Catalog of British Columbiana and Pacific Northwest Americana

"Journalist Lori Tobias arrived on the Oregon Coast in 2000. After freelancing from Newport for several years, she signed on to the Oregonian as a stringer covering the coast from Florence to Astoria; later she would be hired as a staff writer responsible for the entirety of Oregon's coast-one person for more than three hundred miles. This meant long hours, being called out for storms in the middle of the night (and in dangerous conditions), driving hundreds of miles in a day if stories called for it. The Oregon Coast is a rugged, beautiful region. Separated from the state's population centers by the Coast Range, it is a land of small towns reliant primarily on fishing and tourism, known for its dramatic landscapes and dramatic storms. Many of the stories Tobias covered were tragedies: car crashes, falls, drownings, capsizings. And those are just the accidents; Tobias covered plenty of violent crimes as well. But her stories also include more lighthearted moments, including her own experiences learning to live on and cover the coast. Tobias's story is as much her own as it is the coast's; she takes the reader through familiar beats of life (regular trips back east as her parents age), the decline of journalism in the twenty-first century, and the unexpected (and not entirely glamorous) experiences of a working reporter-such as a bout of vertigo after rappelling from a helicopter. Ultimately, Tobias tells a compelling story of a region that many visit but few truly know"-- Provided by publisher

xviii, 181 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

"Think of the time when settlers came to the area north of Seattle. This forested area along scenic Puget Sound attracted those willing to work the land, including my ancestors in the early 1900s on both sides of my family. I grew up in Richmond Beach on the property settled by my great-grandfather Morton M. Anderson. Read these stories and think of the aroma of strawberries, freshly baked bread, linen on the clothesline, water from a pump, hay bales, leather saddles on horses, fresh salt air, cleanly cut lumber, a whiff of chickens, and a hint of Flamo. There are many pictures from our family to fill in the details"-- Publisher description

x, 207 pages : illustrations ; maps ; portraits ; 23 cm

IN EARLY 1968, the gates of City of Tacoma's Mossyrock Dam on the Cowlitz River in Lewis County, Washington closed and the 23.5 mile long reservoir be- hind the dam began to fill, inundating the former town sites of Riffe, Nesika and Kosmos. Thus ended the short-lived history of a fertile valley that had first been settled in the 1880s and 1890s; mostly by people from Appalachia who came west looking for a better life. The town of Riffe was named after one of those early settlers, Floyd Riffe, who came to the area from West Virginia in 1893 with a group of about 60 people. Riffe established a post office, named after him, that would eventually serve about 1,500 people until they were all forced to sell their homes and land and leave the valley so the City of Tacoma could build their dam. Stories from Riffe, Wash, is a collection of narratives that recalls some of those peo- ple, how they lived and died, and what it was like in the valley that now lies deep beneath the waters of Riffe Lake. --From Backcover

ix, 150 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

In the 1950s, the city of Seattle began a transformation from an insular, provincial outpost to a vibrant and cosmopolitan cultural center. As veteran Seattle journalist R. M. Campbell illustrates in Stirring Up Seattle: Allied Arts in the Civic Landscape, this transformation was catalyzed in part by the efforts of a group of civic arts boosters originally known as “The Beer and Culture Society.” This “merry band” of lawyers, architects, writers, designers, and university professors, eventually known as Allied Arts of Seattle, lobbied for public funding for the arts, helped avert the demolition of Pike Place Market, and were involved in a wide range of crusades and campaigns in support of historic preservation, cultural institutions, and urban livability.

xxxv, 251 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

"British colonialism, US cultural influences and Canadian immigration policies - these and other forces in Canadian history have helped to shape the evolution of cricket on Vancouver Island. Declared to be the national sport of Canada in the mid-nineteenth century, and today one of the world's most widely played mass spectator sports, cricket has gone largely into the shadows in Canada. Yet the sport retains a committed player base, has become a symbol of Canadian multiculturalism, and has one of the most active cricket communities in the country on Vancouver Island. This in-depth review of a largely overlooked part of the island's social history should appeal not only to those involved in Vancouver Island cricket, but also to historians of sport, local history buffs and enthusiasts of the game beyond Vancouver Island."-- Amazon.ca web site

