Photograph of Dorothy Huck holding an infant, Mary Agnes Tait, at the Tait's home in Green Valle; Billy Tait is in the background. There is no caption for this photograph; identification is from Doreen Thompson in the Green Valley album.
Photograph of Dorothy Huck holding an infant, Mary Agnes Tait, at the Tait's home in Green Valle; Billy Tait is in the background. There is no caption for this photograph; identification is from Doreen Thompson in the Green Valley album.
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).
Fonds consists of sixteen photographs depicting people and scenes, primarily of the Manson's Landing area. Identification was provided by Fred Brooks Jr. in an interview with Cathy Jenks.
Alethea and Frederick (Fred) James Brooks Sr. and their two sons, Frederick (Fred) Earl, Jr. and Bob, lived on Cortes Island from ca. 1941 to 1944, near Manson's Landing. Fred Sr. logged in Cortes Bay and employed two of the Hawkins boys, Bill and George.
Fred Jr. attended grades three to six at Cortes Island school before the family moved to Pender Harbour. Some of the names he recalls are: the Christiansen kids (Robert, Jim, and a sister), the Tibers on the west side of Cortes Island, and the Jefferys of Smelt Bay.
Custodial History
Fred Brooks Jr. gave the photographs to Cathy Brooks of Pender Harbour Living Heritage Society, who facilitated the donation by collecting the photographs, donation form and information from Brooks and sending the materials to CIMAS.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of sixteen photographs depicting people and scenes, primarily of the Manson's Landing area. Identification was provided by Fred Brooks Jr. in an interview with Cathy Jenks.
Pender Harbour Living Heritage holds related material from the Brooks family: https://penderharbourheritage.pastperfectonline.com/bysearchterm?keyword=Brooks+family
Photograph of five young women seated in a dugout canoe on the big lake in Green Valley. Identified by Doreen Thompson as Pete (Margaret) Middleton of Braeside, Meg Robertson of Burnside, Dorothy Huck from Hell's Half Acre and Gladys Merrick.
Photograph of five young women seated in a dugout canoe on the big lake in Green Valley. Identified by Doreen Thompson as Pete (Margaret) Middleton of Braeside, Meg Robertson of Burnside, Dorothy Huck from Hell's Half Acre and Gladys Merrick.
Dorothy Manson standing behind 'Ruff' the new sheepdog, 'Brindle' lying beside them. In the background, beyond the rail fence, is (left to right) a steam donkey, a storage shed, the main camp manager's house (now the home of Mike Manson), a garage for the car and a barn.
Dorothy Manson standing behind 'Ruff' the new sheepdog, 'Brindle' lying beside them. In the background, beyond the rail fence, is (left to right) a steam donkey, a storage shed, the main camp manager's house (now the home of Mike Manson), a garage for the car and a barn.
Dorothy Manson, daughter of Wilfred and Jean Manson, with her dog 'Brindle' at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. Where the bulk of logging camp buildings had been, has been cleared and seeded to clover for hay. The house with a ladder had been one of the camp family houses. Note the beached "little green boat" at the end of her career.
Dorothy Manson, daughter of Wilfred and Jean Manson, with her dog 'Brindle' at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. Where the bulk of logging camp buildings had been, has been cleared and seeded to clover for hay. The house with a ladder had been one of the camp family houses. Note the beached "little green boat" at the end of her career.
Photograph taken at the wedding of Dorothy Hayes and Bill Illman.
Back, left to right, Jack Hayes, Bill Illman, Dorothy (Hayes) Illman and Alice Hayes.
Front, flowergirls Nerine Hayes (Art and Mary Haye's daughter, left) and June Griffin (George and Marjorie Griffin's daughter, right).
The picture was taken outside the Manson's Landing church. Manson's Hall can be seen on the left and Manson's Landing school is on the right. (Photograph from the Hayes family.)
Photograph taken at the wedding of Dorothy Hayes and Bill Illman.
Back, left to right, Jack Hayes, Bill Illman, Dorothy (Hayes) Illman and Alice Hayes.
Front, flowergirls Nerine Hayes (Art and Mary Haye's daughter, left) and June Griffin (George and Marjorie Griffin's daughter, right).
The picture was taken outside the Manson's Landing church. Manson's Hall can be seen on the left and Manson's Landing school is on the right. (Photograph from the Hayes family.)
Jean Manson, her daughter Dorothy, and friend Cliff Owen standing on the porch of a house built at 'Blaney's' near Baker's Front, south side of Hernando Island. The Mansons planted potatoes or hay there.
Jean Manson, her daughter Dorothy, and friend Cliff Owen standing on the porch of a house built at 'Blaney's' near Baker's Front, south side of Hernando Island. The Mansons planted potatoes or hay there.
Wilfred Manson mowing hay in a Stag Bay field with daughter Dorothy on his knee. The horse was called 'Major Whiskers' because he had a walrus mustache on his lip. Note the former cookhouse, now used as a barn. It has been moved across the field from an earlier location. The roof of a very old barn shows through the trees just above the horse's neck.
Wilfred Manson mowing hay in a Stag Bay field with daughter Dorothy on his knee. The horse was called 'Major Whiskers' because he had a walrus mustache on his lip. Note the former cookhouse, now used as a barn. It has been moved across the field from an earlier location. The roof of a very old barn shows through the trees just above the horse's neck.
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.
Photograph of (L to R) Dorothy Huck, Helen Starr, Dorothy Robertson, Margaret Huck, Billy Huck and Violet Stoney on a woooden dock in Delight Lake (the small lake in Green Valley). Last names identified by Doreen Thompson.
Photograph of (L to R) Dorothy Huck, Helen Starr, Dorothy Robertson, Margaret Huck, Billy Huck and Violet Stoney on a woooden dock in Delight Lake (the small lake in Green Valley). Last names identified by Doreen Thompson.
Photograph of two children on a donkey. In the background a vegetable garden, picket fence and buildings at Braeside can be seen. (See also #2001.001.161, #2001.001.173 & #2001.001.174. Identifications by Doreen Thompson.)
Photograph of two children on a donkey. In the background a vegetable garden, picket fence and buildings at Braeside can be seen. (See also #2001.001.161, #2001.001.173 & #2001.001.174. Identifications by Doreen Thompson.)
