Catalog of British Columbiana and Pacific Northwest Americana

"The great fire of 1889 devoured the business heart of Seattle. The story of how it began, who actually started it, how the fire department reacted, and why the fire roared out of control make fascinating reading."--Amazon.com viewed Oct. 3, 2022

69 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm

Widowed at the age of thirty-five, Muriel Wylie Blanchet packed up her five children in the summers that followed and set out aboard the twenty-five-foot Caprice. For fifteen summers, in the 1920s and 1930s, the family explored the coves and islands of the West Coast, encountering settlers and hermits, hungry bears and dangerous tides, and falling under the spell of the region’s natural beauty. Driven by curiosity, the family followed the quiet coastline, and Blanchet—known as Capi, after her boat—recorded their wonder as they threaded their way between the snowfields, slept under the bright stars and wandered through Indigenous winter villages left empty in the summer months. The Curve of Time weaves the story of these years into a memoir that has inspired generations to seek out their own adventures on the wild West Coast. First published in 1961, less than a year before the author died, Blanchet’s captivating work has become a bestselling classic of travel writing.

202 pages 22 cm

"Celebrated historian Barry Gough brings a defining era of Pacific Northwest history into focus in this biography of Richard Blanshard, the first governor of Vancouver Island--illuminating with intriguing detail the genesis and early days of Canada’s westernmost province. Early one wintry day in March 1850, after seven weary weeks out of sight of land, a well-dressed Londoner, a bachelor aged thirty-two, stood at the ship’s rail taking in the immensity of the unfolding scene. From Her Britannic Majesty’s paddlewheel sloop-of-war Driver, steadily thumping forth on Imperial purpose, all that Richard Blanshard could make out to port, in reflected purple light upon the northern side, was a forested, rock-clad island rising to considerable height. Vancouver’s Island they called it in those far-off days. This was his destination. Richard Blanshard was governor of the young colony for three short, unhappy years--only one and a half of which were spent in the colony itself. From the very beginning he was at odds with the vastly influential Hudson’s Bay Company, run by its Chief Factor James Douglas, who succeeded Blanshard as governor of the colony of Vancouver Island and later became the first governor of the colony of British Columbia. While James Douglas is remembered, for better or worse, as a founding father of British Columbia, Richard Blanshard’s name is now largely forgotten, despite his vitally important role in warning London of American cross-border aggressions, including a planned takeover of Haida Gwaii. However, his failures highlight the fascinating struggles of the time--the supreme influence of commerce, the disparity between expectations and reality, and the bewildering collision of European and Pacific Northwest culture."-- Provided by publisher

368 p.

William S. Stone’s The Cross in the Middle of Nowhere: The History of the Catholic Church in Eastern Oregon chronicles the institutional, missionary, and parish development of the Roman Catholic Church across the arid expanses of the Columbia Plateau, the Blue Mountains, and the Great Basin interior. The narrative traces how itinerant missionary stations, rural chapels, and reservation boarding schools were superimposed directly onto the seasonal gathering roots, river fisheries, and ancestral homelands of the Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Northern Paiute peoples. Stone details the demanding logistical mechanics of early religious administration, illustrating how circuit-riding clergy traversed rugged stagecoach trails, pack routes, and emergent rail corridors to bind isolated livestock ranches, transient mining camps like Auburn and Canyon City, and railhead communities to regional centers at The Dalles and the diocesan see at Baker City. Ultimately, the chronicle demonstrates how ecclesiastical outposts and parochial networks functioned as durable instruments of social and civic infrastructure, permanently anchoring settler colonial governance across the high desert landscape.

xi, 372 pages : illustrations, portrait, map ; 23 cm

The Cowichan Region is the large area that lies between the cities of Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, reaching from the protected eastern shores of the island nearly all the way west to the Pacific Ocean. Its cornucopia-like shape is fitting for a place of such remarkable bounty, and this area is home to a growing number of newcomers seeking its pleasant climate, recreational activities and culinary delights. Sometimes referred to as Canada's Provence, the name Cowichan is derived from a Coast Salish word meaning "warm land" or "basking in the sun."

