Catalog of British Columbiana and Pacific Northwest Americana

Published in local editions by Glen Johnson, Letters from Kik-I-allus: A Farmer's Perspective collects insightful essays and correspondence reflecting on rural life, environmental stewardship, and local history near the Skagit River delta. Written from the perspective of a working farmer tied to the ancestral homeland known as Kik-I-allus, the book chronicles the daily rhythms of agriculture, the seasonal cycles of the Pacific Northwest, and the mounting pressures of modern development on traditional farmlands. Through evocative prose, Johnson bridges personal agronomic experience with a deep-seated reverence for the surrounding watershed and its indigenous legacy. A keen insight drawn from the text is how the traditional agrarian viewpoint acts as an acute ecological barometer; by documenting the subtle, creeping degradation of local soils and water tables firsthand, the author reveals that the survival of family farming is inextricably bound to the broader health of the regional ecosystem.

246 pages : illustrations, map ; 18 cm

This pictorial retrospective presents more than 200 images from the author's personal collection of vintage photographs, postcards, and other visual memorabilia to trace the unique story of the floating highways and gentle maritime giants of Puget Sound

128 pages : chiefly illustrations, map ; 24 cm.

"People of the River: Native Arts of the Oregon Territory is the first major publication to focus exclusively on the rich artistic traditions of the Native Americans who traditionally lived along the lower Columbia River from the mouth of the Snake River to the Pacific Ocean. In this illustrated catalogue, author Bill Mercer describes the Columbia River art style as an Indigenous development that emerged over the course of countless generations and whose forms reveal unique combination of designs, motifs, materials, and techniques. Included are more than two hundred objects organized into sections that focus on sculptural forms, basketry, and beadwork spanning the pre-contact era to the middle of the twentieth century. People of the River features many objects that have never before been published and provides been insight into a previously unrecognized area of Native American art. With insightful texts, lavish reproductions, and an extensive bibliography, People of the River promises to be a key resource on this compelling body of work for years to come."--Jacket

191 pages : color illustrations ; 32 cm

For some 20 years, Stonham (linguistics, U. of Newcastle-upon-Tyne) has been researching the language of the Nuuchahnulth, a group of First Nations peoples occupying the west coast of Vancouver Island. His dictionary is the first attempt to provide a detailed account of the lexicon of the Nuuchahnulth language, complete with examples and grammatical information. The work is based primarily on fieldnotes gathered by Edward Sapir between 1910 and 1922, fieldnotes by Morris Swadesh in the 1940s, and Stonham's own field research since the 1980s. The volume includes a Nuuchahnulth-English dictionary with some 7,000 main entries, an English-Nuuchahnulth glossary of some 8,500 entries consisting of English headwords and their Nuuchahnulth equivalents, and appendices of grammatical paradigms and place names. Annotation : 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

xviii, 537 pages ; 24 cm

Blakely Island is typical of many other islands in the San Juans and adjacent Gulf Islands of Canada. What is fascinating is that pioneers found them in their isolated maritime settings, made homes and schools, and developed a living for families. In the late 20th century, several of the islands such as Blakely have become sites for vacation homes, as well. The author tells a lively tale of the people, both pioneers and modern dwellers, who have dealt with the problems inherent in island life, especialy an island accessed only by air or sea. Read about the Spencer Mill, winter storms, humorous interactions with animals, pranks, early air services, and environmental and political issues--P. [4] of cover

v, 151 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Gorgeous, fascinating and unconventional, the Islands in the Salish Sea show aspects of the Gulf Islands that are most beloved by the residents, from heritage orchards, fishing spots and patches of endangered wild orchids to ancient First Nations' sites and bird colonies. The community on each island decided what elements should be depicted, and local artists then created each of the magnificent and wildly different maps. This volume is a treasure-trove of cherished information that could have been lost, presented with imagination and great beauty. The Islands in the Salish Sea Community Mapping Project was coordinated by Sheila Harrington and Judi Stevenson, who live on Salt Spring Island

