Notes - This account gives a brief history of the arrival of African American immigrants to the Athabasca area, namely Amber Valley- an area twenty miles east of Athabasca. Katie Melton was four years old when her family left North Carolina around…

Audio - Mr. Whiteley recounts the story of delivering the message of the flood of 1904. He took seventeen hours by horse to travel from Perryvale to Edmonton. Billy Loutit took the same message by foot arriving in Edmonton about the same time. Mr.…

Audio - Mr. Al Cramer talks about his time as a trapper, fur trader and farmer in Athabasca during the first few decades of the twentieth century. He describes trapping wolves for a ten dollar bounty, trapping foxes on McKay River and on a farm at…

Audio - Mr. Joe Martynuk was born on January 16th, 1898 in Czechoslovakia. He came to Athabasca at the age of twenty-eight in 1926. He bought a farm and his family joined him. Mr. Martynuk talks of early farm life, animal care and crops. He mentions…

Audio - Mr. Roy Bergeron and Mr. George Bergeron, sons of Horace Bergeron, owner of the Bergeron Sash and Door Store, discuss their personal history including the arrival of their mother in Athabasca from Jolliette, Quebec by covered wagon. They…

Audio - Mrs. Alice Donahue speaks of her early life in Red Willow, Alberta and her eventual move to Athabasca in 1937 following her marriage. She discusses the curriculum she studied as a child and other early memories. Mrs. Donahue's time in…

Audio - Mrs. Cloe Day discusses her life as a teacher including how difficult it was to teach home economics and shop class with no equipment and materials. She talks about games she played and how it was sometimes difficult to obtain food during…

Audio - Mrs. Alice Donahue, Mr. Nick Evasiuk, Mr. Tony Schinkinger, and Mr. Bob Richards discuss life and change in Athabasca following the end of World War II. The rebirth of the town, with veterans arriving back and settling into business with…

Audio - Mrs. Nancy Appleby talks about her life in Athabasca starting with her arrival at Baptiste Lake in 1944. Mrs. Appleby discusses the first Klondike Night in the basement of the Athabasca Community Centre organized by her and Hazel Hall. Can-…

Audio - Mr. Joe Logan gives his personal history touching on his family, working life, and interactions with a variety of early Athabasca area residents. Mr. Logan talks about freighting and the Hudson's Bay Store, as well as lumbering and…

Audio - Mrs. Gladys Wright discusses homesteading in Athabasca including living in a tent on the riverbank when her family initially arrived in Athabasca in 1912. She mentions her time as a night operator in the telephone office as well as a lengthy…

Audio - Mr. Alexander Lennie arrived in Athabasca in 1930 with his wife and seven children to homestead on Soldier Settlement Land. He talks about clearing the land, and starting his farming life in Athabasca. Mr. Lennie discusses other settlers,…

Audio - This is a discussion of the involvement of Mr. David H. Bower, Mr. G.J. (Jack) Smith, Mr. Arlo Rooke, Mr. Raymond W. Lewis, Mr. Nick Wyntonyk, and Mr. William Chrusch in World War II . Mr. Smith was the first soldier to land back in…

Audio - Mr. Leo Noddings and Mrs. Amy Stafford discuss the Mills family and some of their jobs as carpenters in Athabasca (Robert Mills was Bertha Noddings father.) Other buildings and businesses in the early twentieth century are mentioned…

Audio - (Poor quality at beginning of second cassette for about 10 minutes). Roy recounts the history of his grandfather, Onesime Bergeron, who moved from North Dakota to Washington state to Morinville, AB to Athabasca, AB. Roy's father, Horace…

Audio - Mrs. Cloe Day arrived with her family driving one of three Model T cars on December 28th, 1928. Her family homesteaded near Jackfish Lake. She became interested in teaching and attended teachers college in Edmonton in 1929. Mrs. Day talks…

Audio - Mr. Todd Richards covers a wide range of topics while looking at photos taken in the early part of the twentieth century in the Athabasca area. Mr. Richards discusses panning for gold in the river as well as the names of those who lived…

Audio - Mr. Alex Lafferty discusses his life in Athabasca having moved here around 1906. Freighting, the railroad ,and the many captains and companies on the river are mentioned including: Captain Haight, John Shott, and Captain Mills. Mr. Magnus…

Audio - Mr. Tom Gorman and Mr. John Gorman discuss their lives in Athabasca including Tom's birth on April 3, 1917, the first night that Dr. Meyer arrived in Athabasca. Early farming, fishing, freighting and railway stories are discussed in…

Audio - Mr. Edwards discusses immigrating to Alberta due to segregation in the United States. He recounts the early history, leaders and locations of black settlements in Alberta. He reveals how Amber Valley got its name along with descriptions of…

Audio - Mr. Leo Noddings is recorded while looking at old photographs of land owned by his father in and around the town of Athabasca. He also comments on the Athabasca Hotel, the Sacred Heart Hospital (and the fire), the Star Theatre, Jack Lessard…

Audio - Mr. Valentine Breckenridge and Mr. Charlie Senz discuss details of farming life in the early to middle part of the twentieth century in Athabasca. They discuss, the price of eggs, types of grain crops, crop rotation vs. fertilizer, and the…

Audio - Mr. D. Shalapay Sr., Mrs. Annie Rypien, Mrs. Nancy Shalapay, Mr. Mike Rypien, and Mrs. Olga Meardi spend the balance of the tape discussing teachers and school systems since World War II. They also have a general conversation about farming,…

Audio - Dr Josephine Mary Brown gives a very detailed account of her life as a doctor and active member of several boards in Athabasca. Dr. Brown was born in 1919 and became a doctor following university and a stint in the army in 1947. Her first…