Fonds consists of the personal, business and research records of May and Elmer Ellingsen. Textual records include personal and business correspondence; financial and legal records; information about local history; records and newsletters of various community organizations; records created by John Manson and by the St. James Ladies' Guild; maps; ephemera; and clippings about Cortes Island people and events. Fonds also includes photographs of the Manson family and other island people and places, and cassette tapes of oral history and music.
Fonds is arranged in 14 series: Correspondence; Financial records; Elmer Ellingsen records (business and personal); May Ellingsen personal records; Local history subject files; John Manson records; St. James Ladies' Guild records; Community organizations and services records; Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society records; Maps; Ephemera; Clippings; Photographs and Audio tapes.
Records from Accessions 2017.003 and 2019.002, which were processed after the other material had been arranged, have been interfiled.
3 meters of textual records
726 photographs
21 audio cassette tapes
Extent
252 cm
History / Biographical
Elmer Ellingsen (1913-2002) was born in North Vancouver to Sigurd and Gladys Ellingsen. After graduating from high school, he took a short course in business at Sprott Shaw College. In the early 1930s Elmer worked in logging and became a strong supporter of the trade union movement. He also had classical piano training in school, later turning to popular music; he played for many dances and parties until well into his eighties.
May Ellingsen (1914-2012) was born in Vancouver to George and Robina Freeman. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Manson, was the first person to pre-empt land on Cortes Island, in 1886. May grew up on Cortes and Hernando Islands until grade six, then moved to Vancouver with her family to finish her schooling.
May and Elmer met on Cortes in 1935 and were married on August 1, 1936. They built a float house and spent the next ten years in the Loughborough Inlet/Phillips Arm area where Elmer worked in his father's logging operations. While there, their children Shirley (1939), Bruce (1940) and Andy (1941) were born. In 1946 they moved to Von Donop Creek, where Elmer formed a logging partnership with Mike Herrewig and Scotty McKenzie. In 1950, he formed a new partnership with Erne Anderson for logging in the Whaletown area, and moved the floathouse to Manson's Landing lagoon. Two years later their floathouse was moved to its present location on Hague Lake.
After travelling from home to various logging operations, Elmer retired from logging. He bought a D8 Caterpillar tractor, backhoe and gravel truck and worked for the next forty years excavating, delivering gravel and moving things. He often worked with BC Hydro and BC Tel on pole installation, repair and maintenance.
Both Elmer and May were very active in community life. They sponsored weekly movie nights through the 1950s and square dancing in the sixties. May's many involvements included the Ladies' Guild, Women's Institute, Ratepayers Association, Post Office, Vancouver Regional Library development and Cortes Island Days. Elmer was a leading promoter of bringing ferry and hydro service to the island; he helped renovate Manson's Hall in the late 1970s, lobbied for road paving and helped initiate the Cortes Island Firefighters Assoc. in the 1980s. Both were founding members of the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society.
Custodial History
Records were collected from the home of May and Elmer Ellingsen by Andy and Susan Ellingsen and by Bruce Ellingsen and donated to CIMAS. There are eight accessions in this fonds: 2007.001, 2007.002, 2007.003, 2007.005, 2008.002 and 2010.001, 2018.002 and 2019.002.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the personal, business and research records of May and Elmer Ellingsen. Textual records include personal and business correspondence; financial and legal records; information about local history; records and newsletters of various community organizations; records created by John Manson and by the St. James Ladies' Guild; maps; ephemera; and clippings about Cortes Island people and events. Fonds also includes photographs of the Manson family and other island people and places, and cassette tapes of oral history and music.
Fonds is arranged in 14 series: Correspondence; Financial records; Elmer Ellingsen records (business and personal); May Ellingsen personal records; Local history subject files; John Manson records; St. James Ladies' Guild records; Community organizations and services records; Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society records; Maps; Ephemera; Clippings; Photographs and Audio tapes.
Records from Accessions 2017.003 and 2019.002, which were processed after the other material had been arranged, have been interfiled.
Series consists of photographs depicting various Whaletown Community Club activities. The photographs are arranged by date and subject matter, and are described and stored in groups.
Series consists of photographs depicting various Whaletown Community Club activities. The photographs are arranged by date and subject matter, and are described and stored in groups.
