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.
This photograph was taken at Stag Bay near the Dick Parker logging camp buildings. The Mansons had raised some Bronze turkeys but had found it commercially unprofitable. These were some of the breeding birds. The gobbler, on the right, weighed 42 pounds. Here, May Freeman, L, Aunt Agnes (Jean Manson's aunt), and Wilfred Manson Jr. are feeding them. There is one White Holland turkey amongst them.
This photograph was taken at Stag Bay near the Dick Parker logging camp buildings. The Mansons had raised some Bronze turkeys but had found it commercially unprofitable. These were some of the breeding birds. The gobbler, on the right, weighed 42 pounds. Here, May Freeman, L, Aunt Agnes (Jean Manson's aunt), and Wilfred Manson Jr. are feeding them. There is one White Holland turkey amongst them.
Fonds consists of ten photographs (nine black and white; 1 coloured) depicting members of the extended Byers/ Manson families, logging at Seaford and Von Donop Inlet, and the Union Steamship Chelohsin.
Henry and Ruth Byers, Ervin and Florence (Manson) McKay, Clarence and Etta (McKay) Byers, Ken and Hazel (McKay) Hansen, Scotty and Amy (Byers) McKenzie moved to Von Donop Inlet in 1939, where they ran a logging operation.
Custodial History
Found in Information Files folder (Byers family), August 1, 2020 and transferred to Archives.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of ten photographs (nine black and white; 1 coloured) depicting members of the extended Byers/ Manson families, logging at Seaford and Von Donop Inlet, and the Union Steamship Chelohsin.
Fonds consists of sixty prints and slides dating from 1951 to 1971. It includes scenes of of Cortes Island school students, logging, and the Union Steamship. Most photographs are from the Whaletown area. There are 16 slides of a logging camp at the Quatam River in Ramsey Arm, BC.
The Maclean family (parents Don and Doris, and children Janice, Heather and Ian) lived in Whaletown from 1961 to 1973.
Don Maclean's parents, John and Edna Maclean, lived for many years in Edmonton, Alberta. When their son came home from the war they bought property near Coulter Bay and moved to Cortes Island. Don Maclean became a fisherman, eventually living on his fishing boat.
Doris Lancaster Maclean was born and raised in Victoria, B.C. In the late 1940s she answered a call from the Anglican Church to come and do Vacation Bible School with the Columbia Coast Mission on Cortes and nearby islands.
Doris and Don married in 1954. They moved to Cortes Island in 1961 when Don was hired to operate the Columbia Coast Mission boat, the "Alan Greene". They lived in the Mission house in Whaletown, next to the church. Don Maclean acted as a Lay Reader for the Columbia Coast Mission in the 1960s when no clergymen were available, holding services in the three Anglican churches on the island.
In 1967 the Diocese sold the "Alan Greene" and the Macleans were required to move out of the mission house. Maclean built a house on the beach of what used to be called Jardine’s property, although by this time it was owned by a cousin of Doris Maclean. He was hired as the Industrial First Aid man on site for the building of the Whaletown Ferry dock and after that worked as a clam digger.
The Maclean family left Cortes in 1973 and moved to Regina, SK. The house that Don built was rented for a couple of years and then sold and moved to a new location; it burned down a few years later.
Custodial History
Twenty-seven photographs and 15 slides were mailed to CIMAS by Janice Maclean Kerr in 2019; two more photos were mailed in Apr. 2021; 16 slides were mailed in Sept. 2021
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of sixty prints and slides dating from 1951 to 1971. It includes scenes of of Cortes Island school students, logging, and the Union Steamship. Most photographs are from the Whaletown area. There are 16 slides of a logging camp at the Quatam River in Ramsey Arm, BC.
Fonds consists of photographs of Cortes Island people and events, and one file of textual records, which includes a 13 verse poem by Mabel Christensen, "Picnic", about Cortes Island Day.
Peggy Newsham (1907-1999) was born in Belfast, Ireland. At the age of 16, she emigrated to Vancouver, Canada. In 1937, Peggy met Doll (Jeffery) Hansen and together they traveled on the Union Steamship to Cortes Island. She worked for Alice Robertson at Burnside in Whaletown, helping with the gardening, livestock and household chores. Peggy moved to Manson's Landing in the late 1960s, where she was active in the Community Club and took part in many social activities. She was crowned "Queen of Cortes" by acclamation at Cortes Day in 1979. There is a memorial to Peggy in the garden of the Cortes Island Museum.
