The file contains "Adventures of a farm girl in Canada in 1925", by Joan Simpson, with a forward by her god-daughter, June Knowles. It consists of four reminiscences about life on a cattle ranch and in a fruit growing area of British Columbia by a young English woman who spent a year or two in British Columbia in the early 1930s. Although both personal and geographical names have been changed, the ranch on which Miss Simpson worked was undoubtedly the Church Ranch at Big Creek in the Chilcotin district.

The item is a b&w photograph of the Big Creek school in the Williams Lake school district.

SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Bruce Watt RECORDED: Williams Lake (B.C.), 1982-07-23 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Bruce Watt tells tale about deep mud. Convoy of trucks in the mud. How he made faster time on horseback than could the trucks in the mud. Recalls speed sign on impassable road. When stories were told. Story of grizzly-hunting. Tale of bad dust storm and high wind. Tale tellers: Lester Dorsey and his horse-trading stories. Tells a Dorsey story. Tells another horse-trading tale. When he last told the deep mud tale: two men told him of a remarkable slave stud, and he told them the mud tale in reply. The mud. Story of motorist on mud trail. Story of notoriously slow talkers. Story about inexperienced American hunters. Stories of American hunters. Tells about American killing grizzly. Life history: born in 1926 and came to area in 1948. Was in Big Creek for 25 years, ranching and raising a family. Born in Chilliwack. Does guiding. Guiding story: trying to get a bear out of a tree. Cattle driving in the 1940s and 1950s. Trucks took over later.;

Diaries of H.E. Church, 1890-1933; account book and personal papers of R.H. Church, 1927-1969; business papers re the Church ranch; papers of the Big Creek Stock Breeders Association, 1923-1969. H.E. Church emigrated from England to Canada in 1886. He homesteaded on Sheep Creek in Southern Alberta from 1887 to 1897, farmed at Comox, B.C. from 1897 to 1902, and in 1903 moved to Big Creek, B.C.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1967 SUMMARY: Oral history interviews with Dick Church, who came to ranch at Big Creek in 1901 with his father and family; Bill Bliss, who describes his father's ranch at Redstone; and Tommy Lee, who was a storekeeper at Alexis Creek.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: The interview begins with the story of Mr. Blenkinsop's arrival from England in 1907. He discusses his work at the Chilco Ranch, raising horses at Farwell Canyon, ranching on Big Creek and the growth of Chilco Ranch and the development of ranching in the area. He describes some of his experiences driving freight wagons and catching wild horses. He tells stories about Mr. Church, a horse hunter, other settlers in the area, local Indians, and Norman Lee of Alexis Creek. TRACK 2: Blenkinsop discusses the sales of cattle, Becher's stopping house near Riske Creek, cattle drives, and the Cotton Ranch.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1979-09-17 SUMMARY: Lorna Woodman (age 25) tells of her one-room school at Big Creek. Her childhood on a farm. Her love of teaching and reasons for wanting to teach in a one-room school. Taught at Bear Lake (1976-77), Douglas Lake (1977-79), and Big Creek (1979-80). She also attended a one-room school near Merritt.;