Catalog of British Columbiana and Pacific Northwest Americana

558 pages : illustrations (some color), portraits ; 29 cm

46 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

History of Hansen, Idaho, 1904-1984 by Frances Harris is a detailed 1984 local history, published locally in southern Idaho, that captures the foundational settlement and grassroots development of this small Twin Falls County community. The book chronicles the dramatic transformation of the arid Magic Valley region following the massive early 20th-century Snake River irrigation projects—sparked by the Carey Act and the completion of the nearby Milner Dam—which successfully converted the high desert sagebrush plains into a highly productive agricultural hub. By meticulously compiling pioneer reminiscences, family genealogies, and the civic records of early schools, churches, and businesses, Harris preserves the grit and resilience of the town's founders. Ultimately, it serves as an invaluable, community-focused resource for genealogists and regional historians seeking an intimate look at the agricultural heritage and rural settlement patterns that defined the early 20th-century pioneer experience in southern Idaho.

100 pages : illustrations, map, portraits ; 23 cm

Published in 1900, Jesse R. Black's History of Custer County, Idaho provides a concise chronicle of the region's establishment in 1880 and its rapid transition from untamed wilderness to a bustling frontier hub. The narrative details the volatile boom-and-bust cycles of the gold and silver rushes that birthed high-altitude mining towns like Bonanza and Custer, while also documenting the severe challenges faced by early settlers. A keen insight drawn from the text is how the area's violent early history—marked by profound geographic isolation, harsh mountain elements, and bloody conflicts with Native American tribes—forged a fiercely resilient pioneer culture built entirely around rapid resource extraction. Ultimately, this brief volume serves as a vital historical snapshot of the fleeting but transformative mining boom that defined central Idaho's rugged pioneer era.

1 preliminary leaf, 21 pages, 1 leaf 20 cm

Published annually between 1961 and 1973 by the Columbia County Historical Society, this twelve-volume series serves as the primary compendium of micro-histories, pioneer memoirs, and spatial records for the region. The compiled monographs systematically document early settler claims, logging skid roads, and riverboat landings that superseded ancient Chinookan seasonal villages along the lower Columbia. The serial contains dedicated historical studies on the timber camps and rural hamlets of Beaver Homes, Canaan, Trenholm, Yankton, Deer Island, and Goble, while detailing the early riverfront industries of Columbia City, Saint Helens, and Rainier. Featuring extensive family diaries, cemetery inscriptions, and cadastral maps, the collection preserves the foundational human geography of Columbia County.

Annual serial (Vols. I-XII) : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 23 cm

Published in 1894, Alexander Begg's comprehensive volume chronicles the political and economic evolution of British Columbia, tracing its trajectory from early maritime exploration and the fur trade era to its eventual confederation with Canada. A keen insight drawn from the text is how Begg’s narrative functions simultaneously as a historical record and a piece of deliberate economic boosterism, actively framing the region's transition from a guarded Hudson's Bay Company monopoly into a civilized province as a triumph of British imperial progress designed to attract settlers and investment. The author meticulously details the transformative impacts of the Fraser River and Cariboo gold rushes, the administrative leadership of James Douglas, and the critical unifying role of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Ultimately, the book stands as an exhaustive, albeit heavily pro-colonial, late 19th-century archive documenting the foundational events that integrated a rugged frontier into the Canadian dominion.

xvii, [7]-568 pages : illustrations, folded map, portraits ; 23 cm

Published in 1887 as the thirty-second volume of his colossal western history series, Hubert Howe Bancroft’s History of British Columbia meticulously traces the region's development from late 18th-century maritime explorations through its 1871 integration into the Canadian Confederation. The narrative provides an exhaustive account of the Hudson's Bay Company's autocratic rule under Chief Factor James Douglas, the disruptive influx of American prospectors during the Fraser River Gold Rush, and the subsequent political unification of the mainland and Vancouver Island. A keen insight drawn from the volume is how Bancroft—an American historian steeped in the ideology of Manifest Destiny—inherently filters the Canadian colonial experience through a distinctly U.S. nationalist lens. By frequently contrasting the paternalistic, corporate monopoly of the British administration with the chaotic, democratic individualism of American miners, the text inadvertently functions as a fascinating comparative study of two competing imperial philosophies vying for economic and cultural dominance across the 19th-century Pacific Northwest.

xxxi, 792 pages : maps

David D. Fagan’s History of Benton County, Oregon explores the steady pioneer settlement and collaborative agricultural development of the fertile central Willamette Valley and the eastern foothills of the Coast Range. The narrative illustrates how the diverse environmental realities of this landscape—defined by the rich alluvial soils along the Marys and Willamette rivers, the dense timber of the western highlands, and the dynamic seasonal rhythms of the valley floor—required immense resilience and thoughtful agrarian adaptation from early homesteaders. By detailing the gradual transition from isolated land donation claims to the cooperative establishment of thriving farming communities, vital river transit hubs like Corvallis, and foundational educational institutions, the text highlights how the county's prosperity relied on community-driven responses to its natural abundance. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that cooperatively harnessing the valley's navigable waterways and patiently cultivating a shared civic identity were essential steps in transforming a rugged frontier into a deeply rooted, enduring agricultural and cultural heartland of western Oregon.

