Catalog of British Columbiana and Pacific Northwest Americana

"Explore the rich history of Canada's largest ranch. Douglas Lake is the largest ranch in Canada, encompassing over one million acres of BC's south-central interior, and thousands of people have worked there since it was founded in the mid 1880s. Douglas Lake now includes BC's first cattle ranch, Alkali Lake Ranch, as well as Circle S Ranch, Quilchena Ranch, Riske Creek Ranching and the infamous Gang Ranch. It has had a succession of wealthy owners including Charles "Chunky" Woodward of Woodward's Stores and current owner, US real estate and sports mogul Stan Kroenke. It has recreational facilities and is known for hosting celebrity guests like Prince Philip, billionaire media mogul Malcolm Forbes and others but, as this book shows, it is a serious working cattle ranch. Having grown up on a BC ranch, author Donna Yoshitake Wuest brings an insider's understanding to the subject. Working closely with the ranch's long-time manager, Joe Gardner, she provides a detailed history from its founding by John Douglas 140 years ago, through innovations in quarter horse breeding and deer farming to helicopter cowboying. Together, Wuest and Gardner provide a fascinating account of the day-to-day operations of a large modern ranch as it faces the challenges of running an integrated cattle, forestry and recreational business. The book is rich with stories about the ranch's wealthy owners, celebrity guests and hard-working cowhands."-- Provided by publisher

192 pages : illustrations (chiefly colour), colour maps ; 27 cm

"Here is a look at the Puget Sound islands throughout history -- the San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Bainbridge and Vashon Islands, and many others. Featured are the people who have come to the islands: Native Americans, explorers, entrepreneurs, settlers and visitors. We learn of the Native peoples' traditional ways of life and the changes that the new settlers brought. The islands saw small pioneer farms and, later, very successful strawberry fields. Industries emerged, from lumber mills large and small to boat construction and even ski design and production. National defense installations have also been on the islands, and wartime policies have had a strong impact on Bainbridge and Vashon. Yet the islands have also hosted many summer camps, resorts and the parks that islanders and visitors today enjoy. We learn about the boats that brought people to the islands before the age of motor vehicles. More recently, how have automobile ferries and bridges impacted the islands? Here, too, is the story of the bridges to the islands that have not been built. Finally, what are the challenges these islands may face in the future?" -- Publisher description

xv, 349 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

"Gumboot Girls and Dancing in Gumboots chronicled the fascinating and inspiring stories of the 1970's migration of women seeking a new way of life on BC's West Coast, from Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. But what about the men who came in search of their own adventure, who became smitten with boats and the smell of salty air? Now, Gumboot Guys joins the two previous collections in chronicling this exciting decade, when all seemed possible. Stories of buying, fixing, building and running boats; learning to navigate the ocean's many moods; describing the abundance, and subsequent decline, of salmon stocks; and many, many tales of the unpredictable nature of life on the sea paint a vivid picture of the thrilling, adventurous and occasionally dangerous world awaiting these men. The constant current running through each of these stories is community--the guidance of experienced mentors, the encouragement from fellow adventure-seekers and the generous support of partners and families. These stories serve as a time capsule commemorating an era of hope, fortitude and freedom."-- Provided by publisher

191 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm

"Eight years in the making, Lha yudit'ih We Always Find a Way is a community oral history of Tsilhqot'in Nation v. British Columbia, the first case in Canada to result in a declaration of Aboriginal Rights and Title to a specific piece of land. Told from the perspective of the Plaintiff, Chief Roger William, joined by fifty Xeni Gwet'ins, Tŝilhqot'ins, and allies, this book encompasses ancient stories of creation, modern stories of genocide through smallpox and residential school, and stories of resistance including the Tŝilhqot'in War, direct actions against logging and mining, and the twenty-five-year battle in Canadian courts to win recognition of what Tŝilhqot'ins never gave up and have always known. "We are the land," as Chief Roger says. After the violence of colonialism, he understands the court case as "bringing our sight back." This book witnesses the power of that vision, its continuity with the Tŝilhqot'in world before the arrival of colonizers two centuries ago, and its potential for a future of freedom and self-determination for the Tŝilhqot'in People."-- Provided by publisher

xxxix, 455 pages, a-p pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 24 cm

