The Early History of Harrison Hot Springs (Part 2): Pioneer Life, Port Douglas, and Harrison Lake Adventures

This post explores the early history of Harrison Hot Springs and the families whose ambition and enterprise helped establish it in British Columbia’s formative years.

In the early days of Harrison Hot Springs, life revolved around the lake, the new hotel that promised healing benefits, and the potential for striking it rich in the gold rush. Before the town became famous as a resort destination, it was a place of small farms, sternwheelers arriving from the Fraser River, and families building lives along the shoreline of the beautiful Harrison Lake.

This post continues the story introduced in Part 1 of the Early Days of Harrison, where the Brown, Agassiz, and MacPherson families shaped the small community that grew up around Harrison Lake and the famous hot springs. Their memories, shared by Burwell Brown, give us a rare glimpse into every day life in the Fraser Valley at the turn of the century.

Today, Harrison Hot Springs remains a thriving small resort community. It’s located 155 kilometers (three hours) east of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Who’s Who in the Early Harrison Story

The memories shared in this story focus on several of the early families connected with Harrison Hot Springs, Agassiz, and the Fraser Valley. Their stories provide a window into everyday life in the region during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The Brown Family – A well-known family in the Agassiz area and the Fraser Valley, the Browns were closely connected to the early community around Harrison Lake. John Ruyter Brown built the famous St. Alice Hotel and was focused on finding gold along the lake. Their children spent their childhood around Harrison Lake, where they explored, camped along the shoreline, and travelled to places such as Port Douglas.

The MacPherson Family – Among the early residents of Harrison Hot Springs. Ewan MacPherson farmed in the area and the family maintained a cottage at Ferny Coombe, which became a gathering place for relatives and friends.

The Agassiz Family – The Agassiz family were residents of the Fraser Valley community that bears their name. The community developed around the Canadian Pacific Railway station and the farms nearby. Like many families in the area, they were connected socially and economically with Harrison Hot Springs. Their presences reflects the close relationship between the agricultural settlement of Agassiz and the lakeside community of Harrison Hot Springs.

For a more detailed introduction to these families, including photographs and additional background, see Part 1 of the Early Days of Harrison.

Read Part 1 here: The Early History of Harrison Hot Springs (Part 1)

This article forms Part 2 of a two-part transcription. Minor clarifications, such as headings, have been added for readability while preserving the original voice and language of the manuscript. The story itself, along with the accompanying archival photographs, comes from the collections of the Agassiz-Harrison Museum and Archives.

The Story Begins

The following recollections were written by Burwell Brown, describing his childhood experiences at Harrison Hot Springs and the surrounding Fraser Valley.

Christmas at Harrison Hot Springs

Our parents did not wish us to miss the fun of Christmas. Our mother ordered toys from Vancouver and set up a toy shop in an empty room. We were allowed to buy gifts for our brothers and cousins. I remember those as happy days, picnics on the lake, overnight trips up the Lake to Tipella, winter skating parties on the slough attended by guests from the hotel, and relations and friends from Agassiz, where small boys and girls on sleds and rocking chairs could be pushed across the ice at high speed.

Ewen MacPherson Turns to Farming

After the Browns left Harrison, Ewen decided to try his hand at farming. He had a barn built on his property and kept cows and chickens, selling his produce to the hotel. He also had a grey horse called “Neddy”.

The First School at Harrison

By now the girls were ready for school. The school was a one room building situated on Harrison Hot Spring Road, near the Harrison Kent border. Aunt Jinny became a member of the school board. I think that in those days this time of school had three trustees, one member running for office each year. Jinny was secretary of the school board during her turns of office. I don’t know for how many years this little building served as a school, but I do know that it was still standing in the 1920s, being used as a home at the time.

Agate Hunting on the Road to School

The MacPherson girls walked to school along a gravel road. Mixed with the gravel were beautiful pebbles of agate in various shapes and sizes. It became a competition to see who could find the best collection. The Brown family spent most of their holidays at Ferny Coombe. I was lucky, Aunt Jinny was my God Mother, so I would go to Harrison with a boat to row and a lake to swim in. I was here in 1904.

The Infamous Trip with Bessey the Cow

One day Uncle decided that it was time for Bessey, the bell cow, to pay a visit to the bull. He started out across the bridge, Uncle leading the cow and I in the rear, with instructions to give Bessey a clout with a club if she got to skittish and tried to climb on his back.

Now I had been admiring my cousin’s collection of agate but the road between the lake and the bridge had been pretty well picked over. The road on the south side of the bridge was strictly out of bounds for small boys. The trip with Bessey was an ideal occasion for me to build up my collection. As we proceeded down the road the relationship between nephew and uncle became, to say the least, somewhat strained. Each time I reached for an agate there would be a roar from Uncle and I would look up to see the cow climbing on his shoulders.

