Fonds comprises material created or collected by Wilfred (Wilf) Freeman in the course of his work as a logger and during his community activities. It includes correspondence, logging records, maps, minutes of committee meetings, financial records, ephemera and clippings. It is arranged in four series: Logging; Centennial Committee; Ephemera; and Cortez Grapevine Telephone Association.
Wilfred (Wilf) Michael Freeman was born October 21, 1917 in Vancouver B.C. and died December 23, 2012. He was the son of William George Freeman and Robina Steel (Manson) Freeman and brother to Elizabeth Jane May (Freeman) Ellingsen (born March 13, 1914). His grandparents were Michael and Jane Manson. Wilf grew up on Hernando Island until 1926 when the family moved to Vancouver. One of his first jobs in the early 1930s was in Powell River where, among other things, he was hand digging basements under some of the original Powell River townsite homes.
He gravitated to the logging industry, working for Sigurd Ellingsen and Eric Flescher in Phillips Arm through the late ’30’s and into the 1950’s. He was an excellent worker; strong, resourceful, thoughtful, humorous and thorough, and, as well, he enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Wilf and his wife, May (Spence; died 1970) moved down to Smelt Bay on Cortes in the early 1950s from Phillips Arm. He logged with Bill Mathews between 1954 and 1965 in the Von Donop Creek areas. As well, they both crewed on the seine boat “Courtenay Maid” with Pat Andrews for a few summers.
When the ferry came to Cortes Island, both Wilf and Bill worked as deckhands, always cheerful and busy throughout the trips, often chipping and repainting rust spots on the ship.
Wilf was active in many community affairs over all the years living on Cortes: among them the Ratepayers Association, the 1958 Centennial Committee, the Cortes Grapevine Telephone Assoc. (a local telephone system, 1959 - 1966), Cortes Days summer celebrations, Cortes Island Firefighters Assoc., Cortes Rod and Gun Club.
Wilf and his second wife, Nora, lived on in Smelt Bay until they moved to Willow Point, South of Campbell River, in 2002. There they lived until, on December 23, 2102, he passed away while shovelling snow in their back yard.
Custodial History
Accession 2001.001 was donated to CIMAS by Wilfred Freeman on June 16, 2001. Accession 2002.002 was gathered at Wilf Freeman's garage sale by Bonnie MacDonald and donated to the museum in June of 2002. Accession 2017.006 was donated to CIMAS by Bruce Ellingsen, Freeman's nephew, in July of 2017.
Scope and Content
Fonds comprises material created or collected by Wilfred (Wilf) Freeman in the course of his work as a logger and during his community activities. It includes correspondence, logging records, maps, minutes of committee meetings, financial records, ephemera and clippings. It is arranged in four series: Logging; Centennial Committee; Ephemera; and Cortez Grapevine Telephone Association.
Recording consists of oral history interviews of Doreen (Huck) Thompson and Wilfed Freeman by Oonagh O'Connor. Topics covered in Thompson's interview include Huck family history on Cortes; medical emergencies; gardening; fishing; hunting; logging. Topics covered in Freeman's interview include reminiscences of the island in 1927; roads; transportation. There is a short summary of the interview, written by May Ellingsen, in the cassette case.
Recording consists of oral history interviews of Doreen (Huck) Thompson and Wilfed Freeman by Oonagh O'Connor. Topics covered in Thompson's interview include Huck family history on Cortes; medical emergencies; gardening; fishing; hunting; logging. Topics covered in Freeman's interview include reminiscences of the island in 1927; roads; transportation. There is a short summary of the interview, written by May Ellingsen, in the cassette case.
Binder contains interviews, stories and photographs relating to Michael and John Manson and their families. It was created as part of the Memories of Manson's Landing Exhibit, curated and mounted by Doreen Thompson.
Binder contains interviews, stories and photographs relating to Michael and John Manson and their families. It was created as part of the Memories of Manson's Landing Exhibit, curated and mounted by Doreen Thompson.
Photograph of Dorothy Huck and Margaret Middleton on the deck of a Union Steamship. (This page has the caption "Easter Week, 1922, S. S. Cowichan" referring to four of the photos.)
Photograph of Dorothy Huck and Margaret Middleton on the deck of a Union Steamship. (This page has the caption "Easter Week, 1922, S. S. Cowichan" referring to four of the photos.)
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
Photograph of the Union steamship "Chelohsin" alongside Manson's wharf. The photograph is taken from down on the floats; there is a local fish boat tied in front of the Chelohsin, and the ramp and freight shed are visible to the left.
Photograph of the Union steamship "Chelohsin" alongside Manson's wharf. The photograph is taken from down on the floats; there is a local fish boat tied in front of the Chelohsin, and the ramp and freight shed are visible to the left.
Photograph of a crowd of people on the government dock at Manson's Landing, likely waiting for the arrival of a Union Steamship. They are standing in front of a building sided with vertical shake boards, with "Cortes Island" and "Telegraph Office" signs on its side. View is looking along the Spit.
Photograph of a crowd of people on the government dock at Manson's Landing, likely waiting for the arrival of a Union Steamship. They are standing in front of a building sided with vertical shake boards, with "Cortes Island" and "Telegraph Office" signs on its side. View is looking along the Spit.
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."
Memories of Mansons Landing 2005: The Landing and the Lagoon
Binder contains interviews, stories and pictures from Ken Summers, Bert and Victoria Summers, Ann Barton, Hiram (Buster) and Mabel Christiansen, Otis (Christiansen) Coulter, George and Rosemary (Gavin) Hawkins, Bob Martineau and Fred Reedel.
It was created as part of the Memories of Manson's Landing Exhibit, curated and mounted by Doreen Thompson.
Memories of Mansons Landing 2005: The Landing and the Lagoon
Binder contains interviews, stories and pictures from Ken Summers, Bert and Victoria Summers, Ann Barton, Hiram (Buster) and Mabel Christiansen, Otis (Christiansen) Coulter, George and Rosemary (Gavin) Hawkins, Bob Martineau and Fred Reedel.
It was created as part of the Memories of Manson's Landing Exhibit, curated and mounted by Doreen Thompson.
Binder contains interviews, stories and photographs relating to schools in Mansons Landing. It was created as part of the Memories of Manson's Landing Exhibit, curated and mounted by Doreen Thompson.
Binder contains interviews, stories and photographs relating to schools in Mansons Landing. It was created as part of the Memories of Manson's Landing Exhibit, curated and mounted by Doreen Thompson.
Binder contains interviews, stories and pictures from Ginny and Bruce Ellingsen, the Lambert family, Dolly (Jeffery) Hansen and Maryann McCoy, with additional historic photographs of Smelt Bay from the early to the late 1900s at the back. It was created as part of the Memories of Manson's Landing Exhibit, curated and mounted by Doreen Thompson.
Binder contains interviews, stories and pictures from Ginny and Bruce Ellingsen, the Lambert family, Dolly (Jeffery) Hansen and Maryann McCoy, with additional historic photographs of Smelt Bay from the early to the late 1900s at the back. It was created as part of the Memories of Manson's Landing Exhibit, curated and mounted by Doreen Thompson.