xiii, 178 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

"The subject of wildlife both unites and deeply divides British Columbians. From concern over dwindling orca populations to deeply political debates over hunting and harvesting, questions surrounding fish and wildlife harvest rights and methods, and the effects of industrial resource extraction, tourism, and residential development upon wildlife populations, have produced an atmosphere of conflict and distrust in BC. Spanning the deep history of human relationships with wildlife, from pre-contact Indigenous land stewardship to the present day, Stewards of Splendour explores the ways that government, Indigenous communities and stakeholder groups have sought to shape and deliver, or responded to the consequences of, wildlife management policies and practices and resource development activities in the province. Throughout, it emphasizes the circumstances and initiatives that made and continue to make BC different, from the astonishing diversity of our ecosystems to our unusually high proportion (over 94%) of public land while profiling instances of made-in-BC approaches. Drawing upon a rich body of historical, scientific and policy-related literature and over 80 interviews, Stewards of Splendour examines changing societal values around wildlife and the implications of these changes for wildlife managers today."-- Provided by publisher

xxiv, 589 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), map (some color) ; 23 cm

A history of the massive undertaking required to build the railroads and roadways through the northern Cascades into the Seattle region.

191 pages : illustrations, maps ; 21 cm

Sternwheelers and Steam Tugs: An Illustrated History of the Canadian Pacific Railway's British Columbia Lake and River Service by Robert D. Turner is a highly detailed 1984 maritime and transportation history published by Sono Nis Press. The book meticulously chronicles the creation and operation of the CPR's vital inland fleet, which navigated the often treacherous waterways of British Columbia’s mountainous interior. Turner extensively documents seventy years of the iconic paddlewheelers and robust steam tugs that served as the primary economic lifelines for remote mining camps, agricultural settlements, and early pioneer boomtowns, capturing an era defined by boiling rapids, fierce river races, and regional gold rushes. Ultimately, featuring an exhaustive collection of archival photography, vessel specifications, timetables, and precise scale drawings, it serves as an authoritative and indispensable resource for regional historians seeking to understand the ambitious corporate infrastructure and rugged inland marine culture that foundationaly connected the frontier of the Canadian Pacific Northwest.

xi, 280 pages : illustrations, maps, plans (some color) ; 29 cm

Jennie was different. Her wheels were astern, instead of port and starboard. Her rudders were close to the wheel. But she was the prize forerunner of a host of river favorites - the stern-wheelers - that were particularly adaptable to river sailing. The Jennie Clark was fast; she could cut swiftly through the rough waters of the Columbia River; she was narrow enough to skim around rocks and rapids. The story of her trips, and those of many of her successors, presents a nostalgic panorama of the adventurous days of the old Northwest, when steamboats and the men who captained them sailed their way into a new civilization. This is the first special account of steamboat navigation in the Columbia River country, and a comprehensive picture of the opening up and subsequent development of the Northwest. From the arrival of the little Beaver at Fort Vancouver in 1836 to the maiden voyage of the 219-foot stern-wheeler Portland in 1947, this entertaining book offers many facets, including the historical conflicts with Indians, the development of the wheat fleet, famous ship disasters, and accounts of the spectacular ships that ran the rapids. The region covered includes all the rivers and lakes of the Northwest except the Puget Sound area. There are tales, too, of the men who manned these ships - of Captain J. C. Ainsworth, who learned steamboating on the Mississippi; of Ben Holladay, far-famed in stagecoach history, who came north to carve his niche in steamship transportation; of U. B. Scott, whose steamship system grew to huge proportions; of the men of the Oregon Steamship Navigation Company, and many others. There are few Jennies left. Boat enthusiasts should take note of the compact appendix listing all boats, with dates of construction, sizes, types, and details of their final dispositions. It is all here - rich in lore, in the grandeur and dynamism that characterizes the great Northwest itself.

