Fonds 129 Betty Welter fonds

55 photographs

This artefact is a study published by the Canadian newspaper, “The Albertan.” It consists of 176 pages that briefly describe the history of Alberta, and documents family, industry, agriculture, infrastructure, etc.

South Peace River and South Wapiti District showing roads, trails, bridges, telephone lines, transmission lines, aircraft landings, forestry towers, cabins and stations.

Date: ca. 1880-1950 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of a valentine from a school chum; handwritten booklets about cats, cows, and the school fair; a record of prize winners including Betty Smart for her entry of certified seed oats at the 1937 G.P. Seed Fair, and two scrapbooks made by Betty in 1938-1944 while she was taking Household Economics in the Home Economics Department at Vermilion School of Agriculture. From the Smart family there is a pamphlet from World War I called “The Soul of a Soldier”, a cookbook belonging to Mable Smart; a newspaper article called In Retrospect written for the Grande Prairie Herald by Mable Smart; and a menu from Pland’s Restaurant in Oakland California where Mr. Smart visited his brother c. 1950. Photographs include some unidentified portraits of English relatives; photographs taken on a trip to see the devastation of the Dawson Creek explosion; a copy of a photo of Betty’s brother, Charlie Smart as well as a portrait of him in his sailor uniform and a photo of Betty and her sister as children; and two photographs of Ma Brainard at her Stopping Place west of Hythe. A later accrual includes booklets, newspaper clippings, and biographies celebrating reunions of former dormers at the Wapiti Lodge, a residence for rural students attending Grande Prairie High School.

Physical description: 1 cm textual records

29 photographs

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Family portrait. Probably taken in Canterbury, England (belonged to Mable Nichols Smart) and is thought to be her teacher. Signed Lionel Joy Faversham. The back reads “Philip 17 years, Robert 14, Mavis Grace 9, Brian 7, John Lewis 5”

Eleven portrait and group photographs of unidentified men and women who served in World War I. Several are stamped Canterbury for the location of the photographer. There is also one photograph of Canterbury taken during World War I. The postcards are addressed to Mable Nichols, two have messages on the back.

Formal portrait of unnamed male ancestor from the Smart family.

Formal portrait of unnamed female ancestor from the Smart family.

Portrait of “Billy and Tebe” in 1903. They could be related to Mable Smart as a note on the back says, “Mable, with love from Maggie, Billy and Tebe July 24, 1903.”

Ma Brainard, her two nieces, Maude Lucas and Betty Welter in front of Ma’s stopping place at Brainard Lake, 1942.

Tommy Groves, Ma Brainard, her two nieces and Betty Welter in front of Ma Brainard’s stopping place at Brainard Lake, 1942.

Caterpillar Tractor and operator at work clearing land for the Alaska Highway.

Fire debris from the explosion of 60 tons of dynamite in Dawson Creek on Feb. 13, 1943.

A truck hits the ditch after sliding on the muddy Alaska Highway.

Log cabins which made up the U.S. army camp along the road to Dawson Creek.

A construction truck has over-turned in the ditch beside the Alaska Highway.

Smoldering ruins of the Dawson Creek fire of 1943 which destroyed a good portion of the downtown.

Debris left over after the Dawson Creek fire of 1943.

“First Flower Show at the old Grande Prairie Hotel rotunda about 1933. We had hundreds of entries and the flowers were displayed in beer bottles. Archie Smart was president” of the Horticultural Society at the time.

Original Monkman Pass bridge and corduroy road ca. 1937, with Norman & Don Silliphant on right and left.

Charlie Smart, brother of Betty (Smart) Welter, in his navy uniform.

Betty Smart pulling her sister on a sled in the snow while the dog watches.

Date: 1930-1980 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of an army pay book belonging to John (Jack) Welter; two army pay books from William Welter, Jack’s brother; some Gasoline Ration coupon booklets from World War II; some photographs of the Welter family logging business; two photos of a bundle sweep built by Jack & Gerard Tissington when Jack worked on Tissington’s farm; Betty unemployment insurance card c. 1940; some receipts from their first home (building permit, electricity installation); Fred Welter’s Grade One Report Card from Montrose School ca. 1950; and income tax forms for Betty (1943-1945) and for Jack (1945-1973). An accrual in 2010 consists of plans and blueprints of the Welter house and their duplex.

Physical description: 3 cm textual records

14 photographs

18 blueprints

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Forward view of bundle/hay sweep made by Jack Welter and Gerard Tissington from the Flying Shot Lake district. It had a hydraulic lift and was used for gathering bundles or loose hay.

Side view of bundle/hay sweep made by Jack Welter and Gerard Tissington from the Flying Shot Lake district. It had a hydraulic lift and was used for gathering bundles or loose hay.

Copies of early logging photographs from the Welter family for the 1997 “Forestry Capital of Canada” display and collection.

Conditions governing use:

“Forestry Capital of Canada” display; copies only–no copyright 1997.18.01-05

Copies of early logging photographs from the Welter family for the 1997 “Forestry Capital of Canada” display and collection.

Conditions governing use:

“Forestry Capital of Canada” display; copies only–no copyright 1997.19.01-04

Unidentified convention photograph with Grande Prairie people in attendance: Mr. & Mrs. Harry Watcher, Dr. Carlisle, Ike Nelson, Mr. Archibald, Lizzie Bousfield, Mr. & Mrs Dodge (Spirit River), Mr & Mrs Walter Bond, Mr & Mrs Alf Field, Peter & Everald Knight, Iris Carveth and Margaret Murray.

Rex Harper standing on newly completed earth dam, overlooking the Grande Prairie reservoir. In the background is the dam gate and a portion of Avondale and the Bear Creek valley.

A young man stands beside a home built “snow taxi”.

1/4” = 1’

Scope and content:

Scale drawings of Betty and Jack Welter’s house in Grande Prairie including main floor, a detailed foundation plan, front view, rear view, east and west view of basement, front, rear and east and west view of exterior, and roof plan. Jack Welter built the home.

Scale drawings of Betty and Jack Welter’s house in Grande Prairie including main floor, foundation plan, front view, rear view, east and west view of basement, front, rear and east and west view of exterior, and roof plan. Jack Welter built the home.

1/4” = 1’

Scope and content:

Scale drawings of Betty and Jack Welter’s duplex in Grande Prairie including ground floor plan, plot plan, basement plan, second floor plan, section drawing, front elevation, side elevation, rear elevation

1” = 4’

Scope and content:

Blueprints of Welter’s duplex in Grande Prairie including south and north and east elevations, a street plot plan, a foundation plan, first floor and second floor plans, a section drawing, and a cross section plan.

Date: 1964-1997 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of documents, certificates and news clippings detailing Betty’s activities with the Canadian Red Cross. There are two photographs of a signature quilt made for the Pipestone Creek Reunion, and the interior of the Campbell cabin.

Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records

2 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Betty Welter, Paulette Hrychiw, & two other quilters standing beside finished signature quilt

Interior Campbell Cabin shows stove, cream separator, wood box

Date: 1995-2007 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of stories written by Betty as submissions for writing contests and for the enjoyment of her children and grandchildren. They include short biographies of herself, her parents, her siblings and her husband as well as memories of incidents which happened in her childhood, her teenage years and years as a young wife. They convey what life was like during the depression and the war years.

Physical description: 2 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: 1965-1970 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of one minute book of the Mother’s Auxiliary or the Local Association of Rangers, Guides and Brownies. This group held events, organized outings and raised money for the Rangers, Guides and Brownies.

Physical description: 1 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Date: 1940-1992 (date of creation)

Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records

19 photographs

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Date: 1940-1957 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The sub-series consists of files of paper artifacts, photographs and information on Miller’s Taxi. These were collected by Betty from various sources to supply information requested by the Grande Prairie Regional Archives.

Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records

10 photographs

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Chester Miller of Miller’s Taxi driving horse-drawn cart in Grande Prairie parade

Pete Gammon, manager at Caterpillar Tractor, pushing a wheelbarrow in the Fair Day parade, in front of Rodacker’s Garage.

Pete Gammon, manager at Caterpillar Tractor, pushing a wheelbarrow in the Fair Day Parade in front of Shalimar Beauty Salon and a Used Cars garage.

Chester Miller, of Miller’s Taxi, driving a makeshift two wheeled cart in the parade. The Royal Bank of Canada is in the background.

Grande Prairie Majorettes marching in the summer parade on Richmond Avenue. The Royal Bank, Roy Wright’s Store, the Jade Café and a Flower Shop are in the background.

Covered Democrat pulled by a single horse in the 1957 parade on Richmond Avenue.

Chester Miller in a white shirt standing with hat shading his face. His daughter is Joan Smith

Johnny Pike, driver for Miller’s Taxi standing beside his taxi with a woman in driver’s seat

Frank Redwood, in driver seat of Miller’s Taxi

Frank Redwood, sitting on the hood of his taxi, eating a cob of corn

Date: 1944-1948 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

Teen Town was initiated by a High School Social class in 1944 and formally organized in 1945, after the war was over. It was a teen organization, with its own council and mayor, which organized events for teenagers in the town. It was for 13- to 19-year-olds and up to 50 or 60 teenagers would gather for a dance. First they had dances in Miller’s Garage and larger events at the armories, but eventually they bought their own H-hut and moved it behind the swimming pool, just north of the tracks on 101 Street. The subseries contains three photographs.

Physical description: 3 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Group snapshot at a Teen Town Dance. Boys l to r: Don Hudson, Les Gault, Bob Burgess, Ray Howarth, John Hynatiuk, Jim Henning, Dunc Bird, Keith Johnson, Bob Gray, Billy Didow, Dale O’Brien, Lorn Kirby, Glen Paul. Girls l to r: Lonnie Wald, Donna Moore, Marge Honnor, Audrey Wald, Joan Miller, Sheila Charters, Joan Morrison, Evelyn Rose, Kay Morrison, Betty Shields, Monica Ayre, Dody Gray, Faye Ditch, Marge Wilson, Wilma Cook, Delores Sekora, Jeanne Hammer.

Eileen Miller and Skip Duncan jiving at a teen town dance. Dody Gray, Monica Ayre and Billy Didow are on the sidelines.

Grande Prairie and Dawson Creek bowlers at a tournament. Jerry Moore, Bob Keys, Ray Tintuol, Joan Miller and Dolores Sekora are from Grande Prairie; the rest are from Dawson Creek.

Date: 1986-1992 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The subseries contains photographs of trumpeter swans and hot air balloons.

Physical description: 4 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Hot Air Balloons are seen being launch from Muskoseepi Park and sailing over the reservoir.

A trumpeter swan family on the south side of Saskatoon Lake. Photo taken Aug. 21, 1986, when the seven cygnets between the adult pair are nine weeks old. The female in front and the male swimming last. This family left the lake Nov. 7, to winter on Red Rocks Lakes, Idaho. The adult pair and seven cygnets returned on April 3, 1987.

Date: 1929-1969 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of three commercial cookbooks: “Seasonable Meat Recipes and Suggestions for Health, Balanced Menus in Table Form, Invalid Cookery, Large Quantity Meat Recipes;” “The Household Science Book of Recipes;” and “Culinary Secrets:” and two hand-written cookbooks. Several of the cookbooks have enclosures.

Physical description: 8 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

A cookbook made up of recipes submitted by members of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Royal Canadian Legion No.54. Grande Prairie. Their Auxiliary was formed April 27, 1951 with only 8 members and it had grown to 106 members when this booklet was published.

A cookbook made up of recipes submitted by members of the Kinette Club of Grande Prairie which began in 1957 and published this book in 1968-69. A list of club members of the time are listed in the book.