Crescent Beach in Surrey in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia — Canadas West Coast (North America)
Historic McMillan Expedition
Part of Surreys Heritage
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, October 30, 2012
1. Historic McMillan Expedition Marker
A Trading Post on the Fraser
In 1824, James McMillan of the Hudsons Bay Company and a party of forty-seven passed this shore on an exploratory trip from Fort George (Astoria) at the mouth of the Columbia River to the Fraser River. They were sent to find a suitable site for a new fur trading depot.
The expedition left Fort George on November 18, 1824 with three boats, travelled across the Puget Sound, continued up the coast, and entered this bay on December 12, 1824. After making their way up the Nicomekl River, the men portaged across to the Salmon River and followed it down the Fraser River.
Fort Langley, built in 1827, was the first permanent European post on what is today the coast of British Columbia.
Expedition Journal Excerpt
Monday, December 13, 1824 ... proceeded to the entrance of a small river up which they continued about 7 or 8 miles, in a very winding course ... immense flocks of plover were observed flying about the sand ... The navigation of the little river is very bad, after getting a short distance up it was often barred up with driftwood which impeded our progress, the Indians cut roads through it for their canoes yet they were too narrow for our boats. ... In the river nothing but thick willows are seen for some distance from the water, where the banks
this page online
Journal of John Work, McMillan Expedition, quoted by T.C. Elliott in The Washington Historical Quarterly, Vol. III, p. 217
Erected by Surrey Heritage Advisory Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Exploration. A significant historical date for this entry is November 18, 1824.
Location. 49° 3.402′ N, 122° 53.228′ W. Marker is in Surrey, British Columbia, in Metro Vancouver. It is in Crescent Beach. It is on Sullivan Street. This marker is located in Crescent Beach Park at the end of Sullivan Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Surrey BC V4A 3B2, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and in Coast & Mountains. Globally, it is in North America, in the Cascade Range, in the Inside Passage, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 14 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Farming History (approx. 3.4 kilometers away); Historic Stewart Farmhouse (approx. 3.4 kilometers away); Historic Elgin (approx. 4.5 kilometers away); Historic Port Elgin (approx. 4.7 kilometers away); The Semiahmoo Trail (approx. 4.7 kilometers away); Peace Arch (approx. 11.3 kilometers away); Salmon! (approx. 13.5 kilometers away); Point Roberts Boundary Marker (approx. 14.6 kilometers away in the U.S.). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Surrey.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, October 30, 2012
2. Historic McMillan Expedition Marker
Point Roberts in the distance.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,078 times since then and 20 times this year. Last updated on December 1, 2012. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 6, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
