Catalog of British Columbiana and Pacific Northwest Americana

Gordon Keith’s The Ferryboat islands: a practical guide to Washington States's San Juan Islands navigates the complex marine geography and rocky archipelagos scattered between the Rosario and Haro Straits in the northern Salish Sea. Set against the isolated, deep-water harbors of Lopez, Orcas, San Juan and Shaw, the text details how early homesteading families and maritime laborers relied on the evolving ferry systems to bridge the formidable aquatic distances between their remote agricultural and fishing claims. By tracing the transition from dispersed pioneer anchorages to highly interconnected island neighborhoods, the narrative illustrates how a shared reliance on these vital marine transit routes fostered tight-knit regional kinship and cooperative commerce. Ultimately, this maritime history demonstrates how collaboratively navigating the seasonal tides and rugged coastlines of the archipelago was essential to forging the resilient, cohesive community identity that unites the modern island networks.

xx, 204 pages : illustrations, maps ; 21 cm

156 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Raymond W. Settle’s edited collection, The March of the mounted riflemen, chronicles the grueling 1849 military expedition across the vast plains, treacherous Rocky Mountain passes, and the rugged Columbia River Gorge along the full length of the Oregon Trail. Set against the formidable continental divide and the regiment's eventual terminus at Fort Vancouver, these primary journals detail how the cavalry operated as a tightly knit, mobile community tasked with protecting the massive influx of pioneer families migrating toward the Willamette Valley. By documenting the shared physical hardships of navigating arid deserts and swollen river crossings, the text reveals how these soldiers and the civilian wagon trains they escorted forged deep cooperative bonds essential for surviving the overland journey. Ultimately, this firsthand military record demonstrates how securing this immense geographic corridor paved the way for the enduring domestic settlements and deeply rooted agricultural communities that would soon define the Pacific Northwest.

The March Of The Mounted Riflemen, First published in 1940, is important as the only complete record of one of the longest marches ever made

378 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Beatrice L. Bliss White’s Not on a silver platter: settling the Willamette Valley and Salem, Oregon, 1858-1904 chronicles the grueling agrarian labor and civic perseverance required to cultivate the fertile floodplains and dense woodlands of central Oregon. Set against the defining waterways of the Willamette River and the distant backdrop of the Cascade foothills, the narrative details how subsequent waves of pioneer families navigated the physical hardships of clearing untamed acreage to establish viable farming claims. By chronicling the shared seasonal harvests and the collaborative construction of early Salem's commercial and educational institutions, the text reveals how these dispersed rural homesteaders forged tight-knit kinship networks to survive the demanding transition from frontier subsistence to agricultural prosperity. Ultimately, this local history documents how the cooperative stewardship of the valley floor and deeply rooted family alliances successfully transformed a rugged pioneer territory into the enduring, cohesive civic center that anchored Oregon's early statehood.

"The Adams family's new life in Oregon, the Territory and the new state."

498 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

This documentary shows the erosion that took place in Bayocean, Oregon with dozens of historic and current photographs, maps, unique cartoons, bibliography, index. The book also Salishan, Nestucca, Cape Lookout State Park, Newport and Jump-Off Joe, the Southern Oregon Coast, Washington's "wash-away" beach, the total destruction of Cape Showalter, and other places.

vi, 206 pages ; 22 cm

xii, 188, [3] pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Mercer Island Heritage by Judy Gellatly is a comprehensive local history, published by the Mercer Island Historical Society, that chronicles the evolution of this unique community situated in Washington's Lake Washington. Through detailed narratives and archival photographs, the book explores the island's transition from a secluded rural pioneer settlement into a bustling suburban city following the construction of the first floating bridge. Ultimately, it serves as an essential preservation of the region's early residents, civic milestones, and enduring local heritage.

