Photograph of Elmer Ellingsen, holding his accordion and with a pistol in his hand, and Dan Campbell, who is wearing a coonskin hat and lying on the floor holding a Christmas tree. This was part of a skit performed at an Old Age Pensioners' Christmas party.
Photograph of Elmer Ellingsen, holding his accordion and with a pistol in his hand, and Dan Campbell, who is wearing a coonskin hat and lying on the floor holding a Christmas tree. This was part of a skit performed at an Old Age Pensioners' Christmas party.
Photograph of a group of people, in front of a wall.
Back, L to R: Jenny Morton, Doug Morton, Rollo Boas, Zelda Landsvik, Kathleen (Kay) Boas, Meg Shaw, Ernie Kean
Front, L to R: Rollie Wilkins, Vi Wilkins, Olie Landsvik, Alice Thiel, Bill Thiel,
Photograph of a group of people, in front of a wall.
Back, L to R: Jenny Morton, Doug Morton, Rollo Boas, Zelda Landsvik, Kathleen (Kay) Boas, Meg Shaw, Ernie Kean
Front, L to R: Rollie Wilkins, Vi Wilkins, Olie Landsvik, Alice Thiel, Bill Thiel,
Photograph of Michael and Jane Manson seated in the centre of a large family group at their Golden Wedding Anniversary. People are identified on the back. This is a large format print of the same photograph as 2004.001.040, from the Florence McKay fonds. (Oversize)
Photograph of Michael and Jane Manson seated in the centre of a large family group at their Golden Wedding Anniversary. People are identified on the back. This is a large format print of the same photograph as 2004.001.040, from the Florence McKay fonds. (Oversize)
Identity key to group photograph taken at Manson's Landing in 1911.
1. Eugene Paulson 2. Mrs. E. Paulson 3. Rose Manson 4. Lennard Hawkins 5. William (Bill) Hawkins 6.Hazel Manson 7. Mrs. Margaret (John) Manson 8. John Manson 9. George Freeman 10. Robina Manson 11. Florence Manson 12. Herbert Hawkins 13. Beatrice Hawkins 14. unknown 15. Mrs. George Quimby 16. George Quimby 17. George Quimby Jr. 18. Veronica Tiber 19. August Tiber 20. Mrs. August Tiber 21. Frederick Froud 22. Alice Marquette 23. Miss Kathleen Richards (teacher) 24. Frank Petznick 25. Anna Manson 26. Mabel Hawkins 27. Flossie Manson 28. Mrs. Fred Hawkins 29. Mrs. Gertie (Tom) Lambert 30. Tom Lambert 31. Bob Smith 32. Andy Hemorach 33. Nicol Manson
Identity key to group photograph taken at Manson's Landing in 1911.
1. Eugene Paulson 2. Mrs. E. Paulson 3. Rose Manson 4. Lennard Hawkins 5. William (Bill) Hawkins 6.Hazel Manson 7. Mrs. Margaret (John) Manson 8. John Manson 9. George Freeman 10. Robina Manson 11. Florence Manson 12. Herbert Hawkins 13. Beatrice Hawkins 14. unknown 15. Mrs. George Quimby 16. George Quimby 17. George Quimby Jr. 18. Veronica Tiber 19. August Tiber 20. Mrs. August Tiber 21. Frederick Froud 22. Alice Marquette 23. Miss Kathleen Richards (teacher) 24. Frank Petznick 25. Anna Manson 26. Mabel Hawkins 27. Flossie Manson 28. Mrs. Fred Hawkins 29. Mrs. Gertie (Tom) Lambert 30. Tom Lambert 31. Bob Smith 32. Andy Hemorach 33. Nicol Manson
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.
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.
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.
May and Wilfred Freeman on the beach near the Hidalgo Point end of Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The building at the left end of the fence was known as the Rorison house. In 1915-16 a fisherman named Bisnet lived there and in 1917 the Mike Manson family moved in. The fence had been built earlier and protected some fruit trees.
May and Wilfred Freeman on the beach near the Hidalgo Point end of Stag Bay, Hernando Island. The building at the left end of the fence was known as the Rorison house. In 1915-16 a fisherman named Bisnet lived there and in 1917 the Mike Manson family moved in. The fence had been built earlier and protected some fruit trees.
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