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Archival description
Canadian Pacific Railway Company Railroad tunnels--British Columbia--Design and construction
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Andrew J. Onderdonk fonds

  • PR-1803
  • Fonds
  • [ca. 1881]

The fonds consists of photographs depicting the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Pacific Section, including views of landscapes, tunnels, structures, construction workers, First Nations along the route, and portraits of the Onderdonk family, business associates, and friends.

Onderdonk, Andrew J., 1848-1905

George H. Williamson interview

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-10 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. G.H. Williamson recalls his 40 year career with the CPR. Born in Toronto, he moved to Donald, B.C., in 1892 and started with the railways. By 1900 he was working as an engineer. He discusses the community of Donald, the town, and the CPR facilities. He provides descriptions of railway equipment, engines, train mechanics, rails and grades. This portion of the tape concludes with descriptions of the Rogers Pass rail service and snow slides.

TRACK 2: Mr. Williamson continues with recollections of his railway career, the Rogers Pass area, the destruction of the original Roger's Pass Station and facilities in an 1898 slide, the Rogers Pass Slide of 1910, the construction of the railway tunnels in the Field area, railway accidents and the dismantling of the Donald CPR shop which was moved to Revelstoke.

John and Caroline Bergenham and Brita Bergenham : interview

CALL NUMBER: T0866:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-09 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. and Mrs. Bergenham discuss farmers; railroaders and con men in the Kootenays. John's father came to Canada in 1892; worked for the CPR; living conditions in Golden at the turn of the century; Walter Moberly was the CPR surveyor; Golden's fluctuating fortunes were dependant on lumber and the CPR; complaints about the highway and how it brings about the demise of the small family farm;er; he began to work for the CPR at age seventeen; then worked on construction of Connaught Tunnel. TRACK 2 Mr. Bergenham continues with more on the construction of the tunnel; description of the Roger's Pass line; varied discussion of railroading around Golden from 1900 to 1920; several anecdotes on smelter construction by fraudulent stock companies; preachers pushing shares from the pulpit; famous outlaws at Golden such as Bill Miner; and several more anecdotes.;

CALL NUMBER: T0866:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-09 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: More old timers in the area; "sporting houses" in Golden and Donald at the turn of the century; the naming of Golden. Then Mrs. Bergenham speaks. Then John's mother speaks. (She is 103 [101?]; years old and speaks in Swedish, and John Bergenham translates.) She came to Canada in 1893; hard times in Canada still better than hard times in Sweden where one could not hunt or fish. [TRACK 2: blank.]

Marjorie Parker interview

CALL NUMBER: T2628:0001 RECORDED: Revelstoke (B.C.), 1977-01-25 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Family background; oriental population; characters up the Big Bend, ca. 1920; pack trains and prospecting up the Bend; early Revelstoke history; CPR; churches; business; red light district. TRACK 2: Prospectors in the 1920s; school in Revelstoke, A.E. Miller; entertainment; making of the film "Silent Barriers" [i.e., "The Great Barrier"]; first marriage and personal experiences up the Bend; work and interests outside the home; father's jobs; CPR strike 1902; ice cutting on the Columbia; south country communities.

CALL NUMBER: T2628:0002 RECORDED: Revelstoke (B.C.), [date unknown] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: More on A.E. Miller; natural disasters; more on father's jobs -- surveying, cattle ranching, dairying, forest ranger; Indians; hobo jungle around 1915; family history; building of Connaught tunnel; snake rooms in old hotels; formation of the Revelstoke Art Club. [TRACK 2: blank?]