Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Textual record
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Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on name of creator.
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1880 - 1966 (Creation)
- Creator
- Oliver, Frank
Physical description area
Physical description
10 cm of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Numbering within publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Frank Oliver was born in 1853 to Hannah Oliver and Frank Bowsfield in Peel County, Ontario. Frank decided to take his mother’s last name in his teens.
Frank worked as a typesetter in Toronto for The Globe before coming west to Winnipeg in 1873 where he worked for the Manitoba Free Press. Frank arrived in Edmonton in 1876 and in 1880 he founded Edmonton's first newspaper, the "Edmonton Bulletin", in partnership with Alex Taylor.
In 1881, Frank Oliver married Harriet Dunlop in Manitoba. Frank and Harriet had seven children – Harriet, Dora, Clara, Anna, Allen, John, and Lucy.
In 1883 he was elected to the Northwest Territories Council and in 1896 he entered the House of Commons as an independent Liberal - the first member of parliament from Alberta. In 1905 Sir Wilfrid Laurier appointed him Minister for the Interior and he later became a member of the Privy Council. Oliver ran in both the 1917 and 1921 federal elections but was defeated in both elections. In 1923 he was appointed to the Board of Railway Commissioners, which he participated on until his death.
Though he had divested himself of his interests in The Bulletin in 1923, two years later he bought the paper back with hopes to resell it at a profit. However this was not achieved. Oliver turned to writing, including drafting a history of the fur trade and reminiscences of his early years in the west. The University of Alberta conferred an honorary degree of LLD on Oliver in 1931.
Frank Oliver died suddenly on 31 Mar 1933 while in Ottawa on Board business. His body was returned to Edmonton and he was buried at the Edmonton Municipal Cemetery.
Custodial history
John Oliver was the son of Frank Oliver.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of materials created by Frank Oliver including published and unpublished speeches and newspapers, correspondence, and typescripts of various newspaper articles relating to Frank Oliver.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The fonds was donated to the City of Edmonton Archives by John Oliver, through the Northern Alberta Pioneers & Old Timers Association.
Arrangement
The fonds was arranged by the archivist by creator.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on access.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Copyright may apply.
Finding aids
Finding aid available online.
Associated materials
See also:
Frank Oliver Family fonds (PR1831) at the Provincial Archives of Alberta
Accruals
Further accruals are not expected.
General note
Accession number: unknown NAPOTA
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
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Description record identifier
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Rules or conventions
Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Language of description
- English