• New Year’s in Canada in 1897

    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…

  • The Odd Fellows Ball: Dancing Until Dawn in Agassiz, British Columbia (1896)

    In May’s letters from December 1896, she shares how settlers in Agassiz, British Columbia gathered for the Odd Fellows Ball: an all-night social event that offered warmth, music, and connection during a long Fraser Valley winter. In two letters home, May Wright describes dancing until dawn, winter travel…

  • A Stay at the Grand Union Hotel 1896

    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

    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…