vi, 185 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm

This 1997 edition of Sine Die is a completely new book. Since the first edition of Sine Die was published in 1987, there have been dramatic changes in the Washington State Legislature and in state politics. Limits have been placed on campaign contributions and reporting requirements are expanded; ethics laws were passed following revelations of improper use of caucus staff; Initiative 601 was passed by the voters imposing limitations on state taxing and spending powers; the legislative process has been computerized and information is now easily and quickly accessible electronically to all; and term limits, passed in 1992, start taking their toll on state legislators in 1998. Even more significant, there has been a gender revolution in the legislature. Women are on the verge of having an equal place in numbers and power and are having a dramatic effect on the legislative climate and on state policy. Sine Die is a clear and up-to-date description of how the Washington State Legislature works. Presenting substantially more information on women in the legislature, the role of the governor, and the various origins of legislation, the 1997 edition explains the process by which thousands of proposed laws are introduced each year and are culled down to the approximately twenty percent that are eventually enacted.

xiii, 203 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

The Dictionary of Oregon History is a comprehensive reference book written by Howard McKinley Corning. The book provides a detailed account of the history of the state of Oregon, covering a wide range of topics such as geography, politics, culture, and economy. It contains over 1,500 entries that are arranged alphabetically, making it easy for readers to find the information they need.The entries in the Dictionary of Oregon History are concise and informative, providing readers with a wealth of knowledge about the state's past. The book covers everything from the earliest Native American settlements in the region to the present day, including important events such as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Oregon Trail, and the state's admission to the Union in 1859.In addition to historical events, the Dictionary of Oregon History also covers important figures who have shaped the state's history, including politicians, artists, writers, and activists. The book also includes entries on important landmarks, such as Mount Hood and Crater Lake, as well as important industries such as logging, fishing, and agriculture.Overall, the Dictionary of Oregon History is an essential reference book for anyone interested in the history of the state.

281 pages ; 26 cm

Basil Dmytryshyn, E. A. P. Crownhart-Vaughan, and Thomas Vaughan’s edited collection, The Russian American colonies, 1798-1867: a documentary record, chronicles the expansive maritime fur trade and imperial expansion that stretched from the rugged Aleutian archipelago down the Pacific Coast to the frontiers of Alta California. Set against the harsh coastal climates and deep-water fjords of the northern Pacific rim, these translated primary documents detail how the Russian-American Company operated as a state-sponsored mercantile monopoly, establishing fortified outposts like New Archangel (Sitka) and Fort Ross in profoundly isolated environments. By tracing the complex, often fraught interdependencies between Russian administrators, Creole populations, and indigenous Aleut and Tlingit communities, the text reveals how these remote settlements relied on highly structured, multi-ethnic maritime labor networks to survive severe supply shortages and fierce international competition. Ultimately, this documentary record demonstrates how the forced and cooperative integration of European corporate infrastructure and indigenous maritime expertise temporarily transformed a sprawling coastal wilderness into a highly regulated commercial empire that profoundly shaped the early geopolitical borders of the Pacific Northwest.

xci, 590 pages : illustrations, maps ; 27 cm

Eric Newsome’s The coal coast: the history of coal mining in B.C., 1835-1900 chronicles the grueling industrial development and pioneer settlement along the rugged eastern shorelines of Vancouver Island. Set against the dense coastal rainforests and deep subterranean seams of the region, the narrative details how early waves of British, European, and Asian immigrant miners navigated extreme physical dangers to extract the vital resources that fueled Pacific maritime trade. By tracing the shared hazards of underground labor and the establishment of heavily regulated company towns like Nanaimo and Cumberland, the text reveals how these geographically concentrated workers forged tight-knit ethnic enclaves and resilient kinship networks to survive the perilous, often exploitative environment of early industrial mining. Ultimately, this local history documents how the collaborative endurance of these diverse workforces successfully transformed transient, company-controlled extraction camps into cohesive, enduring coastal communities that anchored the nineteenth-century economy of British Columbia.