"From the late 1800s to the present day, Chinese Canadians have made Burnaby into a more vibrant and livable city. Rooted: Chinese Canadian Stories in Burnaby brings together a collection of diverse stories and photographs from the community, celebrating the legacy and contributions of Burnaby’s Chinese Canadian community spanning over a century. This coffee-table book features oral histories and interviews with descendants of multigenerational family farms, green grocers, corner stores, restaurants, and places of worship. Also included are archival research and community perspectives on anti-Asian racism, community activism, courage, and resilience."-- Provided by publisher

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"Throughout Snuneymuxw lands, there are sites recognized by place names given by their Ancestors; several are considered sacred grounds. There are well over 75 given place names that mark or tell a story of the land. Many of these place names’ meanings shared that over time oral history goes with the Elder who holds it, as Elders did before their time. Several areas are also recorded as archeological or sites of significance and are being guarded by Snuneymuxw."-- Provided by publisher

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"The Summer Canada Burned tells the dramatic story of Canada's wildfires in 2023--a story that provides a case study of the changing climate and its impacts on our environment. It reflects evolving attitudes about approaches to wildfires and the role all people can play in prevention. Most importantly, however, the story of Canada's wildfires is a story of loss and of survival. From the ashes, people rise, communities rebuild and seeds of new growth sprout."-- Provided by publisher

183 pages : color illustrations ; 23 cm

"The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw the turbulent end of China's imperial system, violent national revolution, and the fraught establishment of a republican government. During these decades of revolution and reform, millions of far-flung 'overseas Chinese' remained connected to Chinese domestic movements. This book uses rich archival sources and a new network approach to examine how political transformations taking place in China impacted and were influenced by Chinese communities on the west coast of the U.S. and Canada. In these North American Chinatowns, individuals participated in Chinese reformist and revolutionary movements in a variety of ways: they raised money, circulated ideas, housed exiled and traveling political dissidents and revolutionaries, and influenced the views of 'host' governments and societies. Focusing on the transpacific Chinese political reforms under Kang Youwei's leadership in 1899-1909 and the revolutionary activities of the 'father of Republican China' Sun Yat-sen in the years before and after the 1911 Revolution, Zhongping Chen tells the story of these and other Chinese reformers and revolutionaries as well as their personal ties, political parties, and collective actions in the Pacific Rim. Through its broad examination of the origins, interrelations, and influences of Chinese reform and revolution in North America, Chen's work makes a significant contribution to modern Chinese history, migration studies, and Asian American history."-- Provided by publisher

xxiv, 374 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

"L.V. Rogers, after whom Nelson's Secondary School is named, was born in England in 1886 and sent on his own to Canada at the age of five. This booklet tells the story of his remarkable life." - back cover

31 pages : illustrations (some colour) ; 21 cm

"A brief history of a small and unique Class 1 railway and its famous Canada-USA tourist trains. Initially chartered in 1883 to serve the needs of local millers in Minneapolis, the Soo would eventually come to join the Canadian Pacific line at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, with service to Montreal. In 1888, Canadian Pacific assumed controlling interest in the Soo Line, providing entry into the lucrative US market and levelling the playing field for the CPR to face the onslaught of ferocious competition from James J. Hill, the infamous American railway baron. The 'little railway that could' grew to attain giant-killer status, launching famous passenger trains from Minneapolis and St. Paul, meeting head-on the western expansion of the Great Northern Railway and viable, competitive routes to the Atlantic seaboard. Over the years, the Soo Line introduced thousands of Americans to Montreal and Quebec City, the famous Canadian Rockies resorts, and the city of Vancouver, the home port for CP's Pacific steamship services. The Soo also successfully competed on the Spokane and Portland routes from Minneapolis to the Pacific Northwest. In 1923 the 'Soo Mountaineer' was launched, becoming the most famous and longest 'two-nation' train journey in North America."-- Publisher

xviii, 87 pages : illustrations (some color), color maps ; 23 cm

"In all scientific disciplines, there is an expanding gap between what is known by the general public and what is known by scientists. In this book, Dr. Bruce McLellan tries to bridge that gap. Coexisting with grizzly bears into the future will be an increasing challenge and require a deep understanding of these large carnivores and what factors make their populations tick. Based on perhaps the longest uninterrupted wildlife research project done by one individual, this is the intertwined story of the science underlying our understanding of grizzly bears and family life in the wilderness while following bears. The story of grizzly bear behaviour and ecology is based on dozens of research papers published in this study, which in turn are based on the actual lives of over 200 radio-collared bears. These chapters are not written "for dummies" but contain considerable substance for people interested in the science behind animal ecology and conservation. The scientific chapters cover topics ranging from the bears' diet and how it influences changes in body fat and muscle, to how bears are counted and factors that influence births and deaths and regulate population size. Mixed among the science chapters is the story of how a couple in their mid-20s began the Flathead grizzly project, built a log cabin on the bank of the Flathead River, had babies, and raised them in the wilderness among bears, wolves, and mountain lions. They endured floods that washed away part of their camp, forest fires that burned thousands of square miles, and some very weird people. Both children grew up with grizzly bears and eventually earned their own M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in the ecology of these amazing animals"-- Provided by publisher

