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The Hudson's Bay Company established Fort Langley in 1827 in present day Derby Reach Regional Park. It was moved upriver to its current site in 1839. The Fort was run as a provisioning station and farm. The Company moved out of the Fort in 1886. From 1888 into the 1920's the Mavis family ran a farm on the land. In the 1920s the Fort was recognized by the federal government's Historic Sites and Monuments Board, though by that time only one building remained. The land was purchased and from 1931 until 1958, the Native Sons operated a museum on the site. In 1955, the Fort was declared a National Historic Site. A few years later more buildings were reconstructed and much of the collection was moved to the Langley Centennial Museum. Today the Fort is run by Parks Canada.

Norman (Norm) Sherritt was born August 22, 1920 in Vancouver and grew up in Murrayville. His parents are Albert (Ab) and Daisy (née Craig) Sherritt. He is the brother of Delmar (Del) Sherritt. He attended Murrayville Elementary and Langley High School, which he graduated from in 1938. He then drove to Philip Sheffield High School every day for Senior Matric. He then attended Vancouver Normal School from 1939-40, and was assigned to Milner School, and after two weeks, Fort Langley Elementary School, in teaching jobs. He was called to serve in the Army in January 1942, and joined the Royal Canadian Artillery as a Lieutenant. He married Mabel in 1942, and was discharged from the army in 1945. Mabel and Norm had two kids, Linda and David. Norm earned his BA at UBC in 1947, his B.Ed in 1958, and his M.Ed. in 1964. He taught at Langley High School from 1947-1968. He was the vice-principal of LHS 1961-1968; Principal of Aldergrove Secondary 1968-1979, and district Principal 1979-1980. He retired in 1980. Sherritt was active in the Langley Teachers' Association (president 1953-4), the Lower Fraser Valley Cerebral Palsy Assoc. (40 years), the Langley Heritage Society, the Langley Scholarship Committee (22 years), and the Cloverdale Seniors Centre. After retirement, Sherritt had more time to research and write local history. He authored four books to date: "1990 and Counting", "The Place Between", "The Hospital on the Hill", and "The History of Langley Schools: 1867-2004," published in 2005. He received a Canada 125 Medal for Community Service in 1992. The Sherritts' third great-grandchild was born on their 55th anniversary in 1997. Norm passed away in 2013.