New Opportunities in Aldergrove

A black and white photograph of the Jackman’s first Aldergrove house. The house is light coloured with a wooden shingle roof, a picket fence on the left side, and a wooden fence in front of the house. Jackman and a light coloured dog are standing in front of the house.

The Jackman’s first Aldergrove house, ca. 1890

The Jackmans moved to Aldergrove (then called “Alder Grove”) in south-east Langley in early 1886 as their eldest daughter, Emily, married Aldergrove resident Gilbert Lawrence on October 21, 1885. Sarah and Philip Jackman took possession of property next to their daughter and son-in-law in January 1886 through pre-emption. Pre-emption was the process of applying to the government to own an unclaimed parcel of crown land. Once the applicants improved the property over a period of time the land would become theirs for little or no cost.

A government document with a diagram of Philip Jackman’s plot of land in Aldergrove. The document shows a pink square parcel of land inside of a larger square. Above the diagram is handwritten text that reads, “Philip Jackman (Snr.).”

Aldergrove Land Grant diagram, ca. 1890

Jackman improved the land by adding “a barn and adjoining cow shed, a 15’ by 12’ log house that had burned down, timber prepared for a new house, 40 chains of fencing, 20 chains of ditching, 5 acres of partial marsh land being cultivated, 10 acres of slashed and partly cleared land, and 80 fruit trees ready for planting.”

Jackman declared his $500 worth of improvements to the land, and on January 28, 1888 his Declaration of ownership was signed. On March 31, 1890, a Certificate of Purchase was signed for $160 for the 160 acres, and the final Crown Grant was signed April 21, 1890, just after Jackman’s 55^thbirthday.

A black and white photograph of William Henry Vanetta and another man standing on planks that are protruding from the sides of a large tree. Both of the men have a hand resting on the handle of a double edged axe. There is a long whipsaw leaning on the front of the tree.

William Henry Vanetta and another man logging

The road adjacent to the land (present day 272^nd Street) was called Jackman Road as early as 1893. The area surrounding the intersection of Jackman Road and Yale Road was nicknamed Jackman’s Corners. The road went north to the Fraser River at a point called McLennan’s Landing, which sits opposite of Whonnock.

Philip Jackman the Night Watchman Jackman’s General Store and Post Office