xiii, 304 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color), maps ; 23 cm

"A visual and cultural celebration of a traditional Haida wedding ceremony, exploring its roots, rituals, symbolism, joyfulness, and contemporary significance for a thriving Indigenous Nation. In 1996, Terri-Lynn Williams and Robert Davidson celebrated their wedding with a traditional ceremony, the first in over a century that was legalized under Haida law. This book provides an intimate photographic window into that momentous day and marks the resurgence of a tradition that was nearly lost to colonial forces. Relying on recorded knowledge their ancestors had shared with ethnographers and anthropologists, and the few details living Elders could recall about the tradition of guud 'iina Gihl ("becoming married") in the time before the arrival of Christian missionaries, the couple carefully planned out a seven-part celebration. It involved a canoe procession, ceremony, feast, dancing, and dowry payment, signifying the coming together of two people, two families, and two clans. The occasion is lovingly and painstakingly recounted through imagery and text in this fascinating tribute to a resilient culture and the unbreakable bonds of love and family."-- Provided by publisher

ix, 86 pages : illustrations ; 27 cm

Fur, silver, and gold first lured men to Idaho Territory. Women soon followed. And what women they were! Molly B'Damn, Peg Leg Annie, Spanish Belle, Lou Beevers, Diamond Tooth Lil—the names alone promised excitement and intrigue. In fact, these madams led complex, turbulent lives. Meet Maggie Hall, a devout Catholic whose husband used her to pay off his gambling debts. Working as a prostitute, Maggie made her way west and, as Molly B'Damn, became the guardian angel of an Idaho mining camp. Or Annie McIntyre, a young girl among the prospectors and ne'er do wells of Rocky Bar who amassed a small fortune as the local madam only to lose it all—along with both her legs. Idaho Madams uncovers the enigmatic and salacious lives of 30 women who ran brothels in the Gem State from the 1850s to the 1980s. Here are the hedonistic and sometimes heroic exploits of Effie Rogan, Jennie Girard, Nettie Bowen, Ginger Murphy, Dixie Colton, and Dot Allen, but also the unsung sagas of Carrie Young, Grace Freeman, Willow Herman, Hattie Carlton, and many more. As told by author Milana Marsenich, the stories of these women come alive with voluptuous detail, historical photographs, and the social context of the times.

xvi, 139 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 23 cm

"Elliott West lays out the main events and developments that together describe and explain the emergence of the American West and situates the birth of the West in the broader narrative of American history between 1848 and 1880"-- Provided by publisher

xxxiii, 628 pages, 38 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

"The most enduring feature of U.S. history is the presence of Native Americans, yet most histories focus on Europeans and their descendants. This practice of ignoring Indigenous history is changing, however, as a new generation of scholars insists that any full American history address the struggle, survival, and resurgence of American Indian nations. Indigenous history is essential to understanding the evolution of modern America. Ned Blackhawk interweaves five centuries of Native and non-Native histories, from Spanish colonial exploration to the rise of Native American self-determination in the late twentieth century. In this transformative synthesis he shows that: European colonization in the 1600s was never a predetermined success; Native nations helped shape England's crisis of empire; the first shots of the American Revolution were prompted by Indian affairs in the interior; California Indians targeted by federally funded militias were among the first casualties of the Civil War; the Union victory forever recalibrated Native communities across the West; twentieth-century reservation activists refashioned American law and policy. Blackhawk's retelling of U.S. history acknowledges the enduring power, agency, and survival of Indigenous peoples, yielding a truer account of the United States and revealing anew the varied meanings of America"--Publisher's description

viii, 596 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Each year, more than a million people visit the spectacular sweep of sand that stretches along Vancouver Island's west coast between Tofino and Ucluelet to watch waves crash ashore on a series of beaches-essentially one long beach separated by small rocky headlands, a shoreline steps away from howling wolves and towering red cedars. In Long Beach Wild: A Celebration of People and Place on Canada's Rugged Western Shore , local resident Adrienne Mason uses her intimate knowledge of the area and a selection of historic and contemporary photos to explore the region's rich natural and cultural history

215 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.