143 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), maps, portraits ; 29 cm

William O. Douglas served on the Supreme Court of the United States for over 36 years, from 1939 to 1975, the longest term of any Justice. His tenure was marked by an unyielding and brilliantly executed determination to- as he frequently put it- "keep the government off the backs of the people." Together with Hugo Black, Justice Douglas was responsible for many of the Supreme Court decisions which extended the protection of the Due Process Clause of the Constitution; limited the power of the large corporations; protected the maverick and the dissident from government harassment; extended and guarded the civil rights of blacks, of women and of other minorities; safeguarded American public lands and resources from those who would plunder them ... and on ... and on. He wrote more dissenting opinions (and wrote them faster) than any other Justice, and yet many of those dissents were later reflected in legislation or else in the majority opinions of the Court itself. Timely, newsworthy, historically important, This book is the personal record of that great lifelong struggle. It continues the memoirs Justice Douglas began so eloquently in his best-selling 'Go East, Young Man.' For the first time in the history of the Supreme Court, one of the Justices- himself- has set about to give the judicial history of the great issues of American life and to show how these issues were dealt with in the Conference Room and "among the Brethren." With a deep understanding of the Court process, with a pungent wit and an intimate knowledge both of the law and of those who interpreted it, Douglas reveals the Supreme Court as it has never been seen before. -- from Book Jacket

xi, 434 pages, 8 unnumbered leaves of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

Describes the famous Battle of Pierre's Hole of that year between the Blackfeet and the trappers and their Indian allies (including the Flatheads). The second section covers Wyeth's observations camping with a Flathead camp during April and May 1833

xix, 262 pages, 3 unnumbered leaves of plates (2 folded) : maps ; 25 cm

About two-thirds of the way from San Francisco Bay to the Columbia River lies Coos Bay, the larges natural harbor on the Oregon coast.... the subject of this book. It is a book about the social and economic development of a small corner of the Pacific Northwest from a coastal frontier into a major population and forest industrial center of Oregon.

163 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm

Excellent short history of the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad between 1870-1888, describing the building of the Eastern Section, the Western Section and the Cascade Line. The author provides a well-written look at the people involved, the geography, financial difficulties and the engineering triumphs. With map. 64 pages with index.

64 pages ; 24 cm.

86 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm

From snowcapped mountains and delicate sub-alpine meadows to sandy beaches and secluded bays, The Comox Valley offers a fascinating look at one of the most popular regions on Vancouver Island--the area that stretches along the east coast of Vancouver Island from Fanny Bay to Black Creek, including the communities of Comox, Courtenay, Cumberland and Merville, as well as Denman and Hornby islands. The Comox Valley is known for its natural beauty, diverse recreational opportunities and as a vibrant centre of the arts. In a blend of stunning colour photographs and lighthearted, informative text, the book explores the mountains, rivers, beaches and sheltered waters of this unique geographic region. Journey to rural farms and lively urban centres, get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a Canadian air force base and experience the laid back charm of Denman and Hornby islands. Discover a historic mining village, ancient sites of First Nations' battles and the fossilized remains of an 80 million-year-old elasmosaur. Learn why the Comox Valley has such a high concentration of artists and meet some genuine West Coast characters including a legend from the days of old-time logging.

143 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 29 cm

In the late 1700s when European colonizers arrived on the Northwest Coast, they reported the presence of vigorous, diverse cultures—Tlingit, Haida, Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwakiutl), Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka), Coast Salish, and Chinookan—with a population conservatively estimated at more than 180,000. Just a century later the population had plummeted to only 35,000—a devastating loss of Indigenous lives caused by the introduction of diseases brought by settlers and colonizers. The Coming of the Spirit of Pestilence examines the first century of contact and the effects of introduced diseases such as smallpox, malaria, measles, and influenza on Native American population size, structure, interactions, and viability. Whereas in most parts of the Americas disease transfer and depopulation occurred early and were poorly documented, the later date of Euro-American contact in the Pacific Northwest means that records are relatively complete. Through doctors’ records, ships’ logs, diaries, censuses, and Native American oral traditions and testimonies, Robert Boyd reconstructs the process of disease transfer and the profound demographic and cultural impact of specific epidemics. This definitive study of introduced diseases in the Pacific Northwest illuminates the magnitude of human suffering and traces connections between these processes and cultural change.

xv, 403 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Authored by historian William Denison Lyman, The Columbia River: Its History, Its Myths, Its Scenery, Its Commerce provides an expansive early 20th-century portrait of the Pacific Northwest's most vital waterway. The book chronicles the transformation of the mighty river from a wild, mythic landscape navigated by indigenous tribes and early fur traders into a heavily domesticated artery of steamboat commerce and regional agriculture. Through a blend of recorded Native American legends, pioneer chronologies, and glowing descriptions of geographic grandeur, the text captures the prevailing frontier optimism regarding the industrial subjugation of nature. A keen insight drawn from the work is how the juxtaposition of indigenous mythology and modern commerce exposes the inherent paradox of frontier boosterism; by romanticizing Native American legends as vanishing antiquities while simultaneously celebrating the aggressive industrial development of the river, the narrative illustrates how early historians actively mythologized the region's past to justify its colonial and ecological conquest.

xx, 409 p : front., plates, ports., 2 fold. maps ; 25 cm.

