The Hongs (Merchants of Wells)

Won Mon ‘Bill’ Hong was born on August 28,1901 in Stanley, B.C. He went to school in Barkerville and Victoria. He held a variety of jobs around the Cariboo, in Prince George, Barkerville, Stanley, and Wells. Bill Hong was described as a man of boundless energy with a tremendous love for the Cariboo. Hong was involved in mining throughout his life, operated several businesses, and was a strong community supporter.

In 1926, Hong helped Lee Chong establish the Lee Chong Company and purchase the Lun Wo Store in Barkerville. Hong was businessman and miner who was known to be willing to go out of his way to get the right product at the right price for customers of any background. Hong’s sons eventually took over the business and moved it to Wells in 1953.

Bill became a member of the Barkerville Fire Department in the 1920s and, for a period, held the position of Fire Marshall. Bill Hong returned to China with his family in 1936, but they all made the journey back in 1937 when the Japanese invaded Guongdong Province in 1936. Later in his life, he kept a summer home in Wells. Bill Hong passed away in Quesnel on April 20, 1985.

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