195 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

A White Man’s Province examines how British Columbians changed their attitudes towards Asian immigrants from one of toleration in colonial times to vigorous hostility by the turn of the century and describes how politicians responded to popular cries to halt Asian immigration and restrict Asian activities in the province. White workingmen objected to Asian sojourning habits, to their low living standards and wages, and to their competition for jobs in specific industries. Because employers and politicians initially supported Asian immigrants, early manifestations of antipathy often appeared just as another dispute between capital and labour. But as their number increased, complaints about Asians became widespread, and racial characteristics became the nucleus of such terms as a “white man’s province” – a “catch phrase” which, as Roy notes, “covered a wide variety of fears and transcended particular economic interests.” The Chinese were the chief targets of hostility in the nineteenth century; by the twentieth, the Japanese, more economically ambitious and backed by a powerful mother country, appeared more threatening. After Asian disenfranchisement in the 1870s, provincial politicians, freed from worry about the Asian vote, fueled and exploited public prejudices. The Asian question also became a rallying cry for provincial rights when Ottawa disallowed anti-Asian legislation. Although federal leaders such as John A. Macdonald and Wilfrid Laurier shared a desire to keep Canada a “white man's country,” they followed a policy of restraint in view of imperial concerns. The belief that whites should be superior, as Roy points out, was then common throughout the Western world. Many of the arguments used in British Columbia were influenced by anti-Asian sentiments and legislation emanating from California, and from Australia and other British colonies. Drawing on almost every newspaper and magazine report published in the province before 1914, and on government records and private manuscripts, Roy has produced a revealing historical account of the complex basis of racism in British Columbia and of the contribution made to the province in these early years by its Chinese and Japanese residents.

xvii, 327 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Published by the Kendrick-Juliaetta Centennial Committee, A Centennial History of the Kendrick-Juliaetta Area chronicles the agricultural settlement, rugged pioneer endurance, and community-building along the steep, fertile canyon lands of north-central Idaho's Potlatch River valley. The book details how hardy homesteaders transformed an isolated wilderness into a thriving agrarian hub driven by wheat farming, timber harvesting, and the arrival of regional railroad lines. Through extensive family histories, rare photographs, and local archives, the text preserves the granular records of everyday survival in a striking canyon landscape. A keen insight drawn from the work is how topographical isolation forced early farming communities to engineer their own economic survival; by relying on narrow-gauge railroads to bridge the seemingly impassable gorges of the Palouse region, these rural settlements proved that agricultural prosperity in the Inland Northwest depended entirely on conquering hostile vertical geography.

vii, [3], 246 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 29 cm

Wayne P. Suttles and William C. Sturtevant’s edited collection, Handbook of North American Indians Volume 7, Northwest Coast, serves as an exhaustive encyclopedic summary of the prehistory, languages, and cultures of the region's indigenous peoples. Moving beyond broad overviews, the volume is structured into rigorous ethnographic chapters that document the specific histories and cooperative networks of a vast array of sovereign nations—from the Eyak, Tlingit, and Haida in the north, through the Tsimshian, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Nuu-chah-nulth, down to the Coast Salish, Makah, Chinookans, Tillamook, and Coos along the southern shorelines. By synthesizing regional demography with specialized studies on mythology, material art, and the Indian Shaker Church, the Smithsonian reference work catalogs how these distinct communities utilized sophisticated maritime technologies and complex kinship alliances to actively manage their environments. Through its comprehensive indexing of shared economic institutions like the potlatch and diverse linguistic families, the text reveals how intricate social structures were inextricably tied to the material survival of the coastal peoples. Ultimately, this monumental collection functions as a vital repository of anthropological research, documenting the immense resourcefulness of these specific nations and demonstrating how they built complex, enduring cultures long before Euro-American contact.

xv, 777 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 29 cm

Authored by Nancy Stringfellow, Report from Grimes Creek After a Hard Winter captures the isolated, rugged reality of pioneer life and gold-mining culture in the mountainous backcountry of Boise County, Idaho. The book reflects on the punishing aftermath of a brutal winter season, detailing how local homesteaders, miners, and families endured freezing isolation, scarce supplies, and the grueling physical toll of sub-zero mountain living. Through evocative prose and regional historical anecdotes, the text preserves a snapshot of resilient community survival along a historic Idaho creek. A keen insight drawn from the work is how seasonal extremes served as the ultimate equalizer on the mining frontier; by demonstrating how a severe winter instantly stripped away the speculative hype of the gold rush and reduced all residents to a shared struggle for basic warmth and sustenance, the narrative reveals that true frontier survival relied far more on stubborn endurance against nature than on mineral wealth.