Finally we researched our destination I think that it was were the beautiful nine hole golf course is to-day. The cow was introduced to the bull, and you couldn’t believe it – the things that nasty old bull did to poor little Bessey. Relationship between Uncle and nephew may have been strained before we made it to our destination, they reached the boiling point on our way home. I made no bones about telling my uncle what I thought of him for letting our poor little Bessey be treated so badly.

A Boy’s Adventure to Port Douglas (1905)

In June 1905 my dad took me with him on a business trip up the lake. I can’t imagine what his business associates thought, having a little Brown continually under foot but he always had one of us along when he had an interesting trip in mind. He camped by a stream and walked miles and miles through timber. After a few days I became tired of looking at tress and returned to Port Douglas.

Port Douglas After the Gold Rush

The town itself had been destroyed by fire. The only signs of where the government buildings had been were garden paths, and rose bushes which had reverted to their original state.

The only place left was a trading store and lodging owned by a man named Purcell, a white man with an Indian wife. I played with their young son, who had a sever case of ——. We visited the Indian village and tried to talk to the children there but they were very shy with me. We also visited the dock, here a huge sturgeon was tethered from which the natives would cut steaks as long as it lived.

Traveling Harrison Lake by Sternwheeler

Finally the timber limits had been staked out and it was time to leave for home. Our trip up the lake had been made in a tug boat, the journey back was much more exciting, a stern wheeler from New Westminster was making an excursion trip up the lake, so we travelled back down the lake in style.

On his way back to Vancouver, my Dad dropped me off at the MacPherson’s and Uncle Ewen and I settled back into our old routine. I had told my older brothers the story of the story of poor old Bessey and the bull and they had instructed me in no uncertain terms, of the facts of life, so I was looking forward to another trip down the Hot Spring Road, but this was not to be. My dad had left a surprise for me-a wagon loaded with tents, — and Brown boys arrived on the lake front.

Summer Tent Camps on Harrison Lake

My Mother had decided that the family was old enough to spend the summer in tents, a practice that has gone on through the generations. Our camps were always crowded, each child could bring a friend and cousins came from everywhere. Grandmother and the aunts came out for picnics to visit the MacPhersons and our camp.

Nick the Horse and the Runaway Carriage

Their horse was a black gelding called Nick. Nick was a fine looking horse, but liked to balk. We would be harnessed to the carriage, the passengers would climb aboard, the driver would shake the reins, but old Nick would just stand there. A gentleman friend of one of my aunts, I was going to say “boy friend” but if I used that expression my maiden aunts would turn in their graves., suggested that he could get the horse to move. He got some straw and chips and lit a small fire under him. There was a great commotion among the passengers when Nick moved forward a few feet and left a fire merrily burning beneath the carriage.

The Arrival of the First Automobile

If my memory serves me that was the year when Frank Inkman was the hero of the hour, as far as the small boys were concerned. He drove the automobile that replaced the stage which had served the Hot Springs Transportation needs. When we heard his car in the distance, we would rush down the lake front and wave and cheer him on his way. We again camped on the Harrison Lake water front.

Camping Among the Ruins of Port Douglas

Halfway through the summer, Dad arrived on the screen. He was not one to sit around doing nothing, soon we broke camp, loaded our belongings and ourselves including Aunt Jinny and the girls, onto a launch and headed to Port Douglas. The MacPhersons returned home in the launch. The rest of us made camps on the grounds where the government buildings once stood.

We had an early breakfast next morning and while we broke camp, Dad went off to make arrangements with the Indians for our future transportation. He was soon back with two express wagons and a — for each of the six older boys.

Riding the Lillooet River Trail

We were soon on our way, the riders at a gallop, and the wagon at a more sober pace. The road followed the Lillooet River, up and down steep hills, with some places like a narrow bench with one side dropping hundreds of feet to the river and the other side rising in a perpendicular cliff. We passed through the village of Skookum Chuck. There were few natives present, though they had the roofs of their porches covered with cherries drying in the sun.

A Gold Rush Stopover: The Hot Springs Camp

Finally we reached our destination, a cleared spot along the river, with the remains of an old orchard. The interesting part was that on one side of the clearing there was a hot spring with ancient baths. This must have been a quite important stopping place during the gold rush days. We set up camp in the orchard and said “Good bye!” to our Indian friends. They promised to return for us in a weeks time.

