An Extract "A BRIEF HISTORY OF PORT KELLS" by Kathleen L. Kells (1988)
(Port Kells is now part of Langley, British Columbia, Canada)
THE FOUNDERS OF PORT KELLS
The founders of Port Kells were two brothers-in-law both
by the name of Henry Kells. They formed a partnership
and bought one square mile of land along the Fraser River
which included a goodly portion of what is now known
as West Langley as well as the present waterfront area of
Port Kells. They laid this out into a townsite dividing the
property into city-sized lots for they envisioned this as
becoming a great port in the future. Since neither of
the men appears to have had a second name I will
endeavour to tell you as much information as possible
about each beginning with the younger of the two men.
This Henry Kells came from Ireland. He was born in
1853 at Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan. Some time later
he arrived in B.C. [British Columbia?] where he was
a shoemaker in New Westminster prior to his venture
in Port Kells. The first post office and store in Port
Kells were built by this Henry just beside the present
wharf and he became the first postmaster. He and his
family had left Port Kells for Edmonton before 1900
leaving his brother-in-law, Henry Kells, and his
family the sole representatives of the founders to
continue living here. Date of the younger Henry Kells'
death is not known.
The elder Henry Kells was born about 1842 in the
little town of Belturbet in County Cavan, Ireland.
He apparently came to the Pacific Coast twice -
the first time he travelled by way of Cape Horn to
San Francisco. It is not known how he returned
to the east but some time later he lived at Smith
Falls, Ontario. He travelled across the country
via the Oregon Trail to the B.C. Cariboo by
covered wagon. He was with a family named
J. Smith and helped them build the hotel at
Clinton, B.C. [British Columbia?] about 1860.
For a very short time he drove the stage
between Ashcroft and Clinton. He remained
in this part of the country for some time and
then went to New Westminster where he met
and married Mary Ann Kells, the young sister
of the other Henry Kells. They were not closely
related although both had the same surname and
came from the same county in Ireland.
It was around this time that the two Henrys
formed their partnership and began to
prepare their townsite. While living in New
Westminster the senior (Sr.) Henry Kells worked
for the C.P.R. (Canadian Pacific Railway) as it
made its final link to the coast and he was present
when the last spike was driven in 1885. In 1883
Henry and Mary Ann had a son, Frederick, and
when he was three years old the little family moved
into a small house on the riverbank about Πmile
east of the present Port Kells wharf. Later they
moved into another home which they built almost
on the Langley-Surrey border on the south side of
96th Ave. In 1897 they had a second son, George
Henry.
Henry Kells died in 1918, two years after being gored
by a bull. The following year his wife, Mary Ann,
also died. The home they had built on 96th Ave.
was occupied by their son, G.H. (Harry), until it was
destroyed by fire in 1925. Although Harry was active
in the logging industry and with his wife lived some
years at Harrison Bay, Hope and Chehalis while he
worked in these areas, he still had a permanent home
at Port Kells on the site of the old family home.
Harry was killed in a logging accident in 1946.
The elder son, Frederick, his wife and family lived for
over 50 years in a home Frederick built for his bride
overlooking the Fraser River at Port Kells. They
now reside in the home they had built for them just a
few years ago on 96th Ave. on property that was originally
part of his father's land. They have 4 children, 8
grand-children and 4 great-grandchildren. Frederick
died in 1971, his wife died in 1977. Both are buried at Fort
Langley cemetery.
