John Manson (1868-1959) was born in the Shetland Islands and migrated to British Columbia in 1887, where he joined his brother Michael Manson on Cortes Island. He married Margaret Ellen Smith in 1894 and they had four children: Jack (born 1896), Anna (1898), Rose (1900) and Nicol (1906). The family lived at Sunny Brae Farm, on the south-east side of Cortes, across from Twin Islands.
Custodial History
Most of the files in this series were in an old wooden box when transferred to the archives, suggesting that they were collected from John Manson's house as a unit.
Scope and Content
Series consists of records created by John Manson of Sunny Brae farm, including legal documents, financial records, correspondence and ephemera.
"Logging, 1903-1949":
The album contains reminiscences of Frank Gallinger's logging camp; a photograph of old-growth trees; logging camps (various locations) and group photos; photographs of hand logging with the use of springboards and logging with steam donkeys, tractors, power saws and horses (on the John Manson property); photographs of log booms (various locations), logging on Quadra and "haywire" logging on Hernando Island; and a newspaper clipping about horse logging (1984).
"Logging, 1903-1949":
The album contains reminiscences of Frank Gallinger's logging camp; a photograph of old-growth trees; logging camps (various locations) and group photos; photographs of hand logging with the use of springboards and logging with steam donkeys, tractors, power saws and horses (on the John Manson property); photographs of log booms (various locations), logging on Quadra and "haywire" logging on Hernando Island; and a newspaper clipping about horse logging (1984).