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BC History Diary

  • planting season

    The First Planting Season in Canada 1896

    June 16, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    As the first signs of spring begin to emerge and the soil becomes warmer, the planting season officially begins. It is a time of new growth, fresh opportunities, and deep-rooted traditions. For farmers, it marks the start of a long days in the fields and hope for a…

  • tea time

    Victorian Tea Time in the Canada in 1896

    June 8, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    The Wright siblings have landed in Agassiz, British Columbia, far way from their home in England. To make it feel more like home, they brought more than their luggage; they brought their traditions, such as tea time.   This post is all about how the siblings kept their…

  • WW1 Soldier

    2nd Lieutenant Harold Purton Wright

    June 4, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

     Lieutenant Harold Purton Wright was just a teenager in 1896 when he sailed across the Atlantic from England to Agassiz, British Columbia with his siblings to farm in Agassiz. Each week, he and his siblings wrote home to their parents in England. Harold Purton Wright was heroic and…

  • Agassiz settlers

    Settling Into Life in Agassiz 1896

    June 1, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    This post is all about the Wright siblings and their time settling into life in Agassiz as they setup their homes and are welcomed into social circles. The Wright siblings are settling into Agassiz in April 1896 and they are experiencing their first taste of the rainy weather…

  • victorian girls first day

    A Victorian Girl’s First Days in Agassiz, British Columbia

    May 25, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    What were a Victorian woman, May Wright’s, first few days in Agassiz, British Columbia were like when she arrived in March 1896 with her three brothers? These next two letters she wrote home will make you feel like you are right there with her. This post is all…

  • travel across canada

    The Victorian Siblings Travel Across Canada By Train

    May 20, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    We follow along as May, Cecil, Harold, and Jack Wright arrive in Brandon, Manitoba and reunite with long-missed friends, give out their gifts, and share stories. After a short visit, the siblings prepare for another journey as they travel across Canada by train to their new farm in…

  • victorian-siblings

    Victorian Siblings Journey from England to Canada 1896

    May 17, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    Want to know why these Victorian siblings have journeyed from England to Canada?  These are their heartfelt letters home to their parents, chronicling their journey across the ocean and their days in Canada. Through their letters, we glimpse a world of adventure and hope in 1896. Separated by…

  • A Stay at the Grand Union Hotel 1896

    A Stay at the Grand Union Hotel 1896

    May 14, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    May, Cecil, Jack, and Harold arrived in New York City on March 5th, 1896, and stayed at the Grand Union Hotel. The Grand Union Hotel was located directly across from Grand Central Station at 4th Avenue and 42nd Street in New York City.

  • Setting Sail on the RMS Majestic in 1896

    May 9, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    This post explores the trans-Atlantic journey from England to New York City in 1896. It’s February 26th, 1896, and the Wright siblings sailed from Liverpool, England, to Canada aboard the RMS Majestic, one of the most luxurious steamships of its time. As they settle into their cabins, they…

  • From above of stack of letters with sealing wax spread out near bouquet of pink roses on wooden desk

    1896 Letters from British Settlers: Their Journey to Canada

    May 6, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    This post is all about the Wright trans-Atlantic journey from England to Canada. The Hazeley Letter Series The Wright Family In February 1896, four young British settlers wrote to their parents back in England, describing their new life in Agassiz, British Columbia. These pioneer letters offer a rare…

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Hi, I’m Jodie! Historian, Archives Assistant, and researcher in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. I bring forgotten Canadian stories to life through archival letters and local history. Learn more here.

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