Photograph of six women with logging equipment, beside a house; behind them is water and another island. The women are standing beside a log; holding crosscut saws, a maul and an axe.
Photograph of six women with logging equipment, beside a house; behind them is water and another island. The women are standing beside a log; holding crosscut saws, a maul and an axe.
Photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Daniels standing in the yard of a white house (see 1999.001.660). Beside the walkway is a willow tree and border of shrubs and flowers.
1 photograph print: b&w; 16 x 11 cm (A) and 9 x 6.5 cm (B)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Daniels standing in the yard of a white house (see 1999.001.660). Beside the walkway is a willow tree and border of shrubs and flowers.
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.
Mrs. Jean Manson. After her marriage to Wilfred Manson in 1920, they lived for a time in the George Freeman home on Hernando Island. The sheep is an ewe named 'Sitkum Seeakwis' after she lost one eye and became something of a pet and a character. Their black dog 'Pip' is looking on. Note the rain barrel with trough at the side of the house.
Mrs. Jean Manson. After her marriage to Wilfred Manson in 1920, they lived for a time in the George Freeman home on Hernando Island. The sheep is an ewe named 'Sitkum Seeakwis' after she lost one eye and became something of a pet and a character. Their black dog 'Pip' is looking on. Note the rain barrel with trough at the side of the house.
This is the former Wilfred and Jean Manson home at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The photograph was taken by Buster and Mabel Christensen when Buster was working for the new owners after Hernando Island passed from the ownership of the Manson family.
This photograph was donated to May Ellingsen by Buster and Mabel Christensen.
Scope and Content
This is the former Wilfred and Jean Manson home at Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The photograph was taken by Buster and Mabel Christensen when Buster was working for the new owners after Hernando Island passed from the ownership of the Manson family.
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.
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.
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.