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.
Sub-series consists of printed copies and some carbon copies of Douglas's annual Christmas Letter, a two to four page letter sent yearly to over 200 friends and correspondents. The letters contain details of life at Channel Rock with observations of natural history and the garden; accounts of Douglas's community and political activities; records of her travels and philosophical musings.
Sub-series consists of printed copies and some carbon copies of Douglas's annual Christmas Letter, a two to four page letter sent yearly to over 200 friends and correspondents. The letters contain details of life at Channel Rock with observations of natural history and the garden; accounts of Douglas's community and political activities; records of her travels and philosophical musings.
Sub-series consists of typed manuscripts, including one bound typescript, of Douglas's books of nature writing ("River For My Sidewalk", "Silence Is My Homeland" and "The Protected Place") and a typed good copy of a book about mountain characters which was never published, "Our Guests Don't Stink".
Sub-series consists of typed manuscripts, including one bound typescript, of Douglas's books of nature writing ("River For My Sidewalk", "Silence Is My Homeland" and "The Protected Place") and a typed good copy of a book about mountain characters which was never published, "Our Guests Don't Stink".
Series consists of five folders containing information about Douglas's writing career, including resumés, reviews of published work, publicity releases, articles written about Douglas, and lists of prose and poetry.
Series consists of five folders containing information about Douglas's writing career, including resumés, reviews of published work, publicity releases, articles written about Douglas, and lists of prose and poetry.
Series consists of material generated and collected by Douglas during her term on the Comox-Strathcona Regional Board. Douglas served as Alternate Director from 1968 to 1973, and as Director from 1973 to 1978. During this time, island residents were actively involved in the formulation of Cortes' first Official Settlement Plan and Zoning By-law. Series includes reports, correspondence, notes, copies of studies, Regional District by-laws and drafts of by-laws, including the Official Settlement Plan. It also contains materials on community organizations generated after her term which she collected because of a continuing interest in local government and community planning, and because, as a former Director, she was often consulted on island issues.
Series consists of material generated and collected by Douglas during her term on the Comox-Strathcona Regional Board. Douglas served as Alternate Director from 1968 to 1973, and as Director from 1973 to 1978. During this time, island residents were actively involved in the formulation of Cortes' first Official Settlement Plan and Zoning By-law. Series includes reports, correspondence, notes, copies of studies, Regional District by-laws and drafts of by-laws, including the Official Settlement Plan. It also contains materials on community organizations generated after her term which she collected because of a continuing interest in local government and community planning, and because, as a former Director, she was often consulted on island issues.
Series consists of records of the Whaletown Community Club from the 1950s, and club newsletters from the late 1980s. Both Gilean Douglas and Philip Major Douglas held office in the club during the 1950s. Series includes correspondence, financial reports, lists of members and other administrative documents, and newsletters.
Series consists of records of the Whaletown Community Club from the 1950s, and club newsletters from the late 1980s. Both Gilean Douglas and Philip Major Douglas held office in the club during the 1950s. Series includes correspondence, financial reports, lists of members and other administrative documents, and newsletters.
Series consists of a variety of material relating to Douglas's life at Channel Rock, her 135 acre waterfront homestead. Channel Rock was located on the outside of Gorge Harbour, directly across from Shark Spit on Marina Island. It had no road access and could be reached only by walking trail or boat. Douglas lived in a simple cabin overlooking the water with no electrical power, although she did have a telephone. Series includes the daily journal that her husband, Philip Major Douglas, kept during the year that he lived on Cortes prior to Douglas's arrival; household account statements from the early 1950s; lists and inventories of Douglas's library, photographs, research files and household items; a resumé of Douglas's long-time caretaker David Edwards; bills and receipts for household expenses; Christmas card and gift lists; records of egg, plant and vegetable sales; and garden records including plant lists, planting plans, annotated garden catalog pages and garden catalogs.
Series consists of a variety of material relating to Douglas's life at Channel Rock, her 135 acre waterfront homestead. Channel Rock was located on the outside of Gorge Harbour, directly across from Shark Spit on Marina Island. It had no road access and could be reached only by walking trail or boat. Douglas lived in a simple cabin overlooking the water with no electrical power, although she did have a telephone. Series includes the daily journal that her husband, Philip Major Douglas, kept during the year that he lived on Cortes prior to Douglas's arrival; household account statements from the early 1950s; lists and inventories of Douglas's library, photographs, research files and household items; a resumé of Douglas's long-time caretaker David Edwards; bills and receipts for household expenses; Christmas card and gift lists; records of egg, plant and vegetable sales; and garden records including plant lists, planting plans, annotated garden catalog pages and garden catalogs.