Freight boat, likely Northland Navigation "Gulf Wing" coming in to Manson's Landing with Cat Island in the background.
Inscription on the back reads: "Looking out on salt chuck from front porch of cabin - boat coming in with supplys. This boat comes in once a week from Vancouver."
Freight boat, likely Northland Navigation "Gulf Wing" coming in to Manson's Landing with Cat Island in the background.
Inscription on the back reads: "Looking out on salt chuck from front porch of cabin - boat coming in with supplys. This boat comes in once a week from Vancouver."
File contains photographs of a work bee at the Gorge Hall, bowling groups from Quadra and Cortes, people outside the old Whaletown school, and the Cortes Day salad bar (with Trude Sweeny).
File contains photographs of a work bee at the Gorge Hall, bowling groups from Quadra and Cortes, people outside the old Whaletown school, and the Cortes Day salad bar (with Trude Sweeny).
File contains photographs of the Young Musician's Concert (including pictures of Kirsty Overhill and Bruce Hipkin), a White Elephant sale in the Gorge Hall, and the Chistmas Bazaar.
File contains photographs of the Young Musician's Concert (including pictures of Kirsty Overhill and Bruce Hipkin), a White Elephant sale in the Gorge Hall, and the Chistmas Bazaar.
Series consists of one spiral-bound scrapbook containing thirty-eight pages of colour photographs which have been cut out with scrapbooking scissors and glued onto the paper. Captions identify events and dates. Events depicted include Farmers' Markets and a "Teddy Bear's Parade" at the old Whaletown school grounds; annual work bees and plant sales at the Gorge Hall; the Christmas Craft Bazaar; Cortes Day and Sand Castle Day at Smelt Bay; Young Musician's concerts; the annual Christmas dinner with Santa Claus; and the project to replace the roof of the Gorge Hall.
1 photograph album, 25 x 29.5 cm : (ca. 150 photographs : col.)
Scope and Content
Series consists of one spiral-bound scrapbook containing thirty-eight pages of colour photographs which have been cut out with scrapbooking scissors and glued onto the paper. Captions identify events and dates. Events depicted include Farmers' Markets and a "Teddy Bear's Parade" at the old Whaletown school grounds; annual work bees and plant sales at the Gorge Hall; the Christmas Craft Bazaar; Cortes Day and Sand Castle Day at Smelt Bay; Young Musician's concerts; the annual Christmas dinner with Santa Claus; and the project to replace the roof of the Gorge Hall.
A description of the event may be found in “Whistle Up the Inlet,” by G.A. Rushton (J.J. Douglas Ltd., Vancouver BC,1974; p 50):
"Good teamwork in the handling of the ships by the Union Company’s marine department was evidenced when, on September 19, 1907, at 4:30 a.m., the Comox, running in a heavy fog, went aground on Cortez Island reef. All passengers were landed safely in small boats, then picked up by the Cassiar and taken to Heriot Bay for transfer to their destination aboard the Coquitlam. The Comox was pulled from her rocky perch at high water the following day and beached at Mansons, where a three-foot hole between the boiler and starboard bunker were patched. The vessel was towed back to Vancouver on September 22 by the tug Tartar.”
A description of the event may be found in “Whistle Up the Inlet,” by G.A. Rushton (J.J. Douglas Ltd., Vancouver BC,1974; p 50):
"Good teamwork in the handling of the ships by the Union Company’s marine department was evidenced when, on September 19, 1907, at 4:30 a.m., the Comox, running in a heavy fog, went aground on Cortez Island reef. All passengers were landed safely in small boats, then picked up by the Cassiar and taken to Heriot Bay for transfer to their destination aboard the Coquitlam. The Comox was pulled from her rocky perch at high water the following day and beached at Mansons, where a three-foot hole between the boiler and starboard bunker were patched. The vessel was towed back to Vancouver on September 22 by the tug Tartar.”
Note wagon wheel showing by wharf shed. Could be Mission boat beside wharf. Looks like bank beside Whaletown wharf in early days group picture which includes Rev. Antle
Note wagon wheel showing by wharf shed. Could be Mission boat beside wharf. Looks like bank beside Whaletown wharf in early days group picture which includes Rev. Antle
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