitors and Mining Excitement in 1897
In the spring of 1897, Harrison Lake was alive with speculation, surveying crews, and renewed hopes of gold. Eager prospectors travelled up the lake, new mining claims were discussed daily in Agassiz, and mechanical inventions promised to transform mineral extraction in the Fraser Valley. Harrison Lake and Harrison…
