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Hudson's Bay Company Fort Langley. Credit: B.C. Archives #C-09126
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Williams Directory of British Columbia, 1892, mentions Langley Prairie and the Municipality of Langley as being "an agricultural district of great richness and beauty, and most conveniently situated to the markets of New Westminster and Vancouver." It goes on to mention its location, "Between the Fraser River on the north, and the State of Washington on the south it is 10 miles in extent from east to west, and 12 miles from north to south. Of moderate temperatures year round, the soil varies from the rich deposits of the Fraser River, to the gravelly fruit lands of the higher elevations."
"Langley Prairie, which was long the property of the Hudson's Bay Co., has been divided up into profitable farming land. As the settlers are of a desirable class, sober, industrious, and law abiding, the district is rapidly advancing." At that time the population was 1,300.
In the year 2000, the Encyclopedia of British Columbia mentions that "Population in the Langley area rose dramatically following WWII as part of the sub-urbanization of the lower Fraser Valley. In 1955 the City of Langley, which had long been the district's trade and service area, was created. At that time, with the building of the Trans Canada Highway, a residential, and industrial construction boom commenced that included warehouses, wood remanufacturing plants, meat packers and most recently, high technology companies. The population in the year 2000 was 80, 179. Mixed farming, dairies, industry, technology and lumber manufacturing are the main sources of employment today.
Early information on Langley taken from Williams British Columbia Directory of 1892.p.231. Present day information from the "Encyclopedia of B.C.", p. 403, Harbour Publishing 2000.
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