212 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

"The spectacular landscapes in and surrounding the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island have long shaped the lives of the valley's diverse inhabitants. From expansive shorelines to snowy mountain peaks, the region contains a wide variety of attractions to lure people over their thresholds for sustenance, recreation and survival, including such landmarks as Forbidden Plateau, Paradise Meadows, Comox Glacier, Mt. Washington and Miracle Beach. Step into Wilderness features never-before-seen photos from the Courtenay and District Museum collection, showcasing the growing community's varied interactions with the wilderness they inhabit, from early hiking and skiing expeditions to encounters with wildlife, afternoon tea in the wilderness, beach races and early outdoor activity clubs. The collection also explores the ways in which inhabitants have altered the landscape, including K'omoks Bay fish traps and stump blasting to clear fields. These unique and arresting photos are complemented by equally engaging accounts of individuals surviving and thriving in the midst of natural beauty and great devastation, including survivors of the great fire of 1922 and pioneer skiers on Forbidden Plateau during the Great Depression. More than a collection of beautiful photos, this collection illustrates a community's evolving relationship with the natural wonders surrounding it, as well as the emergence of outdoor exploration on Vancouver Island."-- Provided by publisher

208 pages : illustrations (some colour), portraits ; 29 cm

Looks at the remote community of Stehekin in Washington's Cascade mountains and describes how a pioneering style of life has become more like that of the outside world

206 pages : map ; 24 cm

A rare collection of the early history of the Stehekin valley, head of Lake Chelan, in Washington’s North Cascades. Lively narratives describe adventures of early explorers with pack trains, and accounts of riding the first steam boats on Lake Chelan. Writing styles of the 1900’s paint vivid and enticing pictures of exciting journeys to the upper mining holds in Horseshoe Basin, the presence of Native Americans, and the influence of the railroad bringing visitors clear across the country to relax and recreate in glorious mountain surroundings. Republished by Stehekin Heritage, Carol Stone’s collection of stories are gathered from early local newspaper articles and explorer’s journals. For those that know and love Stehekin, or wish to know how settlement began in this remote community, Glimpses of the Past is a worthy compilation and reference of accurate history of the Chelan area.

xi, 248 pages : illustrations, map, portrait ; 22 cm

Stehekin: a wilderness journey into the Northern Cascades captures the profound geographic isolation and environmental majesty of a remote frontier enclave situated deep within the rugged, glaciated core of Washington’s North Cascades. Bake details how the region's formidable physical barriers—specifically the towering, impenetrable alpine peaks and the sheer, precipitous walls of the fifty-mile-long, glacially carved trench of Lake Chelan—strictly dictated the margins of human access and pioneer settlement. By mapping the arduous logistical realities of a community completely severed from the modern highway system, the narrative highlights how this steep, fjord-like valley forced residents to rely entirely on waterborne transit up the deep inland lake or grueling overland travel via high mountain passes for their sheer survival. This intense spatial isolation preserved a pristine, unforgiving wilderness environment where early homesteaders and miners had to continuously adapt their lifeways to the extreme vertical topography and severe winter precipitation of the inland mountains. Ultimately, this narrative and photographic record serves as a deeply localized spatial history, demonstrating how the dramatic geologic extremes and absolute topographic inaccessibility of this Pacific Northwest valley fundamentally shaped its enduring identity as a resilient, water-bound sanctuary at the edge of the alpine frontier.

43 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 18 cm

Charles Conkling, E. R. Jackman, and John Scharff’s Steens Mountain in Oregon's High Desert Country provides a sweeping visual and historical portrait of the massive fault-block mountain that dominates the remote southeastern corner of the state. The narrative deeply maps the stark, dramatic topography of this isolated inland geography, contrasting the sheer, glacier-carved drops of Kiger Gorge with the expansive, arid alkali flats of the Alvord Desert lying directly in its eastern rain shadow. By chronicling the region's sprawling cattle ranches, rugged Basque sheepherders, and resilient wildlife, the authors illustrate how early inhabitants and ecosystems adapted to the severe climate of Harney County. Ultimately, the book captures the unyielding beauty of the Great Basin environment, showcasing a drastically different geographic facet of the Pacific Northwest far removed from its famously wet coastal timberlands.

xiv, [2], 203 pages : color illustrations ; 38 cm

Steamer's Wake: Voyaging Down the Old Marine Highways of Puget Sound, British Columbia, and the Columbia River by Jim Faber, featuring a foreword by noted regional historian Murray Morgan, is a richly illustrated 1985 maritime history published by Enetai Press in Seattle. The book chronicles the romantic and economically vital era of paddle-wheelers and coastal steamers that dominated Pacific Northwest transportation from the mid-19th century through the 1940s. Faber meticulously details the vessels, the rugged captains, and the pivotal inland routes that connected the remote timber camps, pioneer settlements, and boomtowns along Puget Sound, the Fraser and Columbia rivers, and the coastal waters stretching up to the Klondike. Ultimately, packed with vintage photographs and engaging nautical lore, it serves as an indispensable and highly nostalgic visual record for maritime historians and enthusiasts seeking to explore the "mosquito fleet" and the historic marine highways that built the modern Northwest.