159 Seiten : zahlreiche Illustrationen und Karten

Published by local historians Dennis Conroy and Carol Husby Ronken, Pioneers of the Stillaguamish compiles extensive genealogical records, historical photographs, and pioneer recollections to chronicle the early European-American settlement of the Stillaguamish River valley in Washington. The book details the arduous process of clearing dense old-growth timber, establishing homesteads, and building rudimentary roads and schools along the unpredictable river corridor during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By centering the struggles and daily lives of ordinary families, the text preserves the foundational social fabric of communities like Arlington and Stanwood. A keen insight drawn from the work is how local pioneer histories capture the immense cognitive dissonance of frontier expansion; by meticulously detailing the relentless destruction of ancient forests to plant farms, the text unwittingly reveals how the triumph of civilization for homesteaders was simultaneously an act of catastrophic ecological erasure for the valley's original inhabitants

viii, 149 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Published in local editions, James C. Pigott’s A View of the Methow from Moccasin Lake Ranch offers an evocative reflection on the landscape, history, and stewardship of Washington’s rugged Methow Valley. The book weaves personal memoir with regional lore, capturing the distinct seasonal rhythms of high-desert ranching, wildlife conservation, and the quiet isolation of the north-central Cascades. Through detailed observations of the local terrain and watershed, Pigott chronicles the delicate balance required to live harmoniously within a stunning yet demanding environment. A keen insight drawn from the text is how multi-generational ranching memoirs serve as intimate ecological barometers; by documenting decades of subtle shifts in local water availability and wildlife patterns, the author reveals that true land stewardship requires a profound, lived surrender to the cyclical limits of the natural world rather than attempts to conquer it.

167 pages : color illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

"For more than two centuries, people from around the world have been irresistibly drawn to British Columbia. Some have sought to make their fortunes in furs, or gold, or lumber, some have dreamt of establishing utopian communities, many others have hoped simply to find a steady job, or a piece of land to farm and raise a family on. At times BC has lived up to the most extravagant expectations. But at times it has not, and in either case the costs have often been high, especially for the region's First Nations. In British Columbia: Land of Promises Patricia E. Roy and John Herd Thompson trace the social, economic, and political history of the province through a lively narrative and a wealth of carefully annotated illustrations, including maps, paintings, photographs, and cartoons."--Jacket

216 pages, 10 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps (some color), portraits (some color) ; 24 cm

Published by Gordon N. Zimmerman, A Song of Yamhill and Oregon's Northwestern Willamette Valley weaves local history, personal reminiscences, and genealogical lore to celebrate the enduring rural heritage of the upper Willamette Valley. The book details the arrival of early Euro-American pioneers who navigated the Oregon Trail to settle the fertile, rolling hills of Yamhill County, establishing agrarian communities amidst rich timberlands and river valleys. Through vivid narrative vignettes, the text captures the seasonal rhythms of farming, local institution-building, and the close-knit social fabric of a foundational Oregon agricultural hub. A keen insight drawn from the text is how regional local histories act as counter-narratives to rapid urban sprawl; by meticulously preserving the human-scale stories of families tied to the land, the work anchors modern landscape identity in deep-rooted community stewardship rather than commercial development.

xviii, 207 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 23 cm

Stories about the pioneers who settled the Oregon wilderness of the Nehalem River valley, from the 1860s through the twentieth century

488 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Published in local editions by Meredith Moench, Isleward Bound: A Lummi Island Reader compiles a rich anthology of essays, oral histories, and reflections capturing the unique communal and ecological rhythm of life on one of Washington's most distinct Salish Sea islands. The book explores the quiet realities of island isolation, the challenges of ferry-dependent infrastructure, and the deep-seated bonds among residents who choose to live off the beaten path. Through diverse personal narratives, the text preserves the vanishing traditions of local fishermen, artists, and long-time homesteaders while grappling with the pressures of modern mainland encroachment. A keen insight drawn from the work is how insular community literature functions as a defensive cultural shield; by celebrating the hyper-local eccentricities and mutual interdependence required to sustain life on a small island, the text resists the homogenization of the modern Pacific Northwest.

v, 142 p. : ill. ; 27 cm.

