Mr. David Forrest with his daughter Margaret on his back in front of the tent set up at the Nakatsui Ranch (now known as the Loon Ranch) near John Manson's property, Sunny Brae farm, where the family lived for a short time before settling at Squirrel Cove.
Mr. David Forrest with his daughter Margaret on his back in front of the tent set up at the Nakatsui Ranch (now known as the Loon Ranch) near John Manson's property, Sunny Brae farm, where the family lived for a short time before settling at Squirrel Cove.
Mr. Forrest with his daughter Margaret in front of the tent, set up near John Manson's property, where the family lived for a short time before settling at Squirrel Cove.
Mr. Forrest with his daughter Margaret in front of the tent, set up near John Manson's property, where the family lived for a short time before settling at Squirrel Cove.
Mrs. George Ewart standing behind the Middleton house at Squirrel Cove. Mrs. George Ewart and husband George Ewart owned the Squirrel Cove Store and the Boarding Rooms. This is the same building which is the present day (2009) Squirrel Cove Store. It was built by Jack Shaler.
Mrs. George Ewart standing behind the Middleton house at Squirrel Cove. Mrs. George Ewart and husband George Ewart owned the Squirrel Cove Store and the Boarding Rooms. This is the same building which is the present day (2009) Squirrel Cove Store. It was built by Jack Shaler.
Billy Morrison and Harry Middleton Jr. playing beside two wash tubs. In the background is the boat ways with roof to the west of the Middleton machine shop (peaked roof) and the shed-roofed blacksmith shop and engine room. Boats were pulled up with a two-speed winch powered by a single-cylinder Easthope with a water hopper cooling the motor.
Billy Morrison and Harry Middleton Jr. playing beside two wash tubs. In the background is the boat ways with roof to the west of the Middleton machine shop (peaked roof) and the shed-roofed blacksmith shop and engine room. Boats were pulled up with a two-speed winch powered by a single-cylinder Easthope with a water hopper cooling the motor.
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).
File contains a copy of a cookbook compiled and produced by Joan Disney and Joanne Saunders for the benefit of the building maintenance fund of the Cortes Island Community Church Mission. The booklet consists of photocopied pages, 14 cm x 22 cm in size, tied together with blue yarn.
File contains a copy of a cookbook compiled and produced by Joan Disney and Joanne Saunders for the benefit of the building maintenance fund of the Cortes Island Community Church Mission. The booklet consists of photocopied pages, 14 cm x 22 cm in size, tied together with blue yarn.
File consists of master pages of a fund-raising cookbook produced by the Whaletown Women's Institute. Typed recipes are pasted onto construction paper sheets; sheets are crumbling.
Complete copies of the cookbook may be found in the Whaletown Women's Institute fonds and the Island Women's Club fonds.
File consists of master pages of a fund-raising cookbook produced by the Whaletown Women's Institute. Typed recipes are pasted onto construction paper sheets; sheets are crumbling.
Complete copies of the cookbook may be found in the Whaletown Women's Institute fonds and the Island Women's Club fonds.
File contains a self-published booklet containing illustrations and notes about Whaletown, "a collection of facts, poems, short stories and drawings to enhance your visit."
File contains a self-published booklet containing illustrations and notes about Whaletown, "a collection of facts, poems, short stories and drawings to enhance your visit."