Custodial History
Donated by Dennis Newsham and Frances Guthrie.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of Cortes Island people and events, and one file of textual records, which includes a 13 verse poem by Mabel Christensen, "Picnic", about Cortes Island Day.
Fonds consists of 49 original photographs from the Michael Manson family, mostly from the early 20th century (1898-1928). The photographs depict the Manson family, logging and farming on Hernando and Cortes Islands, Michael and Jane Manson's Golden Wedding anniversary, and Florence McKay's 90th birthday celebration. The photographs were originally in an album with handwritten captions along with newspaper articles about Michael Manson, Jane Manson and Florence McKay.
Florence Manson McKay was born Jan. 21, 1900 to Michael and Jane Manson. Michael Manson was the first person to pre-empt land on Cortes Island, a quarter section on Gunflint Lake (present-day Linnaea Farm). Florence married Ervin McKay in 1918. They moved to Hernando Island in 1921 and Ervin worked with extended family members logging there and on Cortes Island. Florence and Ervin had two children: Etta (b. 1918) and Hazel (b. 1920). In 1929 the McKays took over Michael Manson's original pre-emption on Gunflint Lake, where they farmed until retiring in 1950. They moved to Courtenay, turning the farm over to daughter Hazel and her husband Ken Hansen. Florence was widowed in 1978 and returned to Cortes to live with Ken and Hazel, who had sold the farm but kept 16 acres to live on. Florence passed away in 1995.
Custodial History
Florence McKay gathered the photographs and her daughter, Hazel Hansen, compiled the album and wrote the captions. The album was donated to CIMAS by Hazel's son, Albert Hansen, in 2004.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 49 original photographs from the Michael Manson family, mostly from the early 20th century (1898-1928). The photographs depict the Manson family, logging and farming on Hernando and Cortes Islands, Michael and Jane Manson's Golden Wedding anniversary, and Florence McKay's 90th birthday celebration. The photographs were originally in an album with handwritten captions along with newspaper articles about Michael Manson, Jane Manson and Florence McKay.
This collection consists of ten photograph albums (binders) compiled and annotated by May Ellingsen. The albums contain both original and reproduced photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island. They are accompanied by captions and additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. Fonds consists of two series: Series 1 (The May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Vol. 1-9, Accession 2004.003) and Series 2 (The Manson Family Album, Accession 2004.002).
Ten photograph albums (binders) containing 152 original photographs and 482 reproductions.
History / Biographical
May Ellingsen was born on March 13, 1914 to George and Robina Freeman. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Manson, was the first person to pre-empt land on Cortes Island, claiming a quarter section on Gunflint Lake in 1886. May spent her childhood on Hernando Island, where her family homesteaded and logged, and on Cortes Island, where she attended the log school at Manson's Landing.
In 1936 May married Elmer Ellingsen. They spent the next ten years in the Loughborough Inlet/Phillips Arm area while Elmer worked for his father's logging operations. During those years their children, Shirley, Bruce and Andy, were born. In 1946 the family moved to Von Donop Creek, where Elmer was logging. In 1950 they moved their float house, built at the time of their marriage, to Manson's Landing Lagoon and two years later, to its present permanent location on Hague Lake.
May and Elmer devoted much time and energy to building their community. Amongst her many community activities, May ran the library at Manson's Hall. She had a strong interest in local history, researching the history of land pre-emptions on the island, collecting and annotating photographs from pioneer families and recording interviews with old timers. She was a founder of the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society; the archives reading room is named in her honor. Historical materials and artifacts gathered by May formed the kernel of the museum's collections and archives.
Custodial History
May Ellingsen created the albums in the 1980s, and kept adding to them throughout the 1990s. She kept them at the Manson's Landing library and then at the museum from 1999. She officially donated them to CIMAS in 2004.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of ten photograph albums (binders) compiled and annotated by May Ellingsen. The albums contain both original and reproduced photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island. They are accompanied by captions and additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. Fonds consists of two series: Series 1 (The May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Vol. 1-9, Accession 2004.003) and Series 2 (The Manson Family Album, Accession 2004.002).
9 photographs : b&w
2 photograph booklets : b&w ; 9 x 9 cm
History / Biographical
Frederick (Fred) Hawkins (1866-1952) and his wife Doris (1906-1959) settled in Manson's Landing in 1908. The Hawkins family lived across from the entrance to Manson's Lagoon at the Spit in a house originally built by Horace Heay (at the end of Taka Mika Rd). Fred lived there until his death in 1952; he is buried in the cemetery in Manson's Landing. Doris died in Powell River in 1959.