Published in local editions by Scott McArthur, Tenino, Washington: The Decades of Boom & Bust chronicles the colorful economic highs and lows of a historic south Sound community shaped by sandstone quarrying, timber, and coal mining. The book details the town's late 19th-century industrial peak, its struggles through the Great Depression, and its famous emergency response of printing wooden money during the banking crisis of 1933. Through archival photographs and engaging local history, the text captures the gritty resilience of a working-class town repeatedly forced to reinvent itself as its primary resource industries faded. A keen insight drawn from the work is how severe economic isolation can spark profound civic innovation; by turning local wood veneer into legal tender, Tenino transformed a debilitating banking failure into an ingenious piece of public theater and enduring numismatic history.

143 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

The Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest, on both the Coast and the inland Plateau, were the last to encounter white traders and settlers. When contact occurred in the late 18th century the explorers and traders found two distinct cultures. The fairly recent adoption of the horse had opened up the Plateau tribes to influences from the peoples of the Plains; but the tribes of the Coast lived in a very different culture of rigid class hierarchies, an economy based on fishing and hunting

48 pages : illustrations (some color), maps, portraits (some color) ; 25 cm

Published in local editions by bibliographer Wayne Kee, Eastern Oregon Books and Print, Volume II serves as an annotated historical bibliography and cartographic guide dedicated to the literary and geographic records of the state's vast interior. The volume catalogs rare books, manuscripts, regional pamphlets, and historical maps, providing concise publication histories and contextual notes for collectors and researchers alike. By capturing the paper trail of eastern Oregon's settlement, resource extraction, and exploration, the text preserves the foundational documentation of a sparsely populated landscape. A keen insight drawn from the work is how comprehensive regional bibliographies reveal the ideological biases of early print culture; by highlighting which frontier narratives were preserved in print and which were omitted, the bibliography exposes how historical archives actively constructed a romanticized mythos of the high desert while erasing marginalized voices.

xi, 206 pages : illustrations, facsimiles, maps ; 23 cm

Published in local editions by Shirley Nelson, What Happened Here? Stories and Legends Based on the History of Coos and Curry Counties, Oregon weaves together local folklore, pioneer accounts, and historical research to chronicle the dramatic frontier past of Oregon's rugged southwestern coast. The book captures the dangerous realities of early coastal settlement, detailing shipwrecks along treacherous bars, gold-mining rushes in river canyons, and the often-tense interactions between Euro-American homesteaders and indigenous populations. Drawing on regional oral histories, Nelson preserves the vibrant, hard-scrabble legends that defined the daily existence of isolated coastal communities. A keen insight drawn from the text is how regional folklore functions as a vital psychological coping mechanism; by transforming the brutal isolation and constant tragedies of a perilous maritime frontier into enduring campfire legends, early settlers forged a resilient collective identity that helped them tame a deeply unforgiving landscape.

111 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm

Published in 2017 by Bernita Tickner and Gail L. Fiorini-Jenner, The State of Jefferson explores the colorful, enduring political secession movement aimed at carving a new U.S. state out of the rugged rural counties of Northern California and Southern Oregon. Through a rich collection of vintage photographs and historical anecdotes, the book traces the movement from its 1941 theatrical launch—complete with gold-panning miners brandishing rifles—to its modern manifestations rooted in geographic isolation and anti-establishment sentiment. The text details how residents of this timber-and-mining corridor have long felt economically and politically abandoned by distant state capitals in Sacramento and Salem. A keen insight drawn from the work is how the persistent mythos of the "State of Jefferson" functions less as a viable legislative blueprint and more as a profound psychological safety valve; it provides rural populations with a shared, defiant regional identity that channels deep-seated economic grievances against metropolitan dominance into theatrical civic rebellion.

