Chronology of Historic Events
- 1792
- Captain Vancouver sails past the mouth of the Fraser River.
- 1808
- Simon Fraser, explorer for the North West Fur Trading Company, descends the Fraser River to its mouth at the Pacific Ocean.
- 1821
- The Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company amalgamate.
- 1827
- Fort Langley is established on the south side of the Fraser River by the Hudson's Bay Company.
- 1843
- Fort Victoria is established at the southern tip of Vancouver Island.
- 1846
- 1849
- Founding of Fort Hope.
- Vancouver Island becomes a Crown Colony.
- 1858
- Gold is discovered south of Yale, touching off the local gold rush.
- The mainland territory of New Caledonia is proclaimed as the Crown Colony of British Columbia, with Sir James Douglas sworn in as Governor.
- The townsite of Derby is laid out as the capital, but is condemned as indefensible from American attack.
- The first Royal Engineers arrive.
- 1859
- Queensborough, now New Westminster, is chosen as the capital for the new colony.
- Town lots at Derby are put up for sale.
- John Mclver buys a farm site on the north side of the Fraser, where the Maple Ridge Golf Course is now located. He begins clearing the site, which he names Maple Ridge after a stand of Maples that stretches along a ridge for two miles. These trees run from what is now Hammond almost to Haney.
- 1860
- Proclamation of the Pre-Emption Act in January, allowing for the registration of land in British Columbia; the first pre-emptions are at Albion, Chilliwack and Sumas.
- New Westminster is incorporated as the first city in B.C.
- Gold is discovered in the Cariboo.
- 1861
- Construction of Semiahmoo Road.
- An Indian mission is established at the future site of Mission.
- 1862
- The first Presbyterian service in the District is conducted by Rev. R. Jamieson.
- 1865
- Rev. Ebenezer Robson conducts the District's first Methodist services.
- 1866
- Vancouver Island and British Columbia are united as one crown colony.
- 1867
- 1868
- The provincial capital is moved to Victoria
- 1871
- British Columbia is admitted to Confederation on July 20.
- 1872
- Construction begins on the Yale Wagon Road between New Westminster and Yale.
- The District's first Methodist church is constructed.
- The Hammond Brothers pre-empt one hundred and twenty acres on the north shore of the Fraser River.
- The Municipalities Act is passed.
- 1874
- The Federal Free Homestead Act is passed, allowing land grants to settlers if they were able to meet certain stringent conditions, including clearing and cropping certain acreages and having taken up residence by the beginning of the third year.
- The District of Maple Ridge is incorporated on September 12th, the third district municipality in B.C. - preceded only by Langley and Chilliwack (Victoria and New Westminster were established as cities before this date).
- The population consists of fewer than fifty pioneer families, spread over 33,000 acres.
- The first organizational meeting for the District Council is held at John Mclver's home on October 3rd.
- The first regular Council meeting is held on October 10th, under the Maple trees on McIver's Farm; Wellington Harris is elected as the first Warden.
- 1875
- In the first District-wide election, Wellington Harris is returned as Warden.
- The first regular school service commences with the arrival of teacher James Sinclair.
- Completion of the New Westminster to Yale Wagon Road.
- 1876
- The District's first Post Office opens on October 1st, with W.J. Howison as the post master.
- 1878
- The District is split into two Wards, divided by Townline Road (now 216th Street).
- A municipal cemetery is established.
- 1879
- Katzie Indian Reserve Number One is allocated by Commissioner Sproat.
- The decision is made to route the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Fraser Valley.
- Incorporation of Delta.
- 1880
- A large section of land on Howison's property slides into the Fraser River, creating a tidal wave sixty feet high.
- 1882
- Port Haney Townsite is registered.
- Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway through Maple Ridge commences.
- St. John the Divine Church, built in Derby in 1859, is dismantled and floated across the Fraser on scows; it is reconstructed at its present location at Laity Street and River Road.