532 pages : illustrations ; 30 cm

Patrick Wilde’s History of Bear Lake Valley: From Fur Trappers to Modern Times provides an overview of the shifting human geography of the high basin across two centuries. Wilde chronicles the early nineteenth-century mountain man era, focusing on the historic Rocky Mountain Fur Company rendezvous held along the shores of Bear Lake in 1827 and 1828 where figures like Jedediah Smith and William Sublette traded with regional tribes. The text details the subsequent passage of thousands of emigrants along the Oregon Trail and Sublette Cutoff through the Bear River corridor, analyzing the 1860s transition to permanent Mormon pastoral and agricultural colonization across Paris, Montpelier, Dingle, Fish Haven, and Pegram.

136 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm

George A. McLeod’s History of Alturas and Blaine counties, Idaho explores the steady pioneer settlement and enduring civic adaptation within the rugged, mineral-rich landscapes of central Idaho. The narrative illustrates how the challenging environmental realities of this topography—defined by the sheer peaks of the Pioneer and Smoky mountains, the vital riverine corridors of the Wood River Valley, and the profound seasonal shifts of the high-elevation climate—initially required immense resilience and cooperative effort from early miners and homesteaders. By detailing the gradual transition from isolated, transient silver and lead mining camps to the collaborative establishment of enduring agricultural communities and the thoughtful integration of early regional rail networks, the text highlights how the area's prosperity relied on community-driven adaptation to a demanding environment. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that cooperatively harnessing the valley's waterways for irrigation and patiently building cohesive, responsive local institutions were essential steps in transforming a remote, mountainous frontier into a thriving, deeply rooted civic and economic heartland of the intermountain West.

iv, 192, v-xx pages : plate, portraits ; 20 cm

Elizabeth Healey’s History of Alert Bay and district chronicles the pioneer settlement and industrial expansion of a remote insular outpost entirely severed from the continental mainland by the treacherous waters of the Queen Charlotte Strait. The narrative maps how the severe geographic isolation of Cormorant Island and the impenetrable biological mass of the surrounding coastal rainforests forced both indigenous populations and European pioneers to rely exclusively on these volatile marine channels for basic survival and regional transit. By detailing the transformation of an ancestral maritime hub into a booming epicenter for commercial salmon canning and coastal logging operations, the text illustrates how the settlement's economic viability was strictly dictated by the necessity of engineering robust port infrastructure and mechanized fishing fleets. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that conquering the extreme oceanographic challenges of this rugged archipelago and extracting its immense biological wealth were the absolute prerequisites for sustaining a vital, export-driven community on the profoundly isolated northern Pacific edge.

101 pages illustrations, map

History of Adams County, Washington by the Adams County Historical Society is a comprehensive 1986 local history compiled to preserve the pioneer heritage and development of this east-central Washington region. The substantial volume offers detailed accounts of the county's agricultural roots, the growth of its civic institutions, and the enduring legacies of its founding residents. Ultimately, featuring extensive family genealogies, historical photographs, and records of early schools and churches, it serves as an invaluable, community-driven resource for genealogists and researchers seeking to understand the grassroots legacy and rural settlement of the Columbia Basin.

2 volumes : illustrations, portraits ; 29 cm

In the late 1800s, Martha Douglas Harris, the daughter of the former governor of British Columbia, observed that "civilization" was destroying the "native dignity and wholesome life" of the Cowichan tribe of Vancouver, "substituting much evil for the real good found in their former customs and character." She herself was part Cree Indian-a fact that her father was none too eager to make public. But he and her mother had long since passed away, and so she wrote this book of 20 folktales in 1901, partly to honor her Native American heritage

89, [1] pages frontispiece, illustrations 21 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

Originally published: Portland, Ore., 1878

163 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 27 cm

W. and E. Bradley’s Historical Outline of Seymour Arm Area, 1860–1970 chronicles the dramatic boom-and-bust cycles that defined the isolated northern arm of Shuswap Lake. The narrative traces the frantic 1865–1866 Big Bend gold rush, when the tent settlement of Seymour City (Ogdenville) materialized almost overnight at the head of the lake as a major transshipment port connecting river steamers to overland mountain trails leading to French and Gold creeks on the Columbia River. The authors detail how this speculative rush was superimposed directly over the seasonal territory of the Secwépemc, followed by the town’s near-instantaneous desertion once placer deposits dwindled. The volume then traces the early twentieth-century revival of Seymour Arm through ambitious English fruit-ranching syndicates, remote tie-cutting operations, and off-grid lakeshore homesteading in areas extending toward Bastion Bay and Albas.

48 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm

The historic images contained in this book provide a unique look into the past, when a slower pace of life existed long before electricity, cars, or computers. The Illinois Valley is located in the southern part of Josephine County, Oregon. Like most of Southern Oregon, mountains and high hills surround the valley on the west, south and east, which in both prehistoric and historic times made getting in and out of our valley a real challenge. We hope that you enjoy this "step back in time" when the horse served as the main mode of transportation and electricity was just an idea.