Prospecting and Camp Life

The week passed quickly, we hiked up the road to Lillooet Lake, prospected for gold, panned the river sand for gold dust (some of us even got a color or two), played football in the orchard, and did all the other things that made for a happy camp.

Running Out of Food in the Wilderness

The week passed quickly, and now it was time for our Indians to arrive. They didn’t come that day, nor the next, nor the next. In fact, no one had been along the road in any direction since we arrived. We were running short on food, all we had left were some cans of sardines and some hard biscuits, and a little tea. Mother and Dad were talking the situation over, and Dad said “To-morrow I shall get up early and get help.”

The Old Woman on the Trail

As he said this they looked down the road and there was a little old Indian Squaw coming round the corner. As she drew nearer she was surprised to be greeted by a white woman in her own language. The two were going at it like two long lost friends. She was on her way to visit relatives at Port Douglas. She had pains and aches, she didn’t see or hear too well.

While the conversation flowed, Mother heated the tea kettle and prepared tea biscuits well laced with sardines. The old crone finally went on her way, calling down blessings on mother and her children.

Actually there is a moral connection with the above anecdote. An old decrepit Indian did not close over stay his or her welcome when visiting relatives. Too often little notices appeared tacked to a tree, “Sacred to the memory of — lost in the forest at the age of 91.” Mother was quite happy about the old Squaw’s blessing. She told Dad that he didn’t have to worry any more, every thing would turn out alright.

Rescue Wagons Arrive

Sure enough, an hour later the sound of wheels was heard in the distance and two government work wagons pulled in sight. They transported us all down to Tipella.

Breakfast at the Logging Camp

We managed to fill up on pork and beans that night and next morning we were invited to a breakfast at the logging came. What a mean – mush, toast, bacon and eggs, hot cakes, apple pie – I gave up but my cousin Mac Goodfellow, just my age, went through all the courses and finished with an other bowl of mush for good measure.

Captain Paul and the War Canoe

After breakfast Dad visited his friend Captain Paul, the Indian Chief, and his son. We arrived back in camp in Captain Paul’s huge was canoe with ample supplies from Purcell’s store. Captain Paul and his son were going to take us down the lake in the war canoe which was propelled by a small gas engine.

Five Days Exploring Harrison Lake

We spent five days cruising and exploring down the lake on our way to the Hot Springs. Our trip had everything that could tickle a young boy’s fancy. We had no chores to do, no dishes to-day, no pots to scrub. Captain Paul and his son pitched camp, cooked the meals, and cleaned up after them. The rest of us swam, fished, explored, and had a thoroughly happy time at night we sat around a huge camp fire singing and playing games.

In the mean time the financial position of the MacPherson family began to improve Uncle Ewan could give up his milk business and spend more time in Vancouver.

Joe Fortes and the MacPherson Hotel

One piece of property he took over in — of his debt was an hotel in the city. His bar man in the hotel was Joe Fortes. Old Black Joe, who later was to teach the boys and girls of Vancouver how to swim.

Education at Crofton House School

The two older MacPherson girls had reached the highest point in their education that their small school house could provide. By now there were sufficient funds available to send these girls as boarders to Crofton House School. Quite often they would visit during the week ends. I remember being sent to bring them home, in those days young ladies were not supposed to travel around in street cars unescorted.

The MacPherson Family Moves to Vancouver

A few years later the family moved into a house they had bought in the west end of Vancouver. Now all three daughters became day pupils at Crofton House School. I didn’t know for how long the MacPhersons kept the cottage.

Returning to Harrison in 1915

The last time I stayed there was in the autumn of 1915. My brother Hugh and I had spent the summer working on the Experimental Farm. Early in September Hugh left to go back to school. I did not leave until later. Edith MacPherson what having a holiday at Ferney Coombe, she, Aunt Edith and I decided to have a holiday at the cottage. We had a happy time reliving old occasions and visiting old places. We picked a bucket of mushrooms we found growing in the woods, but Aunt Con got most of those. The family drove out to see how we were getting on but we were away on a picnic.

Remembering the Early Days of Harrison

And so ends the Harrison story of the Millards, Browns, and MacPhersons in the early days. We still pay nostalgic visits there, and enjoy a cruise on the lake or a round of golf on the challenging little golf course.

This transcription is part of an ongoing effort to document and preserve early Fraser Valley history through archival research and primary sources.

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Related Reading on BC History Diary

• Harrison Lake: New Visitors and Mining Excitement in 1897
• August 1896- The Great Excursion to Agassiz, British Columbia
• Gold Mines and a Winter Trip to Yale, B.C.
• Top 7 Historic Places to Visit Between Vancouver and Hell’s Gate (With Photos & Travel Tips)