Account books: ledger, Jul 1912 - Feb 1913, Feb 1913 - Jun 1915, Mar 1913 - Sep 1914, Jun 1916 - Aug 1917; cash book, Feb 1912 - May 1916; ledger, Jan 1915 - ca. Jan 1917; monthly statements, Sep 1916 - Jun 1917.

CALL NUMBER: T0883:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-02 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Alexander Ritchie describes how he came from Calgary in 1896; drove a stage between Fort Steele and Windermere for a few months; went back to Calgary, but returned to Windermere in 1898; worked on ranches and mined until 1910; was part owner of CVI [Columbia Valley Irrigated Fruit Lands, Limited] with [R.R.] Bruce for five years; broke up with Bruce and eventually owned the whole company and site; CPR board of directors were the driving force behind CVI; KCRR [Kootenay Central Railway] reached Athalmer in 1912; the Paradise Mine and some anecdotes. TRACK 2: Mr. Ritchie continue;s by discussing Fort Steele as a "wide open town" in the 1890s and the stage run from Fort Steele to Windermere. He then discusses democrats (i.e., type of wagon).

CALL NUMBER: T0883:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-02 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Ritchie continues his description of the Fort Steele to Windermere stage run; more anecdotes; Windermere as the earliest settlement in the area; Mr. Ritchie's several trips across the Rockies and taking horses east to sell in Alberta. TRACK 2: Mr. Ritchie describes an incident at Banff with Indians and selling horses as far north as Grande Prairie. Then Mrs. Lizzie Ritchie describes how she came from London to Winnipeg in 1904; her first husband was Charles Burgess, who was bookkeeper for a lumber company; Waldo as the first ghost town; and some anecdotes about the lumber industry.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1979-04-10 SUMMARY: In an interview with Becky Thomas and Joan Adams, Arthur Peake discusses teaching in one room schools in British Columbia.;

CALL NUMBER: T1028:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1961-07-08 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Cliff Harrison describes how he came to Ootsa Lake, and the good reputation of the land for agriculture. He discusses his father, who was a miner in the Kootenays and his memories of the; East Kootenays; the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1914, his experience working in a Hudson's Bay Company store in Kamloops; work for mining companies; reminiscences of Ootsa Lake in 1912, including ;that there was no doctor; how people had to help each other. He describes a few local characters and early settlers: Harry Morgan, Mike Touhy, Shorty Matheson, Cataline (Jean Caux), Barney Mulvaney, a;nd Skin Tyee, who was also known as Charlie Clutesi. TRACK 2: Mr. Harrison continues with more on local characters Skin Tyee and Florence Hinton. Mr. Harrison then recalls his experiences with Native Indians, and the introduction of aviation to the Ootsa Valley.

CALL NUMBER: T1028:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1966-05-05 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Cliff Harrison recalls how Indians came to have their legends via observations with no evidence, and the Indian legend of "Devil Man"; a story of a man dying of scurvy; and discusses trappin;g and selling fur in Kimsquit Valley. TRACK 2: Mr. Harrison recalls a bear story; anecdotes about what he did for amusement; and traveling through the Interior, including how he traveled.;

CALL NUMBER: T1028:0003 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1961-07-08 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Harrison recalls trapping beginning in 1906, including how trappers came to the area; fighting in World War I and coming back to the wilderness in 1919; anecdotes about selling furs in a; fluctuating market; a trapping convention and basket social; Mr. Harrison's recollections of other trappers, including John Mikkelson, Jack and Arthur Shelford, Harry Morgan (who was the first white man in the area), Skin Tyee and Jimmy Morgan. TRACK 2: Mr. Harrison continues discussing trappers such as Jimmy Morgan. He tells a story about mixing flying with trapping, and starting a trend for other trappers learning to fly; miscellaneous events connected to trapping, including almost freezing to death; and impressions and anecdotes about wolverines.

CALL NUMBER: T1028:0004 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1961-07-08 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Harrison recalls growing up in the East Kootenay, including what life was like before the railroad; a detailed description of Captain Armstrong, a steamboat captain who navigated the Columbia River; the significance and details on the running of steamboats at that time; logging and wages. Harrison describes his arrival in BC in 1904, including his impressions. Harrison recalls various characters (and elaborates on what life was like at that time): Rufus Kimpton, Jim Brewer and a few more. TRACK 2: Mr. Harrison continues with more characters and events: the opening of the Paradise Mine; real estate promoter Randolph Bruce; "Bugroom"; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lake; Frank Stoddard, who had a hotel; several stories about blacksmith Sinc Craig,including one where he broke his leg falling into a grave at a funeral; Malcolm Cameron, the first policeman in the area, and how early pioneers were very law abiding, E.J. Scoville, who was the first magistrate and was also a champion speed; skater based out of Wilmer, and Jim McKay, the cattle baron at Athalmer.

RECORDED: Greenwood (B.C.), 1982-06-03 SUMMARY: Leroy was born near London, Ontario. He converted to Catholicsm in 1928, was ordained, and taught in New York city and the northeastern United States. He returned to Montreal and was sent to BC in 1947. He spent 11 years in Athelmere, then was in Richmond from 1958 to 1968, and Greenwood from 1968 onward. He tells stories about the area.

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.