George Hawkins, son of Fred and Doris Hawkins, was born in 1928. He had two brothers, Bill and Bob. George and Bob Hawkins both moved to Powell River, in 1947 and 1955 respectively; Bill was killed in a logging accident in 1972.
Custodial History
Donated by Craig Hawkins, July 30, 2016.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of black and white photographs dating from the 1950s, showing people and scenes from Manson's Landing.
Wilfred and Jean Manson's home at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The house is under construction with scaffolding still up, but is nearing completion. The old logging pier can be seen in the background to the left and closer, one of the sheds belonging to the logging camp.
Wilfred and Jean Manson's home at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The house is under construction with scaffolding still up, but is nearing completion. The old logging pier can be seen in the background to the left and closer, one of the sheds belonging to the logging camp.
Donkey logging at Haywire Point, Hernando Island. Wilfred Manson, with cousins Nicol Manson and Jack Manson and brother-in-law Ervin McKay, standing in front of a steam donkey.Photograph of four men standing beside a steam donkey. Other copies of this photograph are 2004.001.031; Campbell River Museum #13642, and on p.32 of May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Album 5, p. 32 (fonds 2004.002).
Donkey logging at Haywire Point, Hernando Island. Wilfred Manson, with cousins Nicol Manson and Jack Manson and brother-in-law Ervin McKay, standing in front of a steam donkey.Photograph of four men standing beside a steam donkey. Other copies of this photograph are 2004.001.031; Campbell River Museum #13642, and on p.32 of May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Album 5, p. 32 (fonds 2004.002).
Donkey logging at Haywire Point, Hernando Island.
Wilfred Manson, with cousins Nicol Manson and Jack Manson and brother-in-law Ervin McKay, standing in front of a steam donkey. Photograph has a diagonal crease. Other copies of this photograph are 2007.001.123; Campbell River Museum #13642, and and on p.32 of May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Album 5, p. 32 (fonds 2004.002).
Donkey logging at Haywire Point, Hernando Island.
Wilfred Manson, with cousins Nicol Manson and Jack Manson and brother-in-law Ervin McKay, standing in front of a steam donkey. Photograph has a diagonal crease. Other copies of this photograph are 2007.001.123; Campbell River Museum #13642, and and on p.32 of May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Album 5, p. 32 (fonds 2004.002).
Wilfred Manson holding his daughter Dorothy at Stag Bay on the beach at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The old building in the background is located directly downhill from the George Freeman home. While the Campbell River Lumber Company was logging, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Robertson lived there. They owned an English bulldog who sired 'Brindle', the dog in the picture.
Wilfred Manson holding his daughter Dorothy at Stag Bay on the beach at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The old building in the background is located directly downhill from the George Freeman home. While the Campbell River Lumber Company was logging, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Robertson lived there. They owned an English bulldog who sired 'Brindle', the dog in the picture.
Wilfred and Jean Manson's nearly completed home at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The former logging camp cookhouse can be seen to the left. At this time it was used as a storage building for hay.
Wilfred and Jean Manson's nearly completed home at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The former logging camp cookhouse can be seen to the left. At this time it was used as a storage building for hay.
Ruth Clark and Jean Robinson (nieces of Margaret Trenanan) and Wilfred Manson seated in an old car, with Jean Manson sitting on the running board. The former cookhouse of the Stag Bay, Hernando Island logging camp is in the right background. To the left are the storage shed, former camp manager's home and commissary building, part of which has been made into a garage for the car.
Jean Robinson was born in the Yukon in the house that Robert Service lived in when he wrote "The Trail of '98".
Ruth Clark and Jean Robinson (nieces of Margaret Trenanan) and Wilfred Manson seated in an old car, with Jean Manson sitting on the running board. The former cookhouse of the Stag Bay, Hernando Island logging camp is in the right background. To the left are the storage shed, former camp manager's home and commissary building, part of which has been made into a garage for the car.
Jean Robinson was born in the Yukon in the house that Robert Service lived in when he wrote "The Trail of '98".
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.
Album 8, "Harbours and Marinas on Cortes Island", contains photographs of wharves and their surroundings in Whaletown, Manson's Landing, Cortes Bay, Marina Island, Camp/Subtle Island, and other nearby coastal areas.
Album 8, "Harbours and Marinas on Cortes Island", contains photographs of wharves and their surroundings in Whaletown, Manson's Landing, Cortes Bay, Marina Island, Camp/Subtle Island, and other nearby coastal areas.