The United States mandated the medical inspection of all arriving immigrants in 1891. The Columbia River Quarantine Station in Knappton Cove, Washington, established 1899, was one of four points of entry on the west coast for immigrants coming to America. Thousands of European and Asian immigrants underwent health inspections at the station

98 pages : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm

Published in 2007 by Clarence E. Mershon, The Columbia River Highway from the Sea to the Wheatfields of Eastern Oregon chronicles the grand engineering vision and historical evolution of one of America's most scenic roadways. The book details the monumental construction efforts led by Samuel C. Lancaster to carve a paved highway through the formidable cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge, connecting Portland's maritime climate to the vast agricultural interior. Through detailed historical narratives and vintage photographs, the text illustrates how the highway fundamentally transformed regional travel, commerce, and tourism by replacing precarious riverboats with a unified overland route. A keen insight drawn from the work is how the highway's pioneering design philosophy deliberately prioritized aesthetic wonder over pure utilitarian efficiency, transforming a piece of heavy civic infrastructure into a monumental landscape architecture project meant to romanticize the Pacific Northwest frontier for early motorists.

x, 274 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm

Throbbing with history of the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the United States, the mighty Columbia River is one of the longest rivers in North America. The Columbia has been an enemy at times. Before dams, vicious rapids claimed lives; and the river, swelled by ice melt from Canadas Columbia Ice Fields, flooded towns as distant as Portland, Oregon. Always it has been stunningly scenic. Read about the early river steamers on both sides of the border. Ponder the travels of salmon. Who built the Grand Coulee or Bonneville dams? What happened at the Hanford Project? Explore with David Thompson, who discovered the source of the river. Meet the real people who call the Columbia River shores their homes.

xiii, 228 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

From 1905 to 1969, people along the British Columbia coast knew and loved the ships and men of the Columbia Coast Mission. The fiery John Antle started the service, primarily to provide isolated logging camps, Indians and settlers with much-needed medical facilities; in addition, there were religious services and social occasions - weddings, picnics, visits, libraries and the famous Christmas parties. This is the story of those sturdy little ships, their warm-hearted, practical skipper-chaplains and doctors, and their important role in the history of the coast

205 pages, 40 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map, portraits ; 23 cm

76 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm

Stewart H. Holbrook’s The Columbia chronicles the monumental pioneer and industrial subjugation of the Pacific Northwest’s most violent and dominant hydrological artery, a massive riverine highway carving directly through formidable alpine barricades and vast arid plateaus. The narrative maps how the severe environmental realities of this treacherous watercourse—ranging from the ship-killing estuarine choke point of the Columbia River Bar to the sheer, impassable basalt walls of the Columbia Gorge—initially dictated all regional transit, forcing early fur traders, loggers, and steamboat captains to relentlessly battle its untamed kinetic energy. By detailing the grueling transition from precarious riverboat navigation and localized salmon extraction to the colossal engineering triumphs of Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams, the text illustrates how the aggressive economic expansion of the inland empire was strictly governed by the necessity of artificially harnessing the river's massive volume. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that systematically domesticating this volatile aquatic highway and deploying massive concrete infrastructure to transform its raw hydrological fury into electrified, mechanized power were the absolute prerequisites for binding a geographically fractured wilderness into the modern, industrialized powerhouse of the Pacific seaboard.

[10], 393 pages : illustrations, maps ; 21 cm.