128 pages : chiefly illustrations, map ; 24 cm.

Southern British Columbia, from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the Alberta border east of Golden, spans the Canadian Cordillera, a mountainous region with a tumultuous geologic history that continues to evolve with every volcanic eruption, landslide, and earthquake. Introductory sections of this guidebook interpret the geologic complexity of four regions-Vancouver Island, the Coast, the Interior Plateaus, and the Columbia and Rocky Mountains-and thirty-one road guides describe the

xi, 403 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm.

Oregon is a landscape of brilliant waterfalls, towering volcanoes, productive river valleys, and far-reaching high deserts. It is also a land of stories. People have lived on the Oregon landscape for at least twelve thousand years, and during that time they have established communities, built railroads, harvested fish and timber, and made laws that both protected and threatened the land. Oregon, This Storied Land tells many of those stories, giving us a broad, sweeping history of a state that has resisted being made into a stereotype

xviii, 219 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Diane Goeres-Gardner makes readers eyewitnesses to frontier justice in Necktie Parties. This is the story of the men who climbed the gallows steps and faced the hangman's noose during the early years of settlement in Oregon. Today, capital punishment is a controversial topic, in the United States and around the world. That wasn?t the case during the 1800s on America's western frontier. Executions were public events drawing hundreds?sometimes thousands?of residents from miles around. The

xxiv, 316 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 23 cm

Idaho is a state with many varied interests vying for political control. Whether it be in the politically liberal north, the staunchly conservative southeast, or the rapidly changing southwest of the state, the social and political factors that determine who gains power in the Gem State often flies in the face of logic and makes for an interesting study in contrasts.

xi, 237 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm

Gene Harris, the “Blues Man From Boise,” as the Wall Street Journal once called him, died at the start of a new millennium, but he left a legacy of music that will outlive us all. He played on more than 80 recordings and shared the stage or recording studio with many legends and luminaries. Gene's wife, Janie, and veteran writer Bob Evancho detail the career of this gifted entertainer.

279 pages : illustrations (some color), portraits (some color) ; 21 x 26 cm

"Over 25 years in the making, Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes is the most comprehensive photographic reference on Northwest marine life ever produced. With over 1,700 colour photographs of over 1,400 saltwater plants and animals, it is an essential addition to any natural history library. It is designed to allow the reader to recognize virtually any coastal organism that might be commonly encountered from southern Alaska to central California - from sea lettuces and feather boa kelp through to the leopard ribbon worm, Pacific red octopus, spiny-thigh sea spider and gutless awning-clam

398 pages : color illustrations, color map ; 29 cm

David A. Cameron’s Snohomish County: an illustrated history provides a comprehensive civic and industrial chronicle of the expansive region stretching from the Puget Sound shoreline to the rugged peaks of the Cascade Range. Moving beyond a standard historical timeline, the text reveals how the territory's earliest logging camps, riverboat landings, and agricultural settlements were built directly upon the established river networks and overland trails long maintained by the Snohomish, Stillaguamish, and Sauk-Suiattle peoples. The narrative details the immense cooperative labor required to extract massive timber from dense cedar and fir forests, highlighting how early pioneers relied on strong community bonds and interdependent alliances to survive the grueling boom-and-bust cycles of the nineteenth-century lumber economy. As the Great Northern Railway pushed westward and Everett emerged as a heavily industrialized mill town, the book documents how these initially isolated frontier enclaves were rapidly transformed into interconnected urban and agricultural hubs. Ultimately, this extensively researched volume captures the dynamic environmental and economic adaptation of the region, demonstrating how the integration of indigenous geographic knowledge and the collective endurance of early workers successfully engineered Snohomish County into a cornerstone of Washington’s modern infrastructure.

vi, 396 pages : illustrations ; 29 cm

Presents a collection of illustrated photographs depicting the ghost towns, mining camps, and historic forts of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia; and includes travel information, maps, and more

160 pages : color illustrations, maps ; 28 cm.