The BC Farm Machinery Museum, housing British Columbia’s largest collection of pioneer and agricultural artifacts, acquires, collects, restores, preserves, and provides a means for displaying, for students and the general public, those articles of farm machinery and pioneer life of a historical nature which demonstrate the trend of agricultural development in the province of British Columbia.
High Cut Plow
1910 Rumely – Ideal Separator
The museum had its beginnings on May 23, 1953 when Bruce Coleman, on behalf of his family, presented his late father Robert Alfred J. Coleman’s donation of an award-winning, single high-cut walking hand plow (its mold board, share and the angle of its beam shaped on the anvil of the late Alex Ross of Bruce County, Ontario, in 1900) to the University of British Columbia (UBC), with Dr. Norman McKenzie, president of UBC accepting the acquisition on behalf of the university.
1915 J.I. CASE Traction Engine Model
1918 J.I. Case Threshing Machine
It started a planning process to establish an Agricultural Museum in the Fraser Valley. In February 1958, a meeting with a group of industry leaders was held in the hospitality room of the Fraser Valley Milk Producers Association (FVMPA) Fifth Avenue plant.
Corn Binder
Chinese Water Elevator
That evening, a British Columbia Farm Machinery Association was being formed (it received a Certificate of Incorporation on June 24,1958) with a goal of funding and operating a museum to be located on the Endowment Land on Point Grey. After the Association was formed, the location was switched to Fort Langley instead of UBC.
Iron Age Early Potato Planter
Felins Tying Machine
On November 19, 1966, the museum was officially opened, in an 8,000 sq. ft. building (it included display space, an archives room, and a work shop for repair and restoration of exhibits), by Sir Robert Bellinger, Lord Mayor of London and, within a very short time, a second building had to be erected to house a growing collection of agricultural artifacts.
Victor Potato Digger
Water Wagon and Pump
On September 23, 1978, Phase Two and Three (the Steam Room) were officially opened by R.H. McClelland, the Minister of Health and Welfare.
Textiles
Old Cameras
Since 1990, when federal funding dried up, the BC Farm Museum Association has been run entirely by volunteers and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Loom
A 1920s rope making machine
The exterior of the museum was quiet and nondescript but, once we entered the rustic building, we were truly amazed at the size of the facility as well as the mind boggling amount of farm machinery, agricultural hardware and early farm living contraptions.
Drum Carder and Wool Batts
Casting Forms
The very broad collection of over 6,100 historical artifacts and farm-related implements (from field to kitchen items), in several different rooms, two buildings and an outdoor exhibit area, is devoted to the development of farm machinery in British Columbia.
Hand Crank Sewing Machine
Vickers Sewing Machine
They have wonderful exhibits of early farming equipment such as tractors, a a hand-wrought plow, a threshing machine, tomato separator by sizes, corn binder, early windmills (that pump water and produce light), a 1910 Rumely-Ideal separator, steam and gas tractors, a sail reaper, threshers, a potato digger, and others. .
Maytag Washing Machine and Mangle
Singer Sewing Machine
Articles of pioneer life of a historical nature include a 1920s rope making machine,horse buggies, a train exhibit, an old wringer wash machine, a milk delivery truck (the last one to deliver milk in Vancouver), carriages and buckboards, an egg sorting machine, several wooden ice boxes (the early refrigerators), blacksmith making hooks, sewing machines, looms, a Bullard’s carpet stretcher, old cameras,
Bullard’s Carpet Stretcher
Rowlett Carriage
The Antique Firearms Collection displays shotguns (W.H. Pollard 12-gauge shotgun; Belgian 12-gauge, double barrel shotgun; Hopkins & Allen 12-gauge, double barrel shotgun; etc.), rifles (Winchester Model 1895, Mauser Model 1878, single shot rifle; Stevens single shot rifle; Westley Richards improved Martini-Henry rifle; Vetterli rifle; Remington cal. 22 rifle; 1883 Martini-Henry rifle; etc.), revolvers (British Bulldog revolver; etc.), a ca. 1895 pistol owned by George Turnbull (North Beresford, Saskatchewan) and a flintlock pistol.
Antique Firearms Collection
Gun Display Parts and Pieces
Also on display here are a clay pigeon trap, a World War I helmet, bullets, a tobacco can, powder flask, bullet molds, shot pouch, awls and a display of parts and pieces of a gun.
Ford Model T with Tractor Kit and Snowplow
World War 1 Military Saddle
Hanging from the ceiling is a vintage Skyway Tiger Moth crop sprayer plane, BC’s first crop duster, which was converted by Art Seller.
The Skyway Tiger Moth Sprayer
In 2017, five new murals by local artists were unveiled. Hay’s Room was built in memory of Dr. Ken Hay, a founding member of the BC Farm Machinery Museum Association in 1958. A research library, with over 10,000 books, pamphlets and manuals of historical information, is also available.
Hay’s Room
The Farm Parlor
The BC Farm Machinery Museum, a great place to spend the afternoon, was definitely worth a visit. The friendly volunteers were knowledgeable and willing to share stories related to the items on display. Though there wasn’t much in the form of interpretative displays, the sheer volume of items was still a sight to behold.
Milk Delivery Wagon
Two Headed Calf born in Brooks, Alberta (southeast of Calgary). It lived for three weeks in 1980
BC Farm Machinery Museum: 9131 King St., Langley, British Columbia V1M 2R6. E-mail: bcfm@telus.net. Website: www.wcra.org and www.bcfma.com. Tel: (604) 888-2273. Open Open daily from April 1, 2023 until September 30, 2023 (closed for the winter season), 10 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission is free. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmmuseumbc/