Category Archives: Place

Morrison Parsons Bridgland

Morrison Parsons Bridgland

Morrison Parsons Bridgland

Morrison Parsons Bridgland
b. 1878 — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
d. 15 January 1948 — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

After graduation with honours from the University of Toronto in 1903, Bridgland, in company with Arthur Oliver Wheeler [1860–1945], undertook the detailed survey of the Selkirk Range of the Rocky Mountains by photographic method of surveying which had been developed by Dr. Edouard Deville, the then Surveyor General of Canada.

Bridgland gave practically his whole active field of service to this class of surveying and became recognized as a world authority in photographic surveying. He was the author of several papers dealing with optics and the mathematical solution of problems pertaining to the application of photographic information translated at scale to the flat map.

Bridgland lived in Calgary until his retirement in 1935. He was survived by his wife, Mary, and two sons, Charles and Edgar.

Works pertinent to the Mount Robson region of which Bridgland was author or co-author:

  • —   “Report of the Chief Mountaineer [Yoho camp].” Canadian Alpine Journal, Vol. 1 (1907):131. Alpine Club of Canada [accessed 4/2/2025]
  • —   “Report of the Chief Mountaineer [Paradise Valley camp].” Canadian Alpine Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2 (1908):122. Alpine Club of Canada [accessed 4/2/2025]
  • —   “Report of the Chief Mountaineer [Rogers Pass camp 1908].” Canadian Alpine Journal, Vol. 2 (1909):118. Alpine Club of Canada [accessed 4/2/2025]
  • —  and Douglas, Robert [1881–1930]. Description of and Guide to Jasper Park. Ottawa: Department of the Interior, 1917. Parlks Canada History
  • —   “Jasper Park.” Canadian Alpine Journal, 10 (1919)
Bridgland is the namesake of the following place in the Mount Robson region:

Bridgland is credited with naming the following place:

Events in the Mount Robson region in which Bridgland was involved:

  • 1906 ACC Camp – Yoho
  • 1907 ACC Camp – Paradise Valley
  • 1913 Interprovincial Boundary Commission
References:

  • Anon. “List of Members.” Canadian Alpine Journal, Vol. 1 (1907):188. Alpine Club of Canada [accessed 2 April 2025]
  • Sissons, Charles Bruce [1879–1965]. “Morrison P. Bridgland. In Memoriam.” Canadian Alpine Journal, Vol. 31 (1948):162-164
  • MacLaren, Ian S. Mapper of Mountains. M. P. Bridgland in the Canadian Rockies, 1902-1930. University of Alberta Press, 2005. Google Books

Natasha Boyd Wetland Conservation Area

British Columbia. Conservation area
Adjacent to Holliday Creek, 25km east of McBride.
53.1834 N 119.9149 W GoogleGeoHack
Not currently an official name.

Born Natasha D. Smith in Sussex, England, in 1906, Natasha Boyd moved to North America with her sister and mother in 1912. Boyd earned a master’s degree in paleontologyfrom the University of California at Berkeley in 1938. She settled in the Robson Valley with her husband Carl in 1973. She devoted much of her time to painting wildlife in its natural habitat. She was active in the Blackwater Producers Cooperative and helped establish the McBride Arts Council.

The Natasha Boyd Wetland Conservation Area comprises 65 hectares (160 acres) of low lying wetlands and upland forests. The woodland area, which is made up of paper birch, trembling aspen, white and black spruce, lodgepole pine and western red cedar, surrounds clusters of inter-connected wetlands. The wetlands include bogs (areas with deep, nutrient poor, acidic soils), fens (more nutrient rich areas with deep peat soils vegetated by sedges and grasses), and shallow open waters.

More information is available at Fraser Headwaters Allliance and the Land Conservancy of British Columbia.

Mary Schäffer Warren

Mary T. S. Schäffer Warren [1861–1939]

b. 1861 Pennsylvania, USA
d. 1939 — Banff, Alberta, Canada

Mary Townsend Sharples (Schaffer) (Warren), 1861-1939, was born to moderately wealthy Quaker parents at Westchester, Pennsylvania. She first visited the Canadian Rockies and Selkirk Mountains in 1888 with her friend Mary Vaux and returned the next year with her husband, Dr. Charles Schaffer.

Sources of biographical information about Schäffer Warren:

Events in the Mount Robson region in which Schäffer Warren was involved:

  • 1907 Schaffer meets Coleman in Wilcox Pass
  • 1908 Mary Schäffer YHP
Works pertinent to the Mount Robson region of which Schäffer Warren was author or co-author:

  • —   Mary Schaffer fonds M79 / V527 (1907–1911).
  • —   Old Indian trails. Incidents of camp and trail life, covering two years’ exploration through the Rocky Mountains of Canada. [1907 and 1908]. New York: Putnam, 1911. Internet Archive
  • —   “Sergeant Sidney J. Unwin, Canadian Artillery [in Memoriam].” Canadian Alpine Journal, 8 (1917):107-108
  • —   A hunter of peace : Mary T.S. Schaffer’s Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies ; incidents of camp and trail life, covering two years’ exploration through the Rocky Mountains of Canada ; including a previously unpublished account : the 1911 expedition to Maligne Lake and Yahe-Weha – Mountain Woman, a portrait of Mary Schaffer Warren. Edited by Edward J. Hart. 1980

James Herrick McGregor

James Herrick McGregor, P.L.S. [1869–1915]

b. 1869 — Montreal, Quebec
d. 1915 — Ypres, Belgium

Sources of biographical information about McGregor:

  • Whittaker, John A., editor. Early Land Surveyors of British Columbia (P.L.S. Group). Victoria, B.C.: The Corporation of Land Surveyors of the Province of British Columbia, 1990
McGregor is the namesake of the following places in the Mount Robson region:

References:

  • The Canadian Virtual War Memorial. CVWM, Captain James Herrick McGregor. CVWM
  • Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors. Annual Report (1956).
  • Whittaker, John A., editor. Early Land Surveyors of British Columbia (P.L.S. Group). Victoria, B.C.: The Corporation of Land Surveyors of the Province of British Columbia, 1990
  • Grant, Peter. The Quixotic Gallantry of Herrick McGregor. 2013 Oak Bay Chronicles [accessed 1/20/2025] .
  • British Columbia Geographical Names. McGregor River

Charles Francis Hanington

Charles Francis Hanington [1848–1930]

b. 1848
d. 1930

Hanington is the namesake of the following places in the Mount Robson region:

Events in the Mount Robson region in which Hanington was involved:

  • 1874 Jarvis and Hanington
Works pertinent to the Mount Robson region of which Hanington was author or co-author:

  • —   Journal of Mr. C.F. Hanington from Quesnelle through the Rocky Mountains, during the winter of 1874-5. 1875. Internet Archive
Also see:

Edward Worrell Jarvis

Edward Worrell Jarvis [1846–1894]

b. 1846 — Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
d. 1894 — Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Born at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 26 January 1846, son of Edward James Jarvis and Elizabeth Gray, he trained as an engineer at Cambridge University. Between 1864 and 1867, he did railway work in England before returning to Canada in 1868 and was an assistant to Sandford Fleming [1827–1915] during construction of the Intercolonial Railway in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

He first came to Manitoba in 1871 as a member of a government party surveying the route of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He was later a partner in the lumber business of W. J. Macaulay and Company. He was the first Registrar of the University of Manitoba, a founder of the Manitoba Historical Society, an early alderman on the Winnipeg City Council, and an officer in the North West Mounted Police. He designed the Broadway Bridge, which opened in 1882.
He died at Calgary, North West Territories [now Alberta] on 24 November 1894. He is commemorated by Jarvis Street in Winnipeg. A collection of his journals are held by the Archives of Manitoba (MG6 A2).

“Jarvis and Major Charles Francis Hanington [1848–1930] of Ottawa made an adventurous winter journey across the Rockies in 1875. The pass through which they crossed the mountains was named Jarvis Pass by the Geographic Board of Canada and the name Jarvis is also borne by a mountain on the south side of the pass opposite Mount Hanington. The exploration was undertaken to see if this route across the mountains would be a practicable one for the Canadian Pacific Railway. The elevation of the pass, about 5,000 feet, proved too high. The starting point of the journey was Quesnel, which was left on December 9, 1874, and a 1,000-mile journey, mostly on foot, occupying five and a half months was concluded at Winnipeg on May 21, 1875.” (extract from Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, June 1927).

Sources of biographical information about Jarvis:

  • Hanington, Charles Francis [1848–1930]. Journal of Mr. C.F. Hanington from Quesnelle through the Rocky Mountains, during the winter of 1874-5. 1875 Internet Archive
Jarvis is the namesake of the following places in the Mount Robson region:

Events in the Mount Robson region in which Jarvis was involved:

  • 1874 Jarvis and Hanington

Mount Robson Images

Mt. Robson, Grand Fork, Fraser River. Photo: James McEvoy, 1898

Mt. Robson, Grand Fork, Fraser River.
Photo: James McEvoy, 1898 Report on the geology and natural resources of the country traversed by the Yellowhead Pass [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mount Robson from the South-West, at 3,000 Feet. Photo: Arthur Coleman, 1907

Mount Robson from the South-West, at 3,000 Feet.
Photo: Arthur Coleman, 1907 The Canadian Rockies: New and Old Trails [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mount Robson from the North, at 5,700 feet. Photo: Arthur Coleman, 1908

Mount Robson from the North, at 5,700 feet.
Photo: Arthur Coleman, 1908 The Canadian Rockies: New and Old Trails [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mount Robson from the North-East, at 7,000 feet. Photo: Arthur Coleman, 1908

Mount Robson from the North-East, at 7,000 feet.
Photo: Arthur Coleman, 1908 The Canadian Rockies: New and Old Trails [accessed 15 February 2025]


Sunrise on Mount Robson [1908 ?] Arthur Philemon Coleman Watercolour over pencil on paper

Sunrise on Mount Robson [1908 ?]
Arthur Philemon Coleman
Watercolour over pencil on paper Royal Ontario Museum [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mount Robson from North West, 1908 Arthur Philemon Coleman Watercolour over pencil on paper

Mount Robson from North West, 1908
Arthur Philemon Coleman
Watercolour over pencil on paper Royal Ontario Museum [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mount Robson From Across Berg Lake, 1908 Arthur Philemon Coleman Watercolour over pencil on paper

Mount Robson From Across Berg Lake, 1908
Arthur Philemon Coleman
Watercolour over pencil on paper Royal Ontario Museum [accessed 15 February 2025]


First Glimpse of Mt. Robson Mary Schäffer Warren, 1908

First Glimpse of Mt. Robson
Mary Schäffer Warren, 1908 Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mount Robson. Mary Schäffer Warren, 1908

Mount Robson. Mary Schäffer Warren, 1908 Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mt. Robson from mountain near Tête Jaune Cache. Hand coloured lantern slid, Mary Schäffer Warren, 1908

Mt. Robson from mountain near Tête Jaune Cache.
Hand coloured lantern slid, Mary Schäffer Warren, 1908 Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mount Robson. Photo: Mary Schäffer Warren, 1908

Mount Robson. Photo: Mary Schäffer Warren, 1908 Old Indian Trails [accessed 15 February 2025]


North-Western face of Mt. Robson from upper plateau of the Grand Forks. Photo: A. L. Mumm, 1909

North-Western face of Mt. Robson from upper plateau of the Grand Forks.
Photo: A. L. Mumm, 1909 Canadian Alpine Journal 1910


Mt. Robson, from the North. Photo: Dr. J. Norman Collie, 1910

Mt. Robson, from the North.
Photo: Dr. J. Norman Collie, 1910 Alpine Journal 1912 [accessed 15 February 2025]


The most majestic of Canadian Mountains. Mount Robson, 13,700 feet high, the loftiest peak in the Canadian Rockies, viewed from the Grand Fork. 1910.

The most majestic of Canadian Mountains.
Mount Robson, 13,700 feet high, the loftiest peak in the Canadian Rockies, viewed from the Grand Fork. 1910. F. A. Talbot, New Garden of Canada, 1911 [accessed 15 February 2025]


The winter camp of L. J. Cole (resident engineer) and family during Grand Trunk Pacific Railway construction, about 1910.

The winter camp of L. J. Cole (resident engineer) and family during Grand Trunk Pacific Railway construction, about 1910. Exploration Place [accessed 15 February 2025]


Striking camp. Mount Robson in the background.Horses coralled ready for loading up. (The Author's camp. )

Striking camp. Mount Robson in the background.Horses coralled ready for loading up. (The Author’s camp. ) Talbot, Making Good in Canada, p. 1 [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mount Robson (Nearly 14,000 feet altitude, King of the Canadian Rockies). As the tourist on the Grand Trunk Pacific will see it from the mouth of the Grand Forks, on the Fraser River. This monster peak, towering over 10,000 feet above Lake Kinney, in the valley below, at an average angle of over 6o degrees, was finally captured, in 1909, by two Canadians. Rev. George R. B. Kinney and his companion, Donald Phillips. It the highest mountain yet discovered in the Canadian Rockies. Photo by Rev. George Kinney. National Geographic, 1911.

Mount Robson (Nearly 14,000 feet altitude, King of the Canadian Rockies). As the tourist on the Grand Trunk Pacific will see it from the mouth of the Grand Forks, on the Fraser River. This monster peak, towering over 10,000 feet above Lake Kinney, in the valley below, at an average angle of over 6o degrees, was finally captured, in 1909, by two Canadians. Rev. George R. B. Kinney and his companion, Donald Phillips. It the highest mountain yet discovered in the Canadian Rockies. Photo by Rev. George Kinney. National Geographic, 1911.


Robson Glacier, Robson Pass and Berg Lake from Mumm Peak showing northwest face of Mt. Robson. Photo: Arthur 0. Wheeler, 1911

Robson Glacier, Robson Pass and Berg Lake from Mumm Peak showing northwest face of Mt. Robson. Photo: Arthur 0. Wheeler, 1911 Canadian Alpine Journal 1912


Mt. Robson and Berg Lake. Photo: Byron Harmon, 1911

Mt. Robson and Berg Lake.
Photo: Byron Harmon, 1911 Canadian Alpine Journal 1912


Mt. Robson, Lake Kinney and Valley of Grand Fork. Showing West and Southwest Faces of Mt. Robson. Photo: A. O. Wheeler, 1911

Mt. Robson, Lake Kinney and Valley of Grand Fork. Showing West and Southwest Faces of Mt. Robson. Photo: A. O. Wheeler, 1911 Canadian Alpine Journal 1912


Mount Robson towers above the trail, its peak ever enveloped in the passing clouds.

Mount Robson towers above the trail, its peak ever enveloped in the passing clouds. Stanley Washburn 1912 [accessed 15 February 2025]


Billings Butte - Robson Peak - Iyatunga Mountain. Panonamic view of the Robson massif and adjoining mountains, with the great Hunga glacier in the foreground. Photo: Charles D. Walcott, 1912

Billings Butte – Robson Peak – Iyatunga Mountain. Panonamic view of the Robson massif and adjoining mountains, with the great Hunga glacier in the foreground.
Photo: Charles D. Walcott, 1912 National Geographic Magazine 1913 [accessed 15 February 2025]


Train derailment on the main line west near Mile 13 during construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Circa 1912.

Train derailment on the main line west near Mile 13 during construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Circa 1912. Fraser Fort George Regional Museum [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mount Robson, B.C. from two miles below William James Topley, 1914

Mount Robson, B.C. from two miles below
William James Topley, 1914 Library and Archives Canada [accessed 15 February 2025]


Northeast Face, Mt. Robson – 12,972 feet altitude. Aerial photograph by H. F. Lambart, 1922

Northeast Face, Mt. Robson – 12,972 feet altitude.
Aerial photograph by H. F. Lambart, 1922


Mount Robson (12,972 feet). The Monarch of the Canadian Rockies. A. Y. Jackson, 1927

Mount Robson (12,972 feet). The Monarch of the Canadian Rockies.
A. Y. Jackson, 1927 Jasper National Park, Canadian National Railways [accessed 15 February 2025]


Map Showing Yellowhead Pass Route From Edmonton To Tête-Jaune Cache. James McEvoy, 1900. (Detail)

Map Showing Yellowhead Pass Route From Edmonton To Tête-Jaune Cache.
James McEvoy, 1900. (Detail) Natural Resources Canada [accessed 15 February 2025]


Mt. Robson Region map by A. P. Coleman, 1911

Mt. Robson Region map by A. P. Coleman, 1911 The Canadian Rockies : new and old trails, p. 264 [accessed 15 February 2025]


Topographical Map Showing Mount Robson and Mountains of the Continental Divide North of Yellowhead Pass. Arthur O. Wheeler, 1912

Topographical Map Showing Mount Robson and Mountains of the Continental Divide North of Yellowhead Pass.
Arthur O. Wheeler, 1912 Victoria Library, University of Toronto [accessed 15 February 2025]

References:

  • McEvoy, James E., P.L.S. [1862–1935]. Report on the geology and natural resources of the country traversed by the Yellowhead Pass route from Edmonton to Tête Jaune Cache comprising portions of Alberta and British Columbia. Ottawa: Geological Survey of Canada, 1900. Natural Resources Canada
  • Schäffer Warren, Mary T. S. [1861–1939]. Old Indian trails. Incidents of camp and trail life, covering two years’ exploration through the Rocky Mountains of Canada. [1907 and 1908]. New York: Putnam, 1911. Internet Archive [accessed 10 March 2025]
  • Coleman, Arthur Philemon [1852–1939]. The Canadian Rockies: New and Old Trails. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1911. Internet Archive [accessed 3 March 2025]
  • Walcott, Charles Doolittle [1850–1927], and Walcott Jr., Charles Doolittle [1889–1913]. “A Geologist’s Paradise.” National Geographic Magazine, 22, no. 6 (1911). Internet Archive
  • Washburn, Stanley [1878–1950]. Trails, Trappers and Tenderfeet in the New Empire of Western Canada. New York and London: Henry Holt, Andrew Melrose, 1912. Hathi Trust [accessed 15 February 2025]
  • Cautley, Richard William, D.L.S., A.L.S., C.E. [1873–1953], and Wheeler, Arthur Oliver [1860–1945]. Report of the Commission Appointed to Delimit the Boundary between the Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Parts IIIA & IIIB, 1918 to 1924. From Yellowhead Pass Northerly. Ottawa: Office of the Surveyor General, 1925. Whyte Museum
  • Jasper National Park. n.p.: Canadian National Railways, 1927. Parks Canada History
  • Gooch, Jane Lytton. Mount Robson: Spiral Road of Art. Victoria, B.C.: Rocky Mountain Books, 2013. Internet Archive