Harold Wright’s July 1896 Letter: A Drowning in the Prairie
Life in Agassiz was never dull for the Wright family. In this July 1896 letter, Harold describes rushing to aid a drowning man, a close encounter with a bear, and the everyday challenges of pioneer life.
This post is all about Harold’s attempt to save a drowning man.
Letter Home
Harold’s Letter to Mother- July 10, 1896
Rec’d July 10, 1896
Dear Mother,
I am writing to send you all sorts of love and congratulations for your silver wedding day. We have been having quite an exciting time here. A short time ago a man was drowned on the prairie. I was about half a mile away when he first fell in, and when I got up the man who was with him told me at least 20 different places where he said he sank. I heard afterwards that both men were more or less drunk.
Last Friday a bear came quite close up to the house, & I had one shot at him but did not succeed in killing him. We had a skunk around here last night after the chickens, so I put an egg out for him about half full of arsenic and he eat it and seemed more the worse. Cecil saw him later on and he was as merry as a lark. I cannot write any more now as May and Jack want to start into the station.
So good bye from
Your loving son,
Harold.
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway reached Agassiz in 1885, running right through the town. It became the game changer the area needed. It drew settlers to the area and allowed the farmers who had just arrived access to markets. The original Agassiz station burned down in 1893 and was rebuilt.
The station agent lived on the top floor of the building and was responsible for all the mail as well as the passengers who were at the station. Since then, the station has been moved to the other side of the tracks. Today, the station is the home of the Agassiz-Harrison Museum and Visitor Centre. The front room of the station is still set up as it was in the days that these letters were written and upstairs is where the all the archival records are kept and maintained. These letters would have originally passed through this building on their way to England and now 130 years later they are back for safe keeping.
Agassiz Station, 2025
Explore More Pioneer Letters and Stories
If you enjoyed this letter from July 1896, you might also like:
Repairing the Farm, Building the Church, and Picnics in the Harrison: Hazeley Letters from June 1896
WWI Soldier Spotlight: The Story of 2nd Lieutenant Harold Purton Wright
These firsthand settler letters offer a rare look at daily life in 1890s British Columbia—from gold mining rumors to cattle ranching, hospital work, and the realities of farming on the frontier
Follow @BCHistoryDiary to get the latest letters, stories, and behind-the-scenes research.
This post was all about Harold’s attempt to save a drowning man and his interactions with wild life around Agassiz, B.C.
