Folder labelled Bee Islets Growers Corporation Financial Statement Year Ended December 31, 2007 containing three CD's labelled "A History of Cortes Isl Shellfish," "Misty Isles Oysters," and "Oyster April 06"; printed photographs of shellfish farming; Cortes Women in the Shellfish Industry; laminated photographs from Misty Isles Adventures. And Cortes Island shellfish features printouts from www.cortesshellfish.ca
Folder labelled Bee Islets Growers Corporation Financial Statement Year Ended December 31, 2007 containing three CD's labelled "A History of Cortes Isl Shellfish," "Misty Isles Oysters," and "Oyster April 06"; printed photographs of shellfish farming; Cortes Women in the Shellfish Industry; laminated photographs from Misty Isles Adventures. And Cortes Island shellfish features printouts from www.cortesshellfish.ca
Excerpt from Transactions of the Edinburgh Geological Society, 1868; A Trapper's Journal, Charlie Rasmussen, 1929; excerpt from The Last Great Sea mentioning Bute Wax, 2000; Bute Inlet history and the Glacier Museum Project, Judith Williams, 2010; BC Arts Capacity and Sustainability Grant draft application, 2011; emails and webpage printouts, 2010, 2011, 2015. Newspaper clippings and magazine articles relating to Bute Inlet, 2010-2019, subjects mentioned include: George Vancouver, Cougar Companions, Disposition of Crown Land and Allocation of Water, Plutonic Power, fishing, Homalco history and culture, Tsilqot'in, Glen Macklin, National Geographic. CIMAS promotional material for the Bute Inlet boat trip and exhibit; photographs and post cards
Excerpt from Transactions of the Edinburgh Geological Society, 1868; A Trapper's Journal, Charlie Rasmussen, 1929; excerpt from The Last Great Sea mentioning Bute Wax, 2000; Bute Inlet history and the Glacier Museum Project, Judith Williams, 2010; BC Arts Capacity and Sustainability Grant draft application, 2011; emails and webpage printouts, 2010, 2011, 2015. Newspaper clippings and magazine articles relating to Bute Inlet, 2010-2019, subjects mentioned include: George Vancouver, Cougar Companions, Disposition of Crown Land and Allocation of Water, Plutonic Power, fishing, Homalco history and culture, Tsilqot'in, Glen Macklin, National Geographic. CIMAS promotional material for the Bute Inlet boat trip and exhibit; photographs and post cards
Co-operative Fire and Casualty Company info regarding request to insure a property, Mr and Mrs Ellingsen, 1963. Licensing and insurance papers for E. Ellingsen, 1968-1970. Info on residential, recreational, commercial, industrial and investment real estate, "Growing with Vancouver," featuring Bruce Ellingsen, 1974. Excerpts from The Columbia is Coming!, Doris Andersen, 1982. Receipts from Mansons Landing Store for May and Elmer Ellingsen, 1982-1987. Old notebook cover, Elmer Ellingsen, undated. Info on memorials: Elmer Ellingsen, 2002; May Ellingsen, 2012; and Virginia Hazel Ellingsen, 2019. Letter from Etta to CIMAS, 2012. Invoice for art purchased by CIMAS from David Ellingsen, 2017. Info on The Last Stand, D. Ellingsen, 2019. Info on Cortes Connection, 2019. Photo of Dianne Hentschel, Nellie Jeffrey, May Ellingsen, undated.
Co-operative Fire and Casualty Company info regarding request to insure a property, Mr and Mrs Ellingsen, 1963. Licensing and insurance papers for E. Ellingsen, 1968-1970. Info on residential, recreational, commercial, industrial and investment real estate, "Growing with Vancouver," featuring Bruce Ellingsen, 1974. Excerpts from The Columbia is Coming!, Doris Andersen, 1982. Receipts from Mansons Landing Store for May and Elmer Ellingsen, 1982-1987. Old notebook cover, Elmer Ellingsen, undated. Info on memorials: Elmer Ellingsen, 2002; May Ellingsen, 2012; and Virginia Hazel Ellingsen, 2019. Letter from Etta to CIMAS, 2012. Invoice for art purchased by CIMAS from David Ellingsen, 2017. Info on The Last Stand, D. Ellingsen, 2019. Info on Cortes Connection, 2019. Photo of Dianne Hentschel, Nellie Jeffrey, May Ellingsen, undated.
Typed up information including newspaper excerpts including info from Shetland Islands, Scotland, "Story of the Weeks" by Peg Pyner (1950s), a letter from Mike to John Manson (1923), and general info on Manson family early days, from late 1800s-mid 1950s. Certificate of Competency as Master of a Passenger Steamer, M. Manson, 1890s; and info on M. Manson's Steam Tug Stella, 1892. Info on Read Island Murder Mystery, early 1900s. Info on Steam Donkey explosion @ Hague Lake, 1923. M. Manson diary from trip to Washington, 1923. Letters from Wilfred Freeman (grandson of M. Manson) from 2005 re: "Sketches from the Life of Michael Manson," 1932. Excerpt from The Log, 1944. Info on Murder at Savary Island, published in 1982. Excerpt from Seven Knot Summers, Beth Hill. Genealogical info, charts, old letters. Additonal keywords: Columbia Coast Mission; Queen's Tyee
Typed up information including newspaper excerpts including info from Shetland Islands, Scotland, "Story of the Weeks" by Peg Pyner (1950s), a letter from Mike to John Manson (1923), and general info on Manson family early days, from late 1800s-mid 1950s. Certificate of Competency as Master of a Passenger Steamer, M. Manson, 1890s; and info on M. Manson's Steam Tug Stella, 1892. Info on Read Island Murder Mystery, early 1900s. Info on Steam Donkey explosion @ Hague Lake, 1923. M. Manson diary from trip to Washington, 1923. Letters from Wilfred Freeman (grandson of M. Manson) from 2005 re: "Sketches from the Life of Michael Manson," 1932. Excerpt from The Log, 1944. Info on Murder at Savary Island, published in 1982. Excerpt from Seven Knot Summers, Beth Hill. Genealogical info, charts, old letters. Additonal keywords: Columbia Coast Mission; Queen's Tyee
This collection consists of ten photograph albums (binders) compiled and annotated by May Ellingsen. The albums contain both original and reproduced photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island. They are accompanied by captions and additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. Fonds consists of two series: Series 1 (The May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Vol. 1-9, Accession 2004.003) and Series 2 (The Manson Family Album, Accession 2004.002).
