Port Hammond/The Ridge

History in the Making


Then


In the early 1870s, several small communities had sprung up, consisting of a few families each, on the north side of the Fraser river in areas that would become The Ridge, Port Haney, Port Hammond, Pitt Meadows, Whonnock, Ruskin and Albion. 

Port Hammond is the location of John McIver’s family home. McIver was born in Scotland and started his journey to Canada when he was 19 years old. The sailing ship went as far as Churchill, Manitoba and from there, he and his friend Keith Morrison accompanied by several other men walked to Fort Langley. It was with great thanks to the First Nation people who helped the party along the way from freezing and starving to death. 

In 1859, when John McMcIver came to Maple Ridge, he selected a farm site in the area where Maple Ridge Golf Course is now located.  He named is farm "Maple Ridge" after the stand of maple trees that grew on the crest of the ridge that ran for two miles between what is now Hammond and Haney.
 
In the beginning, when Port Hammond was first being developed, it was thought that its location would be the end of the line for CPR and would also be the location for the major port in the area. The Hammond brothers and the Mohun family started planning for a booming Town of Port Hammond in 1882 when a contract to build the railroad to Port Moody would cut through both families’ properties. There was a bright future for this town and people were purchasing properties and opening businesses, but in 1887 when the CPR line was extended farther west and the terminus ended up being in the future location of the City of Vancouver, the boom collapsed. Port Hammond survived the collapse of the boom only to suffer from a major fire in 1926. 

In 1930, after the completion of the Lougheed Highway, "Haney" became the dominant name for the residential and business area along the new highway between Pitt Meadows and Kanaka Creek.  the area between the two communities became known as The Ridge.

Historical Buildings in Port Hammond

  • Bank of Hamilton | 20617 Maple Crescent | Circa 1919 | Today: Bank of Montreal
  • B.C. Telephone Company Exchange | 20605 Maple Crescent | Circa 1908
  • Bonn Residence|20505 Westfield Avenue | 1923
  • Bullock Residence | 11273 Dartford Street | 1928
  • Chappell Residence| 11281 207 Street |1913
  • Commercial Building | 11245 Dartford Street | Circa 1926
  • Continuing Presbyterian Church of Hammond | 11249 207 Street | 1933
  • Dr. Broe Residence | 11339 Dartford Street | Circa 1927
  • Gabbert/McMillan Residence | 11334 Dartford Street |1929
  • Hammond Café & rooms/Hammond Hotel | 20581 Maple Crescent | 1934
  • Hammond Cedar company Residence | 11338 Maple Crescent | Circa 1923
  • Hammond Cedar Company Residence | 11405 201 Street | Circa 1921
  • Hammond Elementary School | 11520 203 Street | Circa 1912
  • Hammond Park | 20600 Lorne Avenue | 1883 (Cultural Landscape)
  • Hammond Stadium | 20601 Westfield Avenue| 1957 (Cultural Landscape)
  • Harry Residence | 20591 114 Avenue | Circa 1928
  • Hartnell Residence | 11224 Maple Crescent | Circa 1920s
  • Hyytiainen Residence |20311 Ospring Street |1935
  • Ito Residence | 20285 Dewdney Trunk Road | Circa 1932 | Today: St. Luke’s Catholic Church
  • John Hammond House | 20541 Lorne Avenue | Circa 1893
  • Johnson Residence | 11430 Dartford Street | Circa 1929
  • Katzie Cemetery | 203 Street | Circa 1880s
  • Khaluk Residence | 20340 Lorne Avenue | Circa 1931
  • Latvalla Lane
  • McFarlane Residence | 11395 205 Street | Circa 1920
  • Olson Residence | 11406 205 Street | Circa 1923
  • Olson Residence | 20340 Lorne Avenue | Circa 1925
  • Omura Residence | 20233 Dewdney Trunk Road | Circa 1926
  • Original Stand of Maple Trees | 20818 Golf Crescent | Circa Pre-1874 | Today: Maple Ridge Golf Course
  • Patterson Residence | 20582 113 Avenue | Circa 1912-13
  • Pearson Residence | 20685 Maple Crescent | 1941
  • Renstrom Residence | 20540 Lorne Avenue | Circa 1929
  • Residence | 11414 205 Street | Circa 1923
  • S.J. Nevett Shoemaker | 11243 Dartford Street |1928
  • Smith Residence | 11391 207 Street | Circa 1921
  • St. Andrew Church/Hammond United Church| 11391 Dartford Street | 1910
  • Stevens Residence | 20641 Westfield Avenue | 1931
  • Thompson Residence | 11329 Dartford Street | Circa 1910
  • Tolmie Park | 20260 Lorne Avenue | 1883 (Cultural Landscape)
  • White Residence |20590  Westfield Avenue | 1932
  • Whitehead Residence| 11406 205 Street|1912
  • Whitehead Cottage | 11414 205 Street | Circa 1910
  • Wilson Residence | 11252 Dartford Street | 1937
  • Zubach Residence | 20275 Ospring Street| 1925 

Learn more about the history and the pioneer families of Port Hammond at the Maple Ridge Museum.

The Heritage Resources of Maple Ridge is a great resource for additional information about the Port Hammond area.

Now


Port Hammond is rich with history and has an abundance of character. It is a popular film location and TV series like Arrow and Flash return year after year to film in the Maple Meadows Business Park.

Baseball has always been a popular sport in Port Hammond and on July 30, 2016, the City of Maple Ridge unveiled a public art display titled “Play Ball” at the Hammond Stadium to pay homage to the extensive history of baseball. Hammond Stadium Park is also a year-round training facility for minor baseball.

The sports enthusiast can take in a full day of activities in the Port Hammond area including soccer, baseball, golf and cycling and then replenish their energy at one of the many restaurant or pub options.
 

Historical Buildings in The Ridge

  • Anderson Residence | 11777 Laity Street|
  • Burnett Residence| 11640 Pine Street |
  • Cole Resident | 12535 216 Street | 1929
  • Copper Beech Tree | 21780 124 Avenue |
  • Fraser Valley Buddhist Church | 21525 Dewdney Trunk Road |
  • Gillespie Residence| 12061 Laity Street |
  • Hamptom Farm| 12591 209 Street| Circa 1910
  • Hamptom Residence |12434 216 Street|
  • Laity Farm: House and Barn| 20981 123 Avenue |1912
  • Lineham Residence | 11402 Riverwynd Street |
  • Maple Ridge Baptist Church| 21390 Dewdney Trunk Road|
  • Maple Ridge Cemetary| 21404 Dewdney Trunk Road|
  • McIver Residence | 20994 River Road |
  • Mussallem Residence | 21404 Dewdney Trunk Road|
  • Roberts Residence | 21336 Douglas Avenue|
  • Row of Maple Trees |11601 Laity Street |
  • "Shady Lane" | 124 Avenue between Laity & 216, east side of street|
  • Sparling Residence | 11530 Anderson Place |
  • St. John The Divine | 21299 River Road |
  • St. John the Divine Rectory | 11604 Laity Street|
  • Trethewey II Residence | 13181 216 Street | Circa 1987

Learn more about the history and the pioneer families of The Ridge at the Maple Ridge Museum.

The Heritage Resources of Maple Ridge is a great resource for additional information about The Ridge area.

Now 

You can still drive down 124 Avenue between Laity and 216 Street and enjoy the shade of the beautiful, tall trees on the east side of the street.   
 
Some of the farms are still in operation, including the Laity farm which has been passed down through the family who now runs a tourism attraction with their pumpkin patch and spring flower sales.