190 pages : chiefly illustrations, portraits ; 22 x 28 cm

The State of Washington’s Historical Highlights of Washington State chronicles the comprehensive institutional colonization and macro-industrial subjugation of a violently bisected territorial expanse, defined by the towering, impassable alpine barricade of the Cascade Range. The narrative maps how the severe environmental realities of this massively fractured topography—spanning the rain-choked, impenetrable coastal timberlands of the Pacific edge, the volatile maritime labyrinth of Puget Sound, and the sprawling, arid high-desert steppes of the Columbia Basin—initially dictated a precarious pioneer existence, severing early settlements from terrestrial transit and forcing reliance on isolated aquatic outposts. By detailing the grueling, state-level transition from these vulnerable frontier enclaves to the explosive deployment of heavy transcontinental railways, colossal hydroelectric infrastructure, and mechanized maritime and aerospace industries, the text illustrates how the economic sovereignty and political unification of the territory were strictly governed by the urgent necessity of conquering these imposing geographic extremes. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that artificially harnessing the violent, untapped hydrology of the inland empire and aggressively carving heavy terrestrial transit corridors through sheer granite mountain passes were the absolute prerequisites for binding a profoundly segmented, untamed wilderness into a highly integrated, industrialized anchor of the Pacific seaboard.

77 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm

The Northwest Coast of America, ranging from northern California through Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, all the way up to Alaska, was the last temperate coastline to be placed on the world map. First visited by Russians in 1741 and thought to contain a navigable passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic, it was systematically revealed during an intense period of exploratory and commercial activity from the 1770s to the 1790s. Subsequently, the imperial ambitions of Russia, Spain, and Britain, and an assumption of manifest destiny by the United States led to further exploration and ensured that the region would become disputed territory before national boundaries were determined in the mid-19th century. The Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Northwest Coast of America tells of the heroic endeavors and remarkable achievements, the endless speculation about a northwest passage, and the fighting and manipulation for commercial advantage that surrounded this terrain. This is done through an introductory essay, a detailed chronology, an extensive bibliography, modern maps and selected historical maps and drawings, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries. Entries cover the native people encountered; the scientists and artists who left an invaluable documentary and visual record of people, places, flora, and fauna; the numerous voyages taken by men such as Vitus Bering, James Cook, Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, and George Vancouver; overland expeditions like those of Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and David Thompson; and maritime fur traders, including George Dixon, Grigorii Shelikhov, Robert Gray and William Sturgis. No other dictionary exists that is dedicated solely to the coverage of this region.

lxxv, 429 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm.

This book is full of suggestions and checklists as well as sample press releases and a list of resources. A handbook for organizers of Diamond Jubilees, Centennials, and other community anniversaries.

xxiv, 118 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

This gorgeous atlas, illustrated throughout with more than 500 colorful images and maps, provides a visually rich and textually engaging history of the states of Oregon and Washington. Derek Hayes brings his enthusiasm and expertise to a full range of topics, beginning with the first inhabitants and tracing the westward expansion, conflict between settlers and Native Americans, and the establishment of the Oregon Trail. We see in vivid images, old maps, and lively text the coming of the railroads and the rapid establishment of the coastal ports, northwest cities and roads, the fur and lumber industries, and the large farms. We also witness the twentieth-century development of the war industries, the establishment of the aviation industry, and the celebratory 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. At once a valuable reference and an exhilarating adventure through history, the Historical Atlas of Washington and Oregon presents readers with a fascinating chronicle of how these proud states came into their own and how they each look toward the future.

240 pages : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 33 cm

In 77 maps and accompanying texts, this atlas presents the history of Washington state from prehistoric times to the present, Beginning with Washington’s terrain climate, vegetation, and hydrography, it then displays and records the evolution of both Indian and white settlements, the development of the state’s modern economy, and the progress of society and culture from Indian times to the present. Some of the maps in the atlas cover major historical events or specific periods; other show present-day patterns of activity and deal with the historical background in the accompanying commentary. Selective bibliographies refer readers to further readings on the subject of each map

1 atlas (xxix, [181] pages) : illustrations, maps ; 32 cm

Map researcher and collector Derek Hayes here presents the sixth in a series of critically acclaimed, award-winning historical atlases. Gathered together in a single volume for the first time, here are the maps that shaped Vancouver and the surrounding Lower Fraser Valley. More than 370 original maps chart the region’s development beginning with the years of discovery and exploration. They depict its days as a fledgling colonial outpost, its appearance on the world scene after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway, through to its emergence as a postwar Pacific metropolis. These maps evoke such historic events and developments as the founding of Fort Langley, the first settlements on the inlet, and the filling in of False Creek, along with more recent aspects of this richly diverse area such as the real estate boom and the explosive growth of Vancouver. Included are many fascinating plans for schemes that never got off the drawing board.

192 p. : ill. ; 30 cm.

Reproduces and profiles more than 320 sixteenth- to twentieth-century maps of this region of the U.S. and Canada, including famous explorations, the purchase of Alaska, and the 1897 Klondike gold rush

1 atlas (208 pages) : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 33 cm