Ten photograph albums (binders) containing 152 original photographs and 482 reproductions.
History / Biographical
May Ellingsen was born on March 13, 1914 to George and Robina Freeman. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Manson, was the first person to pre-empt land on Cortes Island, claiming a quarter section on Gunflint Lake in 1886. May spent her childhood on Hernando Island, where her family homesteaded and logged, and on Cortes Island, where she attended the log school at Manson's Landing.
In 1936 May married Elmer Ellingsen. They spent the next ten years in the Loughborough Inlet/Phillips Arm area while Elmer worked for his father's logging operations. During those years their children, Shirley, Bruce and Andy, were born. In 1946 the family moved to Von Donop Creek, where Elmer was logging. In 1950 they moved their float house, built at the time of their marriage, to Manson's Landing Lagoon and two years later, to its present permanent location on Hague Lake.
May and Elmer devoted much time and energy to building their community. Amongst her many community activities, May ran the library at Manson's Hall. She had a strong interest in local history, researching the history of land pre-emptions on the island, collecting and annotating photographs from pioneer families and recording interviews with old timers. She was a founder of the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society; the archives reading room is named in her honor. Historical materials and artifacts gathered by May formed the kernel of the museum's collections and archives.
Custodial History
May Ellingsen created the albums in the 1980s, and kept adding to them throughout the 1990s. She kept them at the Manson's Landing library and then at the museum from 1999. She officially donated them to CIMAS in 2004.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of ten photograph albums (binders) compiled and annotated by May Ellingsen. The albums contain both original and reproduced photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island. They are accompanied by captions and additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. Fonds consists of two series: Series 1 (The May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Vol. 1-9, Accession 2004.003) and Series 2 (The Manson Family Album, Accession 2004.002).
"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).
Album Seven: Mike and John Manson families, 1895-1957
Contains: an excerpt from a Victoria Colonist article about Mike Manson's steamship "Thistle" [1907]; log of the "Thistle" [1891; history of Mike Manson's steam tug "Stella"; log of the 'Stella' [1895]; excerpts from the diary of John Manson [1902]; an account of John Manson's funeral by Rev. Alan Greene [1957]; photographs of the Manson family at their home on Cortes Island (McKay, Herrewig, and more...
Album Seven: Mike and John Manson families, 1895-1957
Contains: an excerpt from a Victoria Colonist article about Mike Manson's steamship "Thistle" [1907]; log of the "Thistle" [1891; history of Mike Manson's steam tug "Stella"; log of the 'Stella' [1895]; excerpts from the diary of John Manson [1902]; an account of John Manson's funeral by Rev. Alan Greene [1957]; photographs of the Manson family at their home on Cortes Island (McKay, Herrewig, and more...
Album 8, "Harbours and Marinas on Cortes Island", contains photographs of wharves and their surroundings in Whaletown, Manson's Landing, Cortes Bay, Marina Island, Camp/Subtle Island, and other nearby coastal areas.
Album 8, "Harbours and Marinas on Cortes Island", contains photographs of wharves and their surroundings in Whaletown, Manson's Landing, Cortes Bay, Marina Island, Camp/Subtle Island, and other nearby coastal areas.
Album 9: Hernando Island and Squirrel Cove
a) Hernando Island: contains a hand-drawn map of Hernando Island, and photographs of the pier, the locomotive used to haul logs, the logging crew at Stag Bay, the George Freeman home at Stag Bay, the logging camp on Hernando Island, residents of Hernando, and the Manson family when they lived at the George Freeman house.
b) Squirrel Cove: contains photographs of the church, the First Nations reservation and residents including the Dominic family, the Forrest family and their store, the Cowan family, the boat shed, planer shed and sawmill which belonged to Val Nichols, the wharf, and the Squirrel Cove Community Hall.
Album 9: Hernando Island and Squirrel Cove
a) Hernando Island: contains a hand-drawn map of Hernando Island, and photographs of the pier, the locomotive used to haul logs, the logging crew at Stag Bay, the George Freeman home at Stag Bay, the logging camp on Hernando Island, residents of Hernando, and the Manson family when they lived at the George Freeman house.
b) Squirrel Cove: contains photographs of the church, the First Nations reservation and residents including the Dominic family, the Forrest family and their store, the Cowan family, the boat shed, planer shed and sawmill which belonged to Val Nichols, the wharf, and the Squirrel Cove Community Hall.