34 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Co-authored by Margaret Day Allen and Ladd Hamilton, Lewiston Country: An Armchair History chronicles the rich heritage, geographic crossroads, and frontier development of Idaho’s first territorial capital. The book traces the region's evolution from ancestral Nez Perce homelands into a bustling steamboat and mining hub where the Clearwater and Snake rivers converge. Through engaging historical narratives and archival imagery, the text captures the colorful cast of merchants, miners, and riverboat captains who anchored civilization at the gateway to the inland empire. A keen insight drawn from the work is how river confluences function as natural magnets for geopolitical and economic control; by examining how Lewiston leveraged its strategic waterway access to dominate regional supply lines, the narrative highlights how the geography of river junctions dictated the terms of colonial dominance and urban survival across the Pacific Northwest.

vi, 253 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm

Jim Witherell’s History along the Greenbelt: an Idaho centennial project of the Ada County Centennial Committee explores the profound riparian reclamation and evolving civic identity forged along the banks of the Boise River. The narrative illustrates how the dynamic environmental realities of this vital watercourse—defined by its crucial role as a lush, life-sustaining oasis cutting through the arid, high-desert plains of southwestern Idaho—required continuous, shared adaptation from early settlers and modern residents alike. By detailing the gradual transition from an era of unchecked industrial exploitation and severe riverbank degradation to the cooperative, community-driven establishment of a continuous, protected urban greenway, the text highlights how the region's social health and urban development became intimately tied to its environmental stewardship. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that patiently rehabilitating this fragile riparian corridor and collaboratively integrating local historical heritage into accessible public spaces were essential steps in transforming a scarred frontier resource into a cohesive, enduring symbol of modern civic pride and ecological resilience in Idaho's capital.

vi, 131 pages : illustrations ; 18 cm

William Lowell Putnam, Glen W. Boles, and Roger W. Laurilla’s Place names of the Canadian Alps explores the rigorous alpine exploration and foundational cartographic integration of British Columbia's most formidable mountain ranges. The narrative illustrates how the severe environmental realities of this rugged topography—defined by towering glaciated peaks, treacherous high-altitude passes, and deep, isolated valleys—required immense physical resilience and shared navigational adaptation from early mountaineers, geologists, and railway surveyors. By detailing the gradual transition from a vast, unnamed alpine wilderness to a meticulously documented network of charted peaks and corridors, the text highlights how the cooperative efforts of early climbing clubs and mapping expeditions laid the vital cartographic groundwork for regional infrastructure. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that patiently conquering these severe vertical boundaries and collaboratively establishing a standardized geographical nomenclature were essential steps in transforming an impenetrable wilderness barrier into a deeply mapped, culturally recognized, and enduringly connected component of the Canadian Pacific Northwest.

xviii, 383 pages, 25 pages of plates : illustrations (some color), color map ; 24 cm

"Although Mexican migrant workers have toiled in the fields of the Pacific Northwest since the turn of the century, and although they comprise the largest work force in the region s agriculture today, they have been virtually invisible in the region s written labor history. Erasmo Gamboa s study of the bracero program during World War II is an important beginning, describing and documenting the labor history of Mexican and Chicano workers in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and contributing to our knowledge of farm labor."--Oregon Historical Quarterly

xiv, 178 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

Author Hazel Danner Fretwell Johnson was a writer for the Owyhee Outpost for 21 years. An avid history buff, in this book she features the history of Arock, Danner and Rome. All are communities in Southern Malheur County.

vi, 207, [4] pages : illustrations, map ; 21 cm

James E. Meacham and the University of Oregon’s Atlas of Lane County, Oregon explores the profound spatial documentation and cooperative regional planning required to govern one of the state's most geographically diverse jurisdictions. The cartographic narrative illustrates how the contrasting environmental realities of this vast topography—spanning from the rugged, maritime extremes of the Pacific coastline, across the fertile agricultural expanse of the southern Willamette Valley, to the densely timbered slopes of the High Cascades—require immense ecological foresight and shared, structured adaptation from modern civic institutions. By detailing the gradual transition from an era of geographically isolated frontier resource extraction to the cooperative establishment of comprehensive land-use frameworks and urban boundary controls, the atlas highlights how the county’s economic and environmental health relies heavily on collaborative, data-driven governance. Ultimately, the comprehensive geographic catalog demonstrates that patiently mapping these complex ecological borders and collaboratively managing the intersection of booming urban centers like Eugene with fragile natural resources are essential steps in transforming a massive, environmentally varied territory into a cohesive, enduring model of modern civic stewardship in the Pacific Northwest.