- James Murray Webster first settles in what later becomes known as Webster's Corners.
- 1883
- Hammond Townsite is registered as Port Hammond Junction.
- 1884
- The Haney Post Office opens, with Daniel Docksteader as post master.
- 1885
- The Hammond and Whonnock Post Offices open.
- A bridge is built over Kanaka Creek.
- The first transcontinental train pulls into Hammond on November 8th.
- 1886
- Incorporation of Vancouver, followed shortly by a devastating fire.
- 1887
- The transcontinental railway reaches the terminal at Vancouver.
- The train begins regular stops in Port Haney and Whonnock.
- 1888
- The District is further split into five Wards.
- St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is built in the Port Haney area, on land donated by Thomas Haney.
- Lillooet School is built at the corner of Dewdney Trunk Road and Lillooet Road (232nd Street).
- A diphtheria epidemic breaks out, leaving two dead.
- 1891
- James Murray Webster opens the first post office in Webster's Corners in his own home.
- 1892
- Construction of Haney Hall, which served as Municipal Hall, police headquarters, jail, library and part-time school room.
- 1893
- The first freight station in Port Haney is built on the river side of the tracks.
- 1894
- Disastrous flooding of the Fraser River.
- Settlers in the Pitt Meadows lowlands petition to be removed from Maple Ridge, in order to deal directly with the provincial government for better flood control.
- 1895
- South Lillooet School opens.
- Regular passenger service now operating between New Westminster and Chilliwack.
- Dewdney Trunk Road is completed by the province.
- 1896
- Pitt Meadows is allowed to revert to unorganized territory, and remains so until 1914.
- 1898
- The first school is opened in East Haney.
- The Ruskin post office opens.
- One acre of land is purchased from John Hammond for use as an Indian cemetery.
- 1900
- Regular passenger service now operating between New Westminster and Chilliwack.
- Dewdney Trunk Road is completed by the province.
- 1901
- The Maple Ridge Agricultural Association is formed on June 15.
- The first fall fair is held in September
- 1903
- The ward system in abolished.
- 1907
- The Port Haney Brick Company is founded by Harold Burnet, E.G. Baynes, and W.M. Horie.
- Pioneer Japanese settler Mr. Inouye arrives in Maple Ridge.
- The east Haney post office opens in the area now known as Albion.
- 1909
- Aggie Hall is built in Haney
- Electricity comes to Hammond and Haney, supplied by the Stave Lake Power Company.
- The second Hammond train station is built.
- 1913
- The Pitt River Bridge opens.
- 1914
- World War One breaks out.
- Pitt Meadows is incorporated as a separate municipality.
- 1915
- The Haney Branch of the Women's Institute is formed.
- The Canadian Northern Railway reaches Vancouver.
- 1916
- The Finnish Hall at Webster's Corner opens on January 1st.
- A fire destroys the business district of Hammond.
- 1918
- Armistice is signed on November 11th, ending the First World War.
- 1919
- The first local newspaper, the 'Gazette', begins publication.
- The Spanish Influenza epidemic breaks out, during which schools are closed and public meetings cancelled.
- 1928
- Construction starts on the Lougheed Highway.
- The first District Nurse is appointed.
- 1929
- The crash of the stock market heralds the beginning of the Great Depression.
- 1931
- The Lougheed Highway is completed, and is opened to traffic.
- Businesses begin to relocate along the Highway in Haney, which becomes the business centre of the District.
- 1939
- Outbreak of the Second World War.
- 1942
- The Japanese population is evacuated from the Coast; Japanese owned farms and properties are auctioned off.
- 1945
- The Second World War ends with the Allied victories in Europe and Japan.
- 1948
- Severe flooding along the Fraser River.
- 1951
- A new Municipal Hall is opened.
- 1958
- Maple Ridge Hospital opens.
- 1972
- Institution of the Agricultural Land Freeze.
- 1973
- Establishment of the Agricultural Land Reserve.