Fonds contains nine photographs depicting members of the Gibson and Palmer families who lived in Squirrel Cove; one large map (6 x 3 feet) showing the preemptions and homesteads of early Cortes settlers; and an account written by Etta (McKay) Byers of her Christmas in 1927.
9 photographs : b&w
1 map : 188 x 92 cm
5 pages of textual records
History / Biographical
Donald Palmer went to school on Cortes Island in the 1960s. His father, James Palmer, was born in 1927 to Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Cliff Palmer, who lived on the homestead of Lizzie's parents, Agnes and James Gibson, in Squirrel Cove. Their large property was on the uphill side of the road across from Tork Road.
Custodial History
Donated to CIMAS in July, 2020, by Donald Palmer
Scope and Content
Fonds contains nine photographs depicting members of the Gibson and Palmer families who lived in Squirrel Cove; one large map (6 x 3 feet) showing the preemptions and homesteads of early Cortes settlers; and an account written by Etta (McKay) Byers of her Christmas in 1927.
Fonds consists of two photograph albums containing 479 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1916 to 1927. Most of the photographs depict family, friends and scenes from Cortes Island, especially the area known as Green Valley; some photographs show school friends and family from Vancouver and Saskatchewan. Titles in quotation marks are Dorothy Huck's photograph captions. Other information used in photograph descriptions comes from the "Green Valley", "Carrington Bay/Coulter Bay" and "Whaletown to 1930" albums created for CIMAS in 1999 by Doreen Huck Thompson, a grand-niece of Dorothy Huck. Unless otherwise noted, the location of all photos is Cortes Island.
Dorothy Mary Huck Whalley (June 30, 1904 - Nov. 17, 1983) was the oldest of five children born to Mabel Wells Huck and William Edward Huck. Her siblings were Wilfred Harold (Harry), John Edward (Jack), Margaret Ethel and William Frances (Billie). Shortly after the Huck family arrived on Cortes in 1915, William E. Huck enlisted in the Army. He was killed in France in 1916, leaving Mabel with five children to bring up on her own. Her brother, Harold John (Jack) Wells was invalided home from World War I in 1917 and moved to Cortes, where he boarded with Mabel.
The Huck homestead, referred to as Hell's Half Acre or Billy Goat Hill, was in the NE 1/4 of Section 40, in Green Valley, the area around what is now known as Blue Jay Lake. Neighbours included the Barrett, Middleton, Tait and Tiber families. Dorothy was sent to Vancouver for schooling, and then returned to Cortes to attend the new Squirrel Cove school in 1916. In 1920 the Huck family moved to the Robertson property, Burnside, in Whaletown. Dorothy, having outgrown the local school system, went to Moose Jaw, Sk. where she finished high school and then attended a secretarial school run by her aunt and uncle. She married Joe Whalley and lived in Saskatchewan for many years before returning to live in Vancouver and White Rock. Dorothy died in White Rock on Nov. 17, 1983.
Custodial History
The albums were created by Dorothy Huck Whalley and given to her daughter Dorothy Whalley Livingstone. Dorothy Livingstone passed the albums on to her cousin, Karen Lee (daughter of Margaret Huck Mann), who donated them to the Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of two photograph albums containing 479 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1916 to 1927. Most of the photographs depict family, friends and scenes from Cortes Island, especially the area known as Green Valley; some photographs show school friends and family from Vancouver and Saskatchewan. Titles in quotation marks are Dorothy Huck's photograph captions. Other information used in photograph descriptions comes from the "Green Valley", "Carrington Bay/Coulter Bay" and "Whaletown to 1930" albums created for CIMAS in 1999 by Doreen Huck Thompson, a grand-niece of Dorothy Huck. Unless otherwise noted, the location of all photos is Cortes Island.
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Squirrel Cove
Carrington Bay
Saskatchewan
Related Material
"Green Valley", "Carrington Bay/Coulter Bay" and "Whaletown to 1930" albums created by Doreen Huck Thompson.