257, [8] pages : illustrations, maps ; 29 cm

Wilbur Thompson and Allen Beach’s Steamer to Tacoma chronicles the vital maritime history and fierce civic rivalry that defined the "Mosquito Fleet" era on the sheltered inland waters of Washington's Puget Sound. The narrative maps the complex estuarine geography of the region, detailing the deep, glaciated channels and unpredictable tidal currents that separate the bustling maritime hub of Seattle’s Elliott Bay from the massive timber and railway terminals of Tacoma’s Commencement Bay. By illustrating how dense, impenetrable coastal rainforests and deeply entrenched river valleys historically choked off viable overland transit, the book demonstrates how pioneer populations were forced to rely entirely on this bustling aquatic highway for daily survival and economic expansion. The text details the technological evolution of the shallow-draft steamers that conquered these restrictive marine corridors, hauling lumber, agricultural yields, and passengers between rapidly industrializing port cities. Ultimately, the account captures the defining marine geography of the Pacific Northwest, highlighting how mastering this current-swept coastal basin through mechanized steam power was the absolute prerequisite for unifying the region long before the advent of modern highway infrastructure.

76 pages : illustrations, portrait ; 23 cm

Before the Northwest sported trains and roads alongside its rivers, steamboats took the curious and the settlers as far inland as the water could take them. Gulick describes the boats and the people who plied the rivers from Idaho to Alaska in the early days of white settlement, focusing on the career of the irascible William Polk Gray, who turned from his aspirations to be a missionary medical man to become a skilled fresh-water mariner. Gray and only a few dozen others like him managed

xviii, 248 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm

In the heyday of its water commerce, Lake Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho was the scene of more steamboating than any other lake, salt or fresh, west of the Great Lakes. The old steamers brought gold, silver, and lead from the mines; lumber from the forests; mail to lonely homesteaders; and romance down the shadowy St. Joe River, whose silken waters flow into the Coeur d'Alene. The old steamboats are gone now from the lake-but here is their story, exciting, nostalgic and complete. Across Lake Coeur d'Alene, in the early days, the big mining boom in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains was carried out, and the ore-hauling steamers came and went. Across the lake later went the timber seekers in their rush to grab the white pine riches of the St. Joe country; and a new fleet of steamers carried timber barons, homesteaders and lumberjacks up the twisting, cottonwood-shaded St. Joe. Here you will visit the bustling waterfront boom towns of Coeur d'Alene, Harrison, St. Maries, Ferrell, and St. Joe, just as they were in the glory days of steamboating, and as they are today. Romantic and factual history skill-fully merge as the old towns, the rivermen, and the boats glide by in easy, informed narrative.

209 pages, [7] leaves of plates : illustrations, map (on lining paper) ; 23 cm

Steamboat Days on the Rivers by Frederick Wallace Wilson and Earle K. Stewart details the transformative era of sternwheelers navigating the vital waterways of the Pacific Northwest. The historical account centers heavily on the Columbia and Willamette rivers, tracing the perilous maritime routes from the bustling docks of Portland, Oregon, up through the treacherous Cascade Rapids and Celilo Falls. The narrative explores how these riverboats served as the economic lifeblood connecting coastal settlements in Washington and Oregon to the distant, rugged interior as far inland as Lewiston, Idaho, via the Snake River. Through vivid descriptions of these arterial waterways, the book captures the geography of a region unified by its reliance on riverborne commerce and transportation.

iii, 118 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Snug within the realms of Central Idaho, the Stanley Sawtooth country comprises one of the most scenic regions in the West. This is the story of the people who settled this land and their struggle to survive its hostile winters, and about an unhurried way of life. Subjects included mining, first settlements, schools, homesteading, cattle and sheep ranching, forest service.

