Colonial Despatches

In 1824, Governor Simpson of the HBC directed Chief Trader McMillan to establish a fort at the mouth of the Fraser River.1 McMillan founded Fort Langley at its initial location in 1827.2 The original fort was abandoned in 1839, and a new Fort Langley was built several kilometres up the river, where the land was better for agriculture.3

In 1858, the old site of Fort Langley became a scene of controversy when speculators attempted to privately sell off the Crown Land. In this despatch, Douglas describes the events: some speculators taking advantage of my absence had squatted on a valuable tract of public land commonly known as the site of Old Fort Langey...hoping by that means to interest a sufficient number of persons in the scheme as would overawe the Government, and induce a confirmation of their title...I [issued] a Proclamation...that any persons making fraudulent sales of land...would be punished as the law directs...and persons holding such lands would be summarily ejected.

• 1. G. P. V. Akrigg and H. B. Akrigg, British Columbia Place Names (Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997), 84.
• 2. Ibid.
• 3. Ibid.