CORNISH-GEN-L Archives

From: khs <>
Subject: BLATCHFORD
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 10:00:59 -0800

Hello listers,
With all the looking back over the years at the turn of the century, our
local paper "The Times" published an article on 31 Dec 1999 that caught my
eye. Although it isn't a name for my tree, I thought someone might find
the information useful.

"Blatchford Way runs west off McMillan Road between Orchard and Oakhill drives.

William Latimer BLATCHFORD came to Canada as an immigrant from Cornwall,
England. Like many other immigrants of the era, he was following the Gold
Rush of 1895 to the Yukon Territory and Alaska. He was the first dogsled
mail carrier on the Unakliet to Nome route.

In 1908 he came to Sumas Prairie to join his wife and three children. She
had purchased a 40-acre piece of land on Vye Road, Sumas Prairie. William
Blatchford went to work for Canada Customs and eventually was in charge of
the ports of entry at Huntingdon and Abbotsford. His office was near the
CPR train station in downtown Abbotsford. He retired in 1932 when the
Abbotsford office closed.
The Blatchford family owned the piece of property that stretched from Beck
Road to McMillan Road, and from the current William A FRASER elementary
school (named after Mrs. Blatchford's father) to the corner of Marshall
Road and South Fraser Way.

The Blatchford's daughter, Eleanor, also had a street named after her.
Eleanor Avenue runs north off the east end of Marshall Road near Guildford
Drive, not far from Blatchford Way. When the Blatchfords sold some of
their property to be subdivided they gave Eleanor 75 acres of her own to
subdivide, including Eleanor Avenue.

The Blatchfords are one of many families who loaned their names to
Abbotsford streets and landmarks."


Karen in Abbotsford BC

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• BLATCHFORD by khs <>