RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-07 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Miss Effie L. Turnor describes early settlement at Wilmer: how she came from England with her family in 1911; her father was lured out by R.R. Bruce's pamphlet; her father bought ten acres just above Wilmer; grew strawberries and apples; in 1916 she moved to Invermere; there were few farms near Wilmer in the early days; it was mainly a mining town; Bruce's charming personality is described; she mentions several characters around Wilmer. [TRACK 2: blank.]

The sub-series consists of oral history interviews recorded in the East Kootenay and Upper Columbia regions, mainly dealing with the history of those regions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The history of many communities in the region are discussed, with particular emphasis on Fernie, Fort Steele, Golden, Invermere, Wilmer and Windermere.

CALL NUMBER: T0920:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-06-02 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. Minnie Caldwell Irvin came to Arrowhead BC from Nova Scotia in 1911. She mentions her father Edward C. Smith. She discusses her marriage to Sam Irvin and her reasons for coming west. She offers her impressions upon arrival in Arrowhead, and some early memories of Arrowhead; boats on the Arrow Lakes; Halcyon Hot Springs; St. Leon; Revelstoke; Arrowhead and Arrowhead Hotels; a lands;lide at Whisky Point; recreation, such as skating. She discusses her husband's background, and then discusses the lumber industry; lake boats and Captain Cambourne; Rossland's red light district; Rossland in 1896; the decline of Arrowhead, and her move to Athalmer in the Columbia Valley in 1912. TRACK 2: Mrs. Irvin describes the Columbia Valley stage: Jim McKay; Sir Randolph Bruce; 'Whistling' Rufe Kempton; Mr. and 'Ma' Henderson. She discusses riverboats; Sir Randolph Bruce and the Columbia Valley orchards land scheme; the Athalmer area economy; railroad construction. She then compares Windermere; Invermere; Athalmer and Wilmer. She discusses Kootenay and Shuswap Indians and comments on Indian-White relations; recreation; more about 'Whistling' Rufe. She describes the Athalmer Hotel in 1912; the coronation of the hotel at Arrowhead; social life and recreation at Athalmer; cock fighting; Fairmont and Radium Hot Springs.

CALL NUMBER: T0920:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-06-02 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. Irvin continues with the story of how she came to Rossland from Athalmer in 1915, and stayed until 1958, operating the Irvin Hotel. She describes the red light district of Rossland; the; trip to Rossland in 1915; facilities at the hotel and making lunches for the miners. She describes Rossland in the 1930s and stories about finding and mining minerals. She discusses transportation ;and compares Athalmer to Rossland. She then compares Rossland to other mining towns. TRACK 2: Mrs. Irvin describes the scenery near Rossland; recreation such as horseback riding, a first in the tow;n in the 1920s; Rossland's beginnings; the history of the Irvin Hotel; the explosion of 1905; hotels; and an incident with 'Calgary Red'.; CALL NUMBER: T0920:0003 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-06-02 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. Irvin discusses 'Old Lady Jess'; Rossland buildings as they were before the fire in the 1920s. She describes the home of Ross Thompson, who Rossland was named after; Trail; Mary's Flats; at Trail; the Italian population at Trail; Mrs. Essling; an M.P.'s travel to Trail; the Sullivan Mine at Kimberly; and miscellaneous comments about the Rossland area. [TRACK 2: blank.];

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-05 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. H. Williams describes her trials as a woman homesteader at Wilmer: she came from Scotland in 1914 and really wanted to go back as she was very homesick for a year; settled outside of Wilmer; their house was built in ten days; her husband was a carpenter; and had worked in Wilmer for three years before he brought his wife out; Sir Robert Randolph Bruce is described as not being an hon;est man; misleading advertisements about Invermere; a description of Bruce's wife and her death; loggers and miners described as real gentlemen; originally Wilmer was more prominent than Athalmer and Windermere, but then Bruce pulled out; a big flood in 1916. [TRACK 2: blank.]

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-05 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. L.B. Lake came from Wisconsin to Wilmer in 1911. She discusses R.R. Bruce at Invermere and James L. McKay at Athalmer. Mrs. Lake's father-in-law, J.J. Lake, ran the first store in Athalmer. Mrs. Lake describes Bruce's fruit farming plans; the 'demo-cart' and the route from Cranbrook to Windermere; Athalmer as a pioneer logging town. TRACK 2: Mrs. Lake continues by describing the boats running along the Columbia River and on Lake Windermere.

Letters from Margaret (Oxley) Phillips and her husband, Captain John Noel Phillips, to Mrs. Phillips' mother and sister in England, describing their experiences farming land obtained from Columbia Valley Irrigated Fruit Lands Ltd., near Wilmer; biographical notes on her parents by Elizabeth Phillips.

Presented by Elizabeth Phillips, London, England, 1966.

Letters written by Captain and Mrs. J. N. Phillips, Wilmer, to Mrs. Phillips' mother and sister, Mrs. Oxley and Freda Oxley, of Windsor, England; the letters describe the Phillips experiences settling on land obtained from Columbia Valley Irrigated Fruit Lands, Ltd. Ink sketch of interior of house.

Presented by R. Cole, Harris, Dept., of Geography, University of British Columbia, 1977, who obtained them from Miss Elizabeth Phillips (daughter of Captain and Mrs. Phillips), London, England.

Plaint and procedure book from Peterborough, 1902 and from Wilmer, 1902-1928; index volume 1901-1928.

Suitor's fund cash book from Peterborough, 1901 and from Wilmer 1902-1928; 1939.

CALL NUMBER: T0879:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-05 & 07 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Vaughan Kimpton tells the story of his father; Rufus Ashton Kimpton; and how he came to Donald in 1883, and opened up a liquor store. Vaughan was born in Donald and the whole family moved to Windermere when he was five or six. He describes the area; the breakup of the CPR headquarters at Donald; the supreme power exercised by Gold Commissioner E.W. Griffiths; his father setting up a trading store in Windermere; the history of Revelstoke; large hide trade with the Indians; the settling of disputes before the police arrived; lists of various early settlers; how he drove a stage from 1909 to 1911, carrying mail in winter, and a description of the Windermere/Cranbrook run in detail. TRACK 2: Mr. Kimpton relates several incidents on the stage route; mention of several old timers, such as Colin C. McKee, who tried unsuccessfully to compete with Mr. Kimpton's father; mail and newspapers being the only means of outside communication; more on a priest; Wilmer as a boom town in; the early 1900s; and the naming of various towns in the area.

CALL NUMBER: T0879:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-05 & 07 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Kimpton describes the shooting of the Banjo Kid; young easterners thought they had to behave rough in the west; police came shortly after; Colin Cameron was the first constable; many tragic occurrences as a result of winter; fish was a staple food in winter; Mr. Kimpton's parents were instrumental in establishing St. Peter's in Donald; in 1900 his father disassembled the church without permission and moved it to Windermere, but the church bell was stolen in Golden; there was a Presbyterian church in Donald before St. Peter's. TRACK 2: Kimpton continues with anecdotes about the behavior of the old timers in church; more talk about Patty Ryan and Jonas Bob; Baptiste Morigeau and his family; and English remittance men in Windermere.

Record book, 1925-1954. Part of file 90/59 removed from GR-0419.