Union Zindabad focuses on the history of South Asian immigrants as workers, and their relationship to the labour movement in BC. It also explores the evolving attitudes of unions towards South Asian immigrant labour.--page xi

xii, 118 pages : illustrations ; 21 x 21 cm

"In Beneath the Coal Dust, author Wayne Norton digs deep, exploring the fascinating and sometimes sobering stories of the mining communities in the Elk Valley and the Crowsnest Pass. In this new collection, Norton chooses mainly a micro view, focusing on the stories that are specific to this isolated and unique geographic region. These tales span from the notorious red-light district of Fernie to women's ice hockey in the 1920s, to the civic financial crisis caused by the Home Bank collapse, the regional history of breweries and prohibition, and the experiences and amazing fortitude of both Chinese and Syrian immigrants in what was a predominantly white settler town. This is a book about the local past, intended for those interested not necessarily in the broad sweep of national history, but rather in the smaller stories that are specific to this remote and historically rich area. And instead of dealing with the core regional narrative surrounding the coal industry, these explorations reveal some of what has been neglected and hidden "beneath the coal dust," as the title suggests."-- Provided by publisher

207 pages : illustrations (some colour), map ; 23 cm

A transplanted Scotsman, Erskine was smitten by the Shuswap where he tended a fruit orchard and with his wife Alice, raised a family. Over the decades he explored every nook and cranny, with the keen eye of a newcomer. He motored, camped and trekked, following every conceivable route in the 1930s and 1940s. The Shuswap Country is his travelogue of observations, characters, anecdotes, puns, tall tales with a smattering of corny humour. It’s also bursting with crisp, clear photographs snapped by the author, making this a priceless document of pioneers, community halls, “auto camps,” train stations, sawmills, Main streets and pristine mountain meadows. Some of those meadows are now preserved inside provincial park boundaries like the Monashee. Erskine had the heart of a poet. He was captured by the shifting quality of light as it tracked across the landscape, or the “sombre green” of fir trees contrasted against the “bright green of birch.” A storm moving down Adams Lake, “has its own moods like temperamental humans.” He revels in flora and fauna – lupines, swallowtail butterflies, or a porcupine that made the mistake of munching into a packsack. His hand-drawn map at the beginning of the book is handy to help understand where we’re travelling next over these twelve journeys. Whether it’s high in the mountains to chat up sheep herders, or down into lush valleys with sweet alfalfa and Herefords dotting the countryside. A gregarious traveller, Erskine was usually certain to make a new friend, or break bread with an old one. He travelled on a road network that was still under development. “The best thing that can be said for the roads at present is there is room for improvement,” he sputters while motoring in the Eagle Valley near Malakwa. He loved to fish the region’s lakes and streams, with dreams of landing a trout for dinner. “A Sugar Lake trout cooked alfresco over a campfire is something to be remembered.” He seems to know every fishing lodge intimately, and where to buy worms at 10 cents a dozen. One is startled to read that canned “red” salmon was so plentiful that local people grew tired of it. Today, as we watch sockeye stocks crash it’s shocking to think that a bounty that has sustained Indigenous peoples for thousands of years can no longer be counted on. A devastation that has occurred within two or three lifetimes. The Shuswap Country might hook you into exploring this underappreciated region, it’s much more than a rest stop on the way to elsewhere. There is an honouring and celebration of the rural existence that is now mostly a memory. We should all visit and take Erskine’s scrapbook along to help see what’s been lost, and what may still be found.

