Digital
History Books

This remarkable collection comprises 213 caricatures of prominent Manitoba men from the early 1900s, at a time when Winnipeg’s economy was booming and its place in the development of Western Canada was assured. The men were so well known that no further description was necessary.

This readable and amusing book was written as a chronicle of events in Winnipeg during the ten years after Manitoba joined confederation. It also contains numerous pages of advertisements by businesses operating in the city at that time.

This collection of biographies of Manitobans was compiled by the Canadian Publicity Company in 1925. Most of those featured in the book were living at that time, so no information on death dates was provided. Where possible, these have been added to this online version. An introduction to the history of Manitoba, written by librarian W. J. Healy, has been omitted.

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/prominent.shtml

This collection of biographies of early Manitobans was published in 1971. Those included in the collection lived prior to 1920, and came from all walks of life: politics, professions, business and finance, armed services, arts, pioneers, and others.

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/pioneers.shtml

This remarkable book, a history of the City of Brandon and surrounding region, was compiled by Brandon teacher and historian Martin Kavanagh using a wide range of sources. An initial “Pioneer Edition” was published in 1946, subsequently updated and reprinted in a 1967 “Centennial Edition” to commemorate Canada’s 100^th anniversary. The full text and illustrations of the original are reproduced here with the kind permission of the Kavanagh family.

An amusing and sometimes irreverent account of the the province’s history, covering the first Riel uprising, the fur trade, the CPR controversy, John Norquay’s premiership, and the Manitoba Schools Question. On the comical side are the peripatetic bells of St. Boniface which crossed the Atlantic five times, the ‘Republic of Manitobah’ which ended in a drunken brawl, Stephen Leacock’s remarkable uncle, and the Winnipeg Icelandic-Canadian hockey team which won the 1920 Olympics.

Between 1908 and 1928, The Grain Growers’ Guide was the official weekly newspaper of the Manitoba Grain Growers Association. Reproduced in this volume are a selection of letter and editorials which reflect the topics of interest to its editorial staff and readers. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

During the Second World War, powerful men in the Canadian government trusted Grant Dexter, a long-time Winnipeg Free Press correspondent, with some of their most confidential information. Dexter wrote voluminously and a generous sampling of his memoranda and letters is reprinted in this book. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

In the mid-1850s, HBC fur traders joined with aboriginal peoples to provide information and specimens to the newly formed Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. This book focuses on correspondence between the Smithsonian and its northern collectors of birds and eggs, providing insight into nineteenth century science. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

This volume, the second of two which collects and reprints the later writings of Lord Selkirk, helps to show that Selkirk was neither villain nor hero, but a complex and often brilliant man caught in a web of circumstances. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

A. J. Cotton (1858-1942) became known as Manitoba’s “Wheat King” because of the size and quality of his crops. Unlike most early farmers, Cotton preserved extensive accounts and a massive correspondence. This volume of selected letters and papers provides an intimate glimpse into life on the rural prairies before the First World War. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

This volume, the first of two which collects and reprints the early writings of Lord Selkirk, provides insight into the life of a man known to most Canadians as the founder of the Red River Colony. Selkirk emerges not merely as a man of action but also one of ideas. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

The writings of Walter J. Phillips (1884-1962) offer a fascinating look into the life of an important and beloved painter and printmaker, and also illuminate the art world of Manitoba and Western Canada in the formative years between the two world wars. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

From the Riel Resistance of 1870 to the outbreak of the First World War, Winnipeg was Western Canada’s most exciting city. These documents, collected from various public sources, are central to an understanding of its development in this period. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

This volume examines the activities of the first native person to be ordained in the Anglican Church in the missions of Manitoba and Saskatchewan during the late 19th century. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

Over a period of 23 years as the US representative in Winnipeg, James W. Taylor was a popular figure in the social and business life of the British North West. This collection of his early correspondence covers the period when Americans were keenly interested in acquiring the territory. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

This volume reprints a collection of articulate correspondence between politician Clifford Sifton, owner of the Manitoba Free Press newspaper in the early 20^th century, and his editor John W. Dafoe. It provides insight into the lives of these prominent men and the many issues and personalities which filled this period. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

This collection of rare documents, compiled by a noted Manitoba historian, provides a readable and vivid account of the conflict of purposes that led to the birth of Manitoba in 1870. This book was published by the Manitoba Record Society, which was formed in 1960 by the Manitoba Historical Society as an independent body focused on making historical documents and other important, rare materials more readily available.

This book is a revised version of Dr. Clark’s doctoral dissertation completed at the University of Alberta in 1976. It concerns politics in Brandon, Manitoba during the period from 1899 to 1949. This book is made available courtesy of the W. Leland Clark fonds, S. J. McKee Archives, Brandon University.

This book collected memories of the Red River Settlement up to 1873 from elderly women who had lived during this period.

Tales from the Underworld and Other Stories is a unique and fascinating collection of real life stories and anecdotes—some funny, some tragic, some bizarre. Included are chapters about a legendary judge and criminal lawyer, the mysterious murder of a Winnipeg heiress in Florida, and a fatal duel in a blizzard in Northern Manitoba—as well as anecdotes on the often humourous, and sometimes testy relationship between judges and lawyers, and lawyers and their clients.

A collection of 15 fascinating trials: strikes, sedition, libel, the fur trade, murders, abortion, wrongful convictions! The earliest of the 15 trials is from 1845. Within six days after a murder, the accused man was convicted and executed in front of 1,000 witnesses. In the most recent case, from the 1980s, a man was tried for murder three times and convicted twice before the police declared him innocent – almost 20 years after the murder.

The 1919 Winnipeg General Strike is one of the most written-about events in Canada’s history, but very little of it is about the trials that followed the Strike. Six men were sent to prison for conspiring to overthrow the governments of Canada, Manitoba and Winnipeg. Their convictions were set up by prosecutors who crossed legal and ethical lines to pack the juries, and by a presiding judge who was openly biased against the accused men throughout the trials (much to his later regret). All but one of the 15 trials took place in what is now downtown Winnipeg.

Including four founding fathers, criminal lawyers, corporate lawyers, mavericks and outliers, and ten notable visitors. They include Thomas Douglas (Lord Selkirk), a founding father who suffered “death by litigation,” Noel Ritchot, a priest who negotiated Manitoba’s entry into Confederation, Isaac Pitblado, a lawyer who made contact with a spirit named Walter, Lewis Stubbs, a judge who spoke his mind — and lost his job, Peter Vander Graaf and Jack Taylor, two detectives — the last of the tough and legendary police officers, Geraldine MacNamara, an activist nun who had a law degree, and Izzy Asper, a lawyer-businessman who rather enjoyed suing and being sued.

The Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg has been a strong force in the arts community for well over a century. Its volunteer board has actively contributed to the promotion of excellence in music by providing a stage for young Canadian artists, and by offering annual scholarships with, since 2006, the added bonus of the biennial WMC McLellan Competition for Solo Performance with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

This book by pioneering horticulturist Pete Peters covers the history of horticulture in Manitoba, including the development of experimental farms, Manitoba Horticultural Association, local horticultural societies, commercial horticulture, Vegetable Growers’ Association of Manitoba, promotion and marketing, commercial organizations, city parks and railway gardens, extension programs of the provincial government, and biographical sketches of noteworthy horticulturists.