1 atlas (iv, 73 pages) : color maps ; 19 x 44 cm

Throughout much of the nineteenth century the Hudson's Bay Company had a virtual monopoly on the core area of the fur trade in Canada. Its products were the object of intense competition among merchants on two continents – in Leipzig, New York, London, Winnipeg, St Louis, and Montreal. But in 1870 things began to change, and by the end of the Second World War the company's share had dropped to about a quarter of the trade. Arthur Ray explores the decades of transition, the economic and technological changes that shaped them, and their impact on the Canadian north and its people. Among the developments that affected the fur trade during this period were innovations in transportation and communication; increased government involvement in business, conservation, and native economic welfare; and the effects of two severe depressions (1873-95 and 1929-38) and two world wars. The Hudson's Bay Company, confronting the first of these changes as early as 1871, embarked on a diversification program that was intended to capitalize on new economic opportunities in land development, retailing, and resource ventures. Meanwhile it continued to participate in its traditional sphere of operations. But the company's directors had difficulty keeping pace with the rapid changes that were taking place in the fur trade, and the company began to lose ground. Ray's study is the first to make extensive use of the Hudson's Bay Company archives dealing with the period between 1870 and 1945. These and other documents reveal a great deal about the decline of the company, and thus about a key element in the history of the modern Canadian fur trade.

xviii, 283 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Gordon B. Dodds, Craig Wollner, and Marshall M. Lee’s The silicon forest: High Tech in the Portland Area 1945-1986 documents the dramatic economic and demographic transformation of the lower Willamette Valley as it evolved from traditional resource extraction into a prominent technology hub. Centering on the rapid suburban expansion across Washington County—particularly within the emerging tech corridors of Beaverton and Hillsboro—the narrative traces how a post-war influx of engineers and their families established new, enduring neighborhoods alongside sprawling corporate campuses. By exploring the closely knit professional networks and foundational companies that spawned generations of spin-off enterprises, the authors illustrate how this modern pioneer workforce collaboratively built a highly interconnected and lasting industrial community in the Pacific Northwest.

xi, 226 pages ; 23 cm

David Richardson’s Pig War islands: the San Juans of Northwest Washington explores the unique geopolitical maturation and enduring maritime resilience forged within this contested archipelago. The narrative illustrates how the demanding environmental realities of this insular topography—defined by the strategic, labyrinthine waterways of the Salish Sea, rugged coastlines, and isolated fertile valleys—required immense self-reliance and shared, pragmatic adaptation from early British and American settlers. By detailing the gradual transition from a tense, heavily armed frontier standoff over international sovereignty to the cooperative establishment of enduring agricultural and fishing communities during the peaceful joint military occupation, the text highlights how the region's daily survival relied on localized neighborly cooperation that frequently defied distant national hostilities. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that patiently navigating this severe maritime isolation and collaboratively building a shared civic framework across disputed diplomatic lines were essential steps in transforming a volatile border flashpoint into a cohesive, deeply rooted island society in the maritime Pacific Northwest.

362 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 22 cm

Stephen Dow Beckham's folklore compilation, Tall tales from Rogue River: the yarns of Hathaway Jones, captures the vibrant oral traditions that connected the remote pioneer settlements and mining camps hidden deep within the steep canyons of southwestern Oregon. Set along the treacherous dirt trails of the Rogue River corridor, the narrative reveals how geographically isolated families and laborers relied on vital communication networks maintained by frontier mail carriers to survive the physical hardships of the dense wilderness. As early inhabitants established permanent homesteads amidst the unpredictable river conditions, these shared local yarns provided essential social cohesion, ultimately transforming a fragmented and demanding geography into a resilient community bound by a common cultural history.

v, 178 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.