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Railbed Trail, a former spur of the King Farris Lumber Co., cuts through Green Timbers Urban Forest in Surrey. The M.B. King Lumber Co., named after lumber baron Malcolm King, operated a mill at the junction of 132nd St. and 76th Ave. in Newton that connected with the B.C. Electric Railway, one of the first all-electric mills in western Canada. |
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Green Timbers -- seen here in 1925 -- was the last stand of old-growth forest in Surrey, at one time almost preserved as a park alongside the Pacific Highway (which used the historic Yale Road along this section). It was Sam Hill, James J. Hill's son-in-law, who was instrumental in building the Pacific Highway and wanted the last big Douglas-firs here preserved. Instead, the stands were logged in the late 1920's and replanted in various stages beginning in 1930. Just northwest of Green Timbers was known as Timberland, later renamed South Port Mann in 1911 when the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway was under construction, having chosen Surrey as its terminus. Although not connected to its rail system, the Canadian Northern would build their company store at what is now the Surrey Place shopping centre -- the post office known as South Port Mann until 1927. |
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The King Farris Lumber Co. locomotive #2 as it appears today -- in different livery and with the addition of a caboose -- at Moses Lake, Washington. Built by the Davenport Locomotive Works (Davenport, Iowa) in 1920, she served the Newton and Whalley areas of Surrey until 1929 when the big timbers were gone. From 1933-1958 she worked for the Canadian Sugar Factory Inc. in Raymond, Alberta, later falling into the hands of various owners. Photo courtesy of Brian Fritz's |
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