Signpost with directions to Squirrel Cove Store, Cortes Bay Marina, Lakeview Guest Ranch, Manson's Landing General Store, Graham's Confectionary, Cold Mountain Institute
Photograph of the Church Hall in Whaletown, which stood in front of the old cemetery at the corner of Carrington Bay and Harbour roads. It served the community as both church and a venue for social events for almost forty years. The original Whaletown school became its kitchen, and a sleeping place for tired children.
Photograph of the Church Hall in Whaletown, which stood in front of the old cemetery at the corner of Carrington Bay and Harbour roads. It served the community as both church and a venue for social events for almost forty years. The original Whaletown school became its kitchen, and a sleeping place for tired children.
Photograph depicts the pupils at the second Whaletown school beside the corner of the school. The photograph was taken by Evelyn Dow, who taught there from February 1928 to June 1929. This school was built in 1918 near the corner of Coulter Bay Road and Carrington Bay Road, and was used (with improvements) until 1950.
Top Row: third from left, Lorna Borden; second from right, Doris Houghton-Brown
Middle row: second from left, Ken Houghton-Brown, third from left, Vernon Borden; far right, Marion Borden
Front row: far right, Claude Borden
(IDs by Terrill Marlow, Marion’s daughter, Rob Borden, Vernon’s son, and Joan Bevington, Ken Houghton-Brown's daughter).
Photograph is from an album created by Evelyn Dow and was donated to CIMAS by her niece, Sharon Thomas.
Scope and Content
Photograph depicts the pupils at the second Whaletown school beside the corner of the school. The photograph was taken by Evelyn Dow, who taught there from February 1928 to June 1929. This school was built in 1918 near the corner of Coulter Bay Road and Carrington Bay Road, and was used (with improvements) until 1950.
Top Row: third from left, Lorna Borden; second from right, Doris Houghton-Brown
Middle row: second from left, Ken Houghton-Brown, third from left, Vernon Borden; far right, Marion Borden
Front row: far right, Claude Borden
(IDs by Terrill Marlow, Marion’s daughter, Rob Borden, Vernon’s son, and Joan Bevington, Ken Houghton-Brown's daughter).
Photograph of a white house with rock-walled terraces to its right. This was Amy and Scotty McKenzie's float house, moved from Von Donop Inlet in 1951. Amy was daughter of Ruth and Henry Byers, who lived in the “Grey House” west of the ferry landing. (The "Grey House" was later moved to Squirrel Cove next to the Store.) The McKenzie house was between the Grey House and the ferry landing; it was torn down ca. 1974. The terraces may still be seen in the small park next to the ferry landing.
Photograph of a white house with rock-walled terraces to its right. This was Amy and Scotty McKenzie's float house, moved from Von Donop Inlet in 1951. Amy was daughter of Ruth and Henry Byers, who lived in the “Grey House” west of the ferry landing. (The "Grey House" was later moved to Squirrel Cove next to the Store.) The McKenzie house was between the Grey House and the ferry landing; it was torn down ca. 1974. The terraces may still be seen in the small park next to the ferry landing.
Photographs depict the pupils at the second Whaletown school standing beside the school. The photograph was taken by Evelyn Dow, who taught there from February 1928 to June 1929. This school was built in 1918 near the corner of Coulter Bay Road and Carrington Bay Road, and was used (with improvements) until 1950. The front, side and surroundings of the school are clearly shown.
Front row third from left is Marion Borden; Vernon Borden next to her fourth from left.
Top row, far right: Lorna Borden
(IDs by Terrill Marlow, Marion’s daughter, and Rob Borden, Vernon’s son).
Photographs are from an album created by Evelyn Dow and were donated to CIMAS by her niece, Sharon Thomas.
Scope and Content
Photographs depict the pupils at the second Whaletown school standing beside the school. The photograph was taken by Evelyn Dow, who taught there from February 1928 to June 1929. This school was built in 1918 near the corner of Coulter Bay Road and Carrington Bay Road, and was used (with improvements) until 1950. The front, side and surroundings of the school are clearly shown.
Front row third from left is Marion Borden; Vernon Borden next to her fourth from left.
Top row, far right: Lorna Borden
(IDs by Terrill Marlow, Marion’s daughter, and Rob Borden, Vernon’s son).