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CALL NUMBER: T0691:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. George C. Monroe discusses his early life; born in Idaho, November 15, 1885. He discusses his father, who was a Methodist preacher who moved all around the western states before coming to Canada; the Methodist church; eventually moving to Alberta where he lived for ten years; moved to BC with his wife and two children; describes why he moved to Alberta to be a rancher with his brother; he was also a school teacher; moved near Coronation, Alberta; moved to BC to be a homesteader. He went to McBride but thought it was miserable; he describes the area in great detail; he describes his process of finding and establishing a homestead; he describes his ranch; he describes his neighbours, and his first few years on the ranch; the problems with local ferries. TRACK 2: Mr. Monroe continues by telling the story of the Farmers Institute, where they elected him to be the leader; there were no farmers in the Institute, only ranchers and lumberjacks; he discusses a few incidents and characters who were related to the Institute; Jack Mints, a locomotive foreman; a baseball game between the farmers and the railroaders; Wally Jack, who was a mill man and lumberjack; McBride. He describes his parents' lives in Edmonton as hotel owners who also ran a soup kitchen; a rough life in Edmonton; hunting for moose; his work ethic; incidents from his early life; his first winter; Christmas dinner; other anecdotes.

CALL NUMBER: T0691:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Monroe continues with an anecdote about a dog; more about his ranch; a fire in the house; more stories about incidents which happened on the land, including a run-in with a beaver; he also discusses trapping. [TRACK 2: blank.]

CALL NUMBER: T0692:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. William Blackman describes his father, a miner who came from Ohio. William was born in Pennsylvania, and he describes how his father went west to Strathcona, Alberta, as a packer. He describes the family as they traveled across Alberta, including time at the Pocahontas Mine, until settling in Mile 49, which was then the end of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad. He describes the area around Cranberry Lake at that time. He describes the family homestead around 1906. He discusses several of the old timers who surveyed the land around that time. Mr. Blackman describes a winter where the temperature got down to 60 degrees below zero in 1915 and 1916. He continues to describes winters and how the weather was tough and working for a lumber company. He describes the now abandoned town of Lucerne; the activities there; the CPR; and the lumber industry. He describes journeys down the Canoe River including the geography. TRACK 2 Mr. Blackman offers anecdotes about the hot springs off the Canoe River and then describes lakes in the area and more on the Canoe River. He describes Swift Creek and the boating activity there. He describes the river from Mile 49 to Golden and how some of it was impassible. He describes several ways to get into the area, mentioning the towns and geography, including trading routes. He describes Athabasca Pass; the CPR; the Yellowhead and general difficulties of passing through the area. He discusses Indian reservations at Tete Jeune. He tells an anecdote of an Indian, Johnny Moullier, who came through the area who walked from Mil;e 49 to Chu Chua in 1916. More anecdotes about people carrying things along the Canoe River in 1908.

CALL NUMBER: T0692:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Blackman discusses an expedition up north on a survey party to the Peace River Country in great detail, including anecdotes about the experience, people who worked on the survey and the jobs they did, and the geography in detail. TRACK 2: Mrs. E. Blackman describes how her father, Arthur 'Curly' Cochrane, worked as a cook on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1911. She was born near Montreal and she describes her family, their farming practices and the family homestead. She describes Tete Jeune as it was when she was a child. She discusses the produce on the farm and nearby; farms. She discusses the area between Dunster and McBride. She discusses the variety of berries in the area, which they would sell to the railroaders. She discusses the post-WWII boom in the area.

RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Aileen Lonsdale was born in the Washington Territory and moved around all her childhood; moved to Wolf Creek in 1909. She describes what was happening in Wolf Creek when she moved there, including her father's stopping house; she describes her family, Renshaw, including her brothers and her father, Robert Haldane Renshaw; she describes the area; steel mining; locations of railway stations; Mile 52; Valemount; Mile 49; railway construction camps; a description of Tete Jaune; bootlegging and smuggling during prohibition; some anecdotes about what life was like; moving to McBride in 1914; a description of McBride and life there when she arrived. TRACK 2: Mrs. Lonsdale continues with a description and anecdotes about the Indians at Tete Jaune; she describes Tete Jaune Cache and the surrounding area; Tete Jaune Mary.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1968 SUMMARY: TRACK 1 & 2: Mr. Charles Whitten describes the road from Resplendent to Tete Jeune Cache; the Foley, Welch and Stewart boats; a description of Tete Jeune; prohibition and bootlegging; railway work at Tete Jeune Cache; settling in McBride in 1914; the effects of World War I on the region.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1970 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Natural sounds and an interview, recorded by Imbert Orchard. (1) Water sounds, identified as "a small brook beside the road at Dome Creek." (2) "Birds at Dome Creek." (3) Mr. Francis Martin (who has lived in McBride, B.C., since 1961) discusses the construction and impact of the area's roads and highways; bridge construction; a landslide in 1961. He also talks about life in McBride, including: the role of the CNR in the area; sawmills and plywood mills; community life; more about the roads, and keeping them open in winter. (4) A woman (presumably Mrs. Martin) talks about life in McBride, and compares it to life in Quesnel and Smithers. [TRACK 2: blank.]