"On an unusually cold January night in 1943, Martha James was murdered on a train in rural Oregon, near the Willamette Valley town of Albany. She was White, Southern, and newly-married to a Navy pilot. Despite inconsistent and contradictory eyewitness accounts, a young Black cook by the name of Robert Folkes, a trainman from South Central Los Angeles, was charged with the crime. The ensuing investigation and sensational murder trial captured national attention during a period of intense wartime fervor and extensive Black domestic migration. Folkes' trial and controversial conviction--resulting in his execution by the state of Oregon--reshaped how Oregonians and others in the West thought about race, class, and privilege. In this deeply researched and detailed account, Geier explores how race, gender, and class affected the attitudes of local town-folk, law officers, and courtroom jurors toward Black trainmen on the West Coast, at a time when militarization skewed perceptions of virtue, status, and authority. He delves into the working conditions and experiences of unionized Black trainmen in their 'home and away' lives in Los Angeles and Portland, while illuminating the different ways that they, and other residents of Oregon and southern California, responded to news of 'Oregon's murdered war bride.' Reporters, civil rights activists, and curiosity seekers transformed the trial and appeals process into a public melodrama. The investigation, trial, and conviction of Robert Folkes galvanized civil rights activists, labor organizers, and community leaders into challenging the flawed judicial process and ultimately the death penalty in Oregon, serving as a catalyst for civil rights activism that bridged rural and urban divides. The Color of Night will appeal to 'true crime' aficionados, and to anyone interested in the history of race and labor relations, working conditions, community priorities, and attitudes toward the death penalty in the first half of the 20th century"-- Provided by publisher

374 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

The colonial postal systems and postage stamps of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, 1849-1871 examines the immense logistical challenges of establishing reliable communication networks across the vast, unforgiving terrains of Canada's westernmost colonial frontiers. Deaville details how early postal routes struggled to penetrate the region's extreme physical barriers, tracking the movement of mail from the isolated maritime hub of Victoria on Vancouver Island through the treacherous, steep-walled canyons of the Fraser River. By mapping the perilous overland express trails that supplied remote gold rush encampments deep within the rugged Cariboo interior, the narrative highlights the profound physical isolation of these early mainland settlements. Ultimately, the book illustrates how the development of early postal infrastructure was a direct, necessary response to the sprawling and mountainous topography that separated this rugged Pacific Northwest outpost from the rest of the world.

210 pages, 8 unnumbered leaves of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

"Although for the most part forgotten today, Ada Hastings Hedges was among Oregon's foremost mid-twentieth-century poets. Famous in her lifetime, she was best known for her superb poems set in Oregon's high desert, which offer a fascinating counterpoint to C.E.S. Wood's seminal The Poet in the Desert. Except for a twelve-year sojourn in southeastern Oregon and two years in Los Angeles where her physician-husband served in the City Health Department, Hedges lived in Portland from 1912 until her death in 1980. She was assistant editor at Binfords and Mort Publishers and a supervising editor in the Works Progress Administration. She taught briefly at Warner Pacific College in the 1960s. Hedges wrote in a style notable for precision, clarity, and smoothness of line. More than half of her poems in this collection are sonnets. A poet of the city as well as the desert, her work offers a compelling perspective on mid-century Portland life. In 1933 she published her only book, Desert Poems. That collection is reprinted here in its entirety, along with scores of additional poems published in a wide variety of venues, making this the first comprehensive collection of Hedges's work. A detailed introduction by the editors and annotations to the text provide information about revisions, publication dates, and notable features. Also included is an essay by Hedges asking "Can Poetry Be Taught?" In her afterword, Oregon poet Ingrid Wendt writes of her admiration for Hedges's "fierceness of spirit, lack of sentimentality, and complex vision," accompanied by her "dogged determination to keep 'dreaming beauty from every land'." For readers interested in women's literature, Pacific Northwest poetry, and the literature of Eastern Oregon, this volume reintroduces a compelling regional voice"-- Provided by publisher

xvi, 147 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 22 cm.

H. G. Barnett’s The Coast Salish of British Columbia chronicles the intricate social engineering and rigid economic structuring necessitated by the punishing seasonal extremes of the Salish Sea, encompassing the rugged, tide-ripped straits of the San Juan archipelago and the insular geography surrounding Orcas Island. The narrative maps how the severe environmental realities of the Pacific Northwest winter—characterized by violent coastal storms, terrestrial resource scarcity, and profound maritime isolation—forced these populations to retreat into massive, highly engineered cedar-plank winter villages. By detailing the complex, heavily ritualized redistribution of wealth through the potlatch system and the strict territorial control of specific riverine and estuarine environments, the text illustrates how the survival of the societal hierarchy was strictly dictated by the necessity of managing the explosive, yet hyper-concentrated, caloric wealth of the seasonal salmon runs. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that artificially regulating this biological surplus and deploying rigid socio-economic systems to conquer the lean, dark months of coastal detachment were the absolute prerequisites for maintaining a deeply stratified, permanent civilization on this volatile aquatic frontier.

xiii, 320 pages : illustrations, folded map ; 26 cm.

xiii, 320 pages : illustrations, folded map ; 26 cm.

xiii, 126 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm.