The Simpson Legacy

Built in 1915, Fort Langley’s historic Canadian Northern Railway station was the centre of development and creation of broader markets for Langley.  Just in time to operate the new station, fifty-nine old agent Richard Charles Simpson and his wife Josephine ”Mary” Simpson arrived in 1918 via Rosedale, BC and Dauphin, Manitoba. They set up home on the Trunk Road (now Glover) near the intersection of McClughan Road (today’s 88th Avenue).

Richard was the son of William Simpson (born about 1808 in Scotland) and Matilda Hanlin (Hanlyn) born about 1825 in England.  Richard’s mother’s family had arrived in North America from England about 1833, first landing in New York, and then on to Upper Canada (Brant, Ontario). Most of his siblings were born in Brant, but all censuses indicate Richard was born in the USA.  His parents were married about 1848 in Ontario, and the family is living in Brant on the 1851 and 1861 censuses.

Richard Simpson married Josephine Mary Thompson on Dec 26th, 1900 in Brant. Mary was the daughter of carpenter  J.Wellington Thompson and Laura Ellen Zimmerman and she was born on May 18th, 1871. Before she was married she worked as a dressmaker in Paris, County Brant. At the time of marriage, Richard was living in Detroit, Michigan. In 1902 he became a naturalized Canadian citizen. By 1906 the couple had moved to Dauphin, Manitoba; their post office was called Plumas where the Canadian Northern Railway had arrived in 1896.  Richard was likely working here, but the census doesn’t provide his occupation in 1906.

By 1911 Richard Simpson was a telegraph operator in Dauphin. Around 1916 they moved to Rosedale, British Columbia and then to Langley in 1918. He began his tenure at Langley Station CNR #92886 * G. G was its telegraph signal. In 1921 he was earning $2,700 a year as the station master; he and Mary were living on Trunk  Road. Section Foreman, Mr McGrath, was living at the CNR station at the time.

The Simpsons performed many duties at the station: planting the mandatory garden,  maintaining the treasurer’s books, filing copious forms for CNR, operating the telegraph system, receiving and gathering mail to be sent off by train, dealing with bank money, keeping livestock and farm produce ready to load onto the train, selling passenger tickets, filling out Eaton Catalogue forms for residents, and delivering goods and telegrams to residents as needed. He worked a 60 hour week and in 1929 Richard retired to tend his poultry farm and gardens at their home on Trunk Road.

Richard died at home on March 11th, 1932 of heart issues. His funeral took place at  St George’s Anglican Church on March 14th, 1932 and he was buried in Fort Langley Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Mary and a sister, Mrs James Force, in Princeton, Ontario.

When Mary Simpson died on July 18th 1950, their home was bequeathed to Roderick Charles McLeod Hawkins (b Nov 22 1910).  Roderick was married to a nurse named Mildred Rose Christianson in 1939. They both lived on Glover Road at the time of their marriage. Was she perhaps nursing Mrs Simpson?  Mildred had earned her nursing diploma by 1933, according to the Vancouver Sun. Rod was a “hospital proprietor” in 1953, living in Fort Langley and the house was called Simpson Manor.

By the 1963 voters’ list, Roderick had sold Simpson Hospital to his sister and brother-in-law, Joy Jean Sophia McAllister and Hector Reginald Hill (a maintenance man). Hector was now the hospital proprietor.  The home was later replaced by Simpson Manor for Seniors and then was torn down in 2005  to make way for Fort Langley Seniors Community that was ready by 2008. (It was designed by architect Tom Annandale, a director with the Langley Heritage Society.)

 

 

More photos of the Simpsons, information and videos about the historic CNR Station can be found HERE

– Bonnie Hartup