This post concludes the Hazeley Letter series, a collection of family correspondence between 1896 and 1897 by the Wright family while living in Agassiz, British Columbia. Over the course of this series, these letters have allowed us a rare and personal glimpse into early colonial life in the…
This post continues the Hazeley Letter series, a collection of family correspondence written in 1896-1897 by the Wright family living in Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada. These letters provide a rare look into everyday settler life in the Fraser Valley during the early days of the community. By June…
Travelling from Vancouver to Victoria in 1897 In May 1897, travel between Vancouver and Victoria meant boarding a coastal steamer and crossing the Strait of Georgia. In her letter written from James Bay, Victoria, May Wright briefly mentions crossing “on the Charmer,” giving us a small but meaningful…
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…
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…
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…
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…
It is winter after the New Year for the Wright family in Agassiz, British Columbia. Continuing their story from New Year in Canada, 1897, these letters show how daily routines, winter labour, and community life resumed as January turned into February. This post explores This post explores how…
For the Wright siblings, New Year’s in Canada in 1897 meant new beginnings with the neighbours and friends, farming adjustment to make it through the winter, and hopes for their future in Canada This post explores how the Wright family experienced their first New Year’s season in Canada…
This post is all about the Wright siblings first Christmas in Canada in 1896 and how they brought their English traditions to their small community. The Wright’s First Christmas in Canada Christmas in Canada in 1896 looked very different for the Wright siblings than what they had known…