viii, 404 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits

A man of intelligence, drive, creativity, and fascinating contradictions, Straub overcame personal challenges and inevitable comparisons to his charismatic predecessor and friendly Republican rival, Tom McCall, to have a lasting impact on Oregon and the nation. Charles Johnson shares insights into Straub’s significant legacy, focusing on his leading role in the state’s financial and environmental issues and his influence on McCall. Johnson also reveals much of Straub’s warm personal story, along with his secret struggles, including his battle with depression while Governor. Standing at the Water’s Edge offers rich descriptions of other intriguing political figures of the time as well, capturing the flavor of what has been called Oregon’s political “golden age” of the sixties and seventies—created in part by the symbiotic relationship between Straub and McCall—and describing how and why it ended. Standing at the Water’s Edge is an essential addition to the literature about Oregon’s political leaders for historians, political scientists, and general readers interested in Oregon history.

xiv, 338 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Published by mountaineer and author Kevin McLane, Squamish: The Shining Valley chronicles the dramatic geographic, cultural, and recreational evolution of British Columbia's famous fjord-side corridor. The book traces the region's transformation from an ancestral indigenous territory and a rugged 19th-century logging outpost into a world-renowned mecca for rock climbing, mountaineering, and outdoor recreation. Through striking photography and detailed historical accounts, the text captures the tenacity of the working-class communities who first carved railways and mills out of the imposing granite wilderness. A keen insight drawn from the work is how modern outdoor recreation alters the meaning of peripheral landscapes; the transition of Squamish from an extractive mill town into an elite adventure capital demonstrates that post-industrial mountain valleys are increasingly valued not for the timber they yield, but for the untamed verticality that allows modern seekers to escape urban containment.

96 pages : illustrations (some color), portraits ; 23 x 28 cm

Trevor Mills and the Squamish Valley Historical Society’s Squamish: History of a West Coast Community chronicles the physical and civic development of the estuarine basin situated at the head of Howe Sound. The text documents how foundational Coast Salish settlements—stewarded since time immemorial by the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation)—were intersected by nineteenth-century cattle pre-emptors, hop growers, and commercial logging operators. Mills traces the establishment of early railway terminals, detailing the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway wharves and yards that transformed the delta into a vital deep-water transshipment gateway. The work details the spatial expansion of residential and commercial neighbourhoods—including Brackendale, Cheekye, Dentville, Valleycliffe, Hospital Hill, Garibaldi Estates, and Garibaldi Highlands—while recording the industrial operations of local sawmills and the turbulent flood management works along the Squamish and Mamquam rivers.

168 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 28 cm

"For more than twenty-five years, Brian Campf collected vintage photographs and ephemera related to Oregon sports. Sporting Oregon includes approximately 350 images from Campf's extensive collection that offer an overview of the first fifty years of organized sports in Oregon, primarily baseball, football, and basketball, but also such pastimes as horse racing, track, hockey, tennis, and cricket. In his introduction, Campf traces the origins of team sports in Oregon, using period newspaper accounts to chronicle the increasing participation in and popularity of organized sports in the state. Detailed captions provide additional information on how and where the sports developed, on team histories, and on records of games and seasons. The book features a number of images from early Oregon Agricultural College (now OSU) and University of Oregon teams. The book's images range from historically significant (the earliest original photo of Oregon sports) and diverse (women's basketball, African American baseball) to athletes representing towns, schools, and organizations across Oregon. It is a book about sports but the images also reflect the people, places, and society of their time. Whites did not play on the same teams as blacks. Women wore modest attire. Sports were played in even the smallest communities, a welcome diversion from a hardscrabble life. Using horses, wagons, trains, and even boats, teams and their fans ventured to neighboring towns, bringing people together. Sporting Oregon is intended for readers interested in sports history, Oregon history, vintage photography, Americana, and local history. A foreword by historian Carl Abbott and an afterword by special collections librarian John Hawk provide additional context for the visual treasure trove. Packed with images from the past that provide a fascinating lens through which to view Oregon history, Sporting Oregon's pages will be savored and lingered over by people of all ages, by scholars and casual readers alike"-- Provided by publisher

xiii, 226 pages : illustrations (some color), portraits ; 26 cm