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Part Of
Florence McKay fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
textual records
Accession Number
2004.001
Date Range
1878-1990
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.
Part Of
Florence McKay fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
McKay, Florence
Fonds Number
2004.001
Item Number Range
2004.001.001 - 2004.001.049
Accession Number
2004.001
Material Type
graphic material
textual records
Date Range
1878-1990
Digitized Date
2005/2006
Physical Description
49 photographs; 3 newspaper articles
History / Biographical
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.
Storage Location
Photograph Box #3
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Hernando Island
Finding Aid
Item level finding aid is available.
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Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
cartographic material
ephemera
Accession Number
1999.001
Date Range
1904-1993 (predominant 1948-1993)
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the personal records of Gilean Douglas which were produced and received during her personal and literary activities. There is some material dating from Douglas's early life, but the bulk of it dates from 1948 to 1993 and directly concerns her life on Cortes Island. Because of Douglas's involvement in the public life of the island, and her interest in local history, her papers contain a great deal of information about the political, community and social life of Cortes Island, particularly the Whaletown area. Fonds is composed of eighteen series: Manuscripts; Correspondence; Literary Records; Regional Director for Area I (Cortes Island); Women's Institute; Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church; School District #72; Whaletown Community Club; Channel Rock; Research; "The Log" of the Columbia Coast Mission; Journals and Notebooks; Illustrations and Sketches; Ephemera; Clippings; Maps; Albums; Photographs.
Other Title Info
Title based on contents of the fonds.
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Douglas, Gilean
Fonds Number
1999.001
Accession Number
1999.001
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
cartographic material
ephemera
Date Range
1904-1993 (predominant 1948-1993)
Physical Description
1.9 m of textual records; ca. 2,352 photographic records (1147 prints : b&w and col. - ca. 560 negatives : b&w and col. negatives ; 35 mm and 14 x 11 cm or smaller - 645 slides : col. slides ; 35 mm); 1 cm of graphic material; 8 maps.
Extent
1.9
History / Biographical
Gilean Douglas was born in Toronto, Ont. In 1900. Orphaned at the age of 16, she began to work as a free-lance writer and photographer. Over her lifetime her work appeared in more than 200 publications, often published under pseudonyms (Grant Madison, Armoral Kent and Jill MacLean). Douglas published eight books of poetry and three books of non-fiction, and, from 1961 to 1992, wrote a regular column, “Nature Rambles”, for the Victoria Times-Colonist. In 1939, following the collapse of her third marriage, Douglas moved from Ontario to an isolated cabin in the mountains near Hope, B.C. Her first two books of nature writing (one published under the name Grant Madison) document her life there. Her cabin was destroyed by fire in 1947 and two years later she moved to a 138-acre waterfront homestead on Cortes Island with her fourth husband, Philip Douglas, (née Major). Her marriage ended in 1953, but she remained there until her death in 1993. Her home at Channel Rock was isolated, with no road access and no electricity. Douglas had a large garden, and supplemented her writing income by selling produce and plants. She was a volunteer Weather Observer for Environment Canada for 33 years, receiving several awards for her service. Starting in the 1960s, her writing centered increasingly on her life at Channel Rock. Her "Nature Rambles" columns and book "The Protected Place" reflect her life on the island. During her years on Cortes Island, Douglas took a leading role in community affairs and local politics. She held office in several community organizations and acted as a school trustee. As a member of the Women's Institute, she held local, district, provincial and national office, edited a book on its history, and was awarded a Life Membership in 1989. Douglas was a member of the first Cortes Island Advisory Planning Commission and represented Cortes on the Regional Board of Comox-Strathcona as Alternate Director from 1968 to 1973 and as Director from 1973 until 1977. List of Book Publications: 1952 Now the Green Word (Wings Press, Mill Valley, Ca.) 1953 Poetic Plush (The Story Book Press, Dallas, Texas) 1953 River For My Sidewalk (by “Grant Madison”; J. M. Dent & Sons, Toronto, Ont.) 1954 The Pattern Set (Quality Press, Montreal, Quebec) 1959 Modern Pioneers (a history of the Women's Institute, ed. by Douglas; Evergreen Press) 1967 Seascape With Figures (Prairie Press, Iowa City, Iowa) 1973 Now In This Night (Harlo Press, Detroit, Mi.) 1978 Silence Is My Homeland (Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pa.) 1979 The Protected Place (Gray’s Publishing, Sidney, B.C.) 1982 Prodigal (Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, B.C.) 1984 River For My Sidewalk (by Gilean Douglas; Sono Nis Press) 1985 Kodachromes at Midday (Sono Nis Press) 1992 Seascape With Figures - Poems Selected and New (Sono Nis Press)
Custodial History
Upon Douglas’ death in 1993 her papers were gathered from her house by her literary executor, Gillian Milton. Douglas’ will directed that her papers and photographs be turned over to the University of British Columbia (Douglas’ primary beneficiary), after being examined and used for literary purposes including publication or biography. Accordingly, Milton inventoried the records, and with Andrea Lebowitz made use of them for a biography and anthology of the writings of Douglas, "Gilean Douglas: Writing Nature, Finding Home" (Lebowitz and Milton, Sono Nis Press, 1999). The textual records were turned over to University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections in December 1999; the photographic records in 2002. By agreement with UBC, the records and photographs which have to do primarily with Cortes Island were turned over to the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society (Manson's Landing, B.C.) in 1999.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the personal records of Gilean Douglas which were produced and received during her personal and literary activities. There is some material dating from Douglas's early life, but the bulk of it dates from 1948 to 1993 and directly concerns her life on Cortes Island. Because of Douglas's involvement in the public life of the island, and her interest in local history, her papers contain a great deal of information about the political, community and social life of Cortes Island, particularly the Whaletown area. Fonds is composed of eighteen series: Manuscripts; Correspondence; Literary Records; Regional Director for Area I (Cortes Island); Women's Institute; Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church; School District #72; Whaletown Community Club; Channel Rock; Research; "The Log" of the Columbia Coast Mission; Journals and Notebooks; Illustrations and Sketches; Ephemera; Clippings; Maps; Albums; Photographs.
Name Access
Douglas, Gilean
Subject Access
Women's Institute
Columbia Coast Mission
Community Associations
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Related Material
Gilean Douglas fonds at the University of British Columbia Library (Special Collections) Cortes Island Ratepayers Association fonds Gorge Harbour Community Hall fonds Whaletown Community Club fonds Whaletown Women's Institute fonds Regional Director of Electoral Area I (Cortes Island) fonds
Copyright
Copyright for Douglas's published writings is held by the University of British Columbia. Permission to use Douglas's manuscripts for publication purposes must be obtained from the University of British Columbia or from Gillian Milton, literary executor for the estate of Gilean Douglas.
Arrangement
Wherever possible, Douglas’ system of arrangement has been retained, and original groupings of material have been maintained. Other material has been arranged according to type.
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Part Of
May Ellingsen fonds
Description Level
Series
Material Type
graphic material
Accession Number
2004.002
Date Range
1912-1917
Scope and Content
Series consists of 80 photographs with typed explanatory captions, depicting scenes and activities relating to the Manson's Landing school, general scenes of Cortes Island, and James Nixon family of Twin Islands. Many of the the photographs have information written on their backs.
Part Of
May Ellingsen fonds
Description Level
Series
Creator
Ellingsen, May
Fonds Number
2004.002
Series Number
2
Item Number Range
2004.002.001 - 2004.002.080
Accession Number
2004.002
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1912-1917
Physical Description
80 photographs
Custodial History
May Ellingsen compiled this album from photographs in the possession of the Manson family and wrote the explanatory captions. The photographs of Manson's school were taken by Katherine Lettice, the teacher at the time; photographs of Twin Islands were taken by the Nixon family, who lived there and were friends of the Manson family. Photographs were turned over to May by Rose or John Manson. Some photographs were in May's possession as her mother, Robina (Manson) Freeman, was a daughter of Michael Manson.
Scope and Content
Series consists of 80 photographs with typed explanatory captions, depicting scenes and activities relating to the Manson's Landing school, general scenes of Cortes Island, and James Nixon family of Twin Islands. Many of the the photographs have information written on their backs.
Geographic Access
Twin Islands
Finding Aid
Item level finding aid is available.
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May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions10187
Part Of
May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
sound recording
cartographic material
ephemera
Date Range
1892-[ca. 2005]
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.
Part Of
May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Ellingsen, May
Ellingsen, Elmer
Fonds Number
2007.001
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
sound recording
cartographic material
ephemera
Date Range
1892-[ca. 2005]
Physical Description
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.
Storage Range
1-1 - 1-8
Name Access
Ellingsen, Elmer
Ellingsen, May
Subject Access
Logging
Ferries
Transportation
Women's Institute
Water transport
Community Associations
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Hernando Island
Related Material
May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection (2004.002)
Arrangement
Original order unknown; archivist has arranged records.
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