114 pages : illustrations ; 21 x 26 cm

"In Hard is the Journey, award-winning historian and researcher Lily Chow shares the difficult history of Chinese Canadians in the Kootenay. She unearths the racism of early newspapers that portrayed Chinese immigrants as dirty, sinister, and lethargic people not fit to live in BC and uncovers the history of the Chinese labourers who completed the deadly work of blazing the Dewdney Trail from Hope to Kootenay only to be dismissed, without any compensation, as soon as the project was completed. She also offers an intimate and inspiring look into the many ways Chinese immigrants survived, finding community, building resilience, and preserving their culture. Piecing together interviews with Kootenay residents and descendents of Chinese immigrants, government records and documents, and early newspaper articles, Chow bravely exposes dark parts of BC's history while shedding light on the struggles but also resilience and untold accomplishments of the Chinese immigrants who risked everything and often lost their lives in building the Canada we know today. Hard is the Journey is Chow's fourth book on the history of Chinese Canadians."-- Provided by publisher

222 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

"Join intrepid travel writer Bill Arnott as he escapes the confines of life in Vancouver for an epic and quirky road trip around Vancouver Island and to some of the surrounding smaller islands. Hitting all of the high points and chatting with locals along the way, Bill discovers why Vancouver Island has become one of western North America's top tourist destinations. From great food to wonderful wine, stunning natural habitats and memorable encounters with wildlife, Bill paints a charming picture of life on Canada's West Coast."-- Front cover flap

197 pages : color illustrations, color map ; 18 cm

A Peculiar Paradise: A History of Blacks in Oregon, 1788–1940, remains the most comprehensive chronology of Black life in Oregon more than forty years after its original publication in 1980. Elizabeth McLagan’s work reveals how in spite of those barriers, Black individuals and families made Oregon their home and helped create the state’s modern Black communities. A longtime resource for those seeking information on the legal and social barriers faced by people of African descent in Oregon, the book is available again through this co-publication with Oregon Black Pioneers, Oregon’s statewide African American historical society. The revised second edition includes additional details for students and scholars, an expanded reading list, a new selection of historic images, and a new foreword by Gwen Carr and afterword by Elizabeth McLagan. Oregon Black Pioneers is Oregon’s only historical society dedicated to preserving and presenting the experiences of African Americans statewide. Since 1993, Oregon Black Pioneers has illuminated the seldom-told history of people of African descent in Oregon through exhibitions, public programs, publications, and historical research. Learn more at oregonblackpioneers.org.

xiv, 193 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 23 cm

In 1978, Seattle writer Janet Yoder took a Lushootseed class at the University of Washington. She was expecting to learn a little about this Salish language, and while Yoder did begin her Lushootseed lessons, what followed was lifelong learning and lots of adventures with Skagit tribal elder Vi Hilbert. Drawn from thirty years of friendship and interviews, Where the Language Lives is a tribute to Vi Hilbert's life, work, and her quest to preserve her native language. Vi carried her culture by the example of her life as she shared her beloved Lushootseed language through her teaching, speaking, storytelling, recording, and publishing. Without her diligent research and her transcription and translation of early recordings in Lushootseed, much of the language could have been lost to the world. Her historical preservation efforts were recognized with a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, presented by First Lady Hillary Clinton. She was also named a Washington State Living Treasure in 1989

xvii, 216 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

From the origins of the city in the mid-nineteenth century to the beginning of World War II, Seattle's urban workforce consisted overwhelmingly of migrant laborers who powered the seasonal, extractive economy of the Pacific Northwest. Though the city benefitted from this mobile labor force—consisting largely of Indigenous peoples and Asian migrants—municipal authorities, elites, and reformers continually depicted these workers and the spaces they inhabited as troublesome and as impediments to urban progress. Today the physical landscape bears little evidence of their historical presence in the city. Tracing histories from unheralded sites such as labor camps, lumber towns, lodging houses, and so-called slums, Seattle from the Margins shows how migrant laborers worked alongside each other, competed over jobs, and forged unexpected alliances within the marine and coastal spaces of the Puget Sound. By uncovering the historical presence of marginalized groups and asserting their significance in the development of the city, Megan Asaka offers a deeper understanding of Seattle's complex past. Seattle from the Margins was made possible in part by a grant from 4Culture’s Heritage Program.

x, 258 pages : illustrations, maps 24 cm.

"Breaking glass ceilings, organizing clubs and making history as the first in their fields, these trailblazing Black women paved the way for new generations. From Nettie Craig Asberry, founder of the Tacoma NAACP, to Dr. Dolores Silas, now honored by a school bearing her name, these women forged a path amid adversity. Black women were crucial to the war effort, working as Rosies at Boeing during World War II, and in the postwar years, Seattle musicians like Edyth Turnham and Her Knights of Syncopation were in high demand. These teachers, scientists and politicians served on boards, led protests and fought for civil rights across the state. Join author and historian Marilyn Morgan as she chronicles the incredible lives and contributions of Washington's Black women." -- Back cover

159 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm