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.