The collection consists of a photograph album and one newspaper clipping originally tucked into the album.
The album consists of photographs predominantly of northern Alberta and into the Northwest Territories, though some are of Cooking Lake and Edmonton Beach, Alberta.
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Newspaper clipping - Freddy L. Fraser (MS-1195, f. 1)
The newspaper clipping is an obituary for Frederick Lawrence (Freddy) Fraser, grandson of Colin Fraser (Jr.), and great grandson of Colin Fraser (Sr.).
Colin Fraser (Sr.) came to Canada originally as a piper for Sir George Simpson, Governor-in-Chief of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), for Simpson's 1828 trek across Canada and Rupert's Land reviewing each of the HBC forts. The following year he was assigned to HBC York Factory and over the next 25 years worked at various HBC forts becoming an accomplished fur trader. Colin Fraser (Sr.) married Nancy Beaudry and they had 12 children - Betsy, Isabella, Marguerite, Ann, John, Annabella, Flora, Simon, Colin, J. Henry, Adelaide and Caroline.
Colin Fraser (Jr.), son of Nancy Beaudry and Colin Fraser (Sr.), was also an accomplished fur trader, eventually settling in Fort Chipewyan where he had a store and post office. Colin Fraser (Jr.) married Flora Rowland and they had six children - James, Maria, Lovisa, Colin W. (Roderick), Frederick and Mary Jane.
Freddy Fraser, was born 11 Feb 1911 in Fort Chipewyan, to Eliza Jane Loutit and Colin W. (Roderick) Fraser. Freddy left school at a young age to work with his grandfather (Colin Fraser Jr.) hauling furs and freight in northern Alberta. He later hauled mail and freight by dog teams to Yellowknife from mines in the Canadian north. In World War II, Freddy enlisted in the Seaforth Regiment, CEF, and saw action in Italy and the Mediterranean. After the war, Freddy Fraser joined the Wood Buffalo National Park Service, eventually as warden from 1947 to 1952. Freddy retired in 1971, eventually moving to Edmonton. Frederick L. Fraser died 17 Apr 1982 in Edmonton.
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Photo Album (EB-31)
There is very little information about the photo album and only a few of the photographs are annotated. However, those annotations include Jim Fraser, and Royal Nothwest Mounted (RNWMP) Police officers - Inspector Joy, Inspector Phillips, Corporal Doak, and Corporal Clay.
A group of photographs in the album are of Sinnisiak and Uloqsaq (Uluksak, Uluksuk) at Fort Resolution, most likely after their trial in Edmonton and Calgary in 1917 for the murder of two priests. The photographs include Sinnisiak, Uloqsaq as well as witness Koeha, interpreter Ilavinirk (Iiavinik, Ilavinik), interpreter Patsy Klengenberg, Crown counsel Charles C. McCaul, defense counsel James Wallbridge, Inspector Joy and an unidentified RNWMP officer.
There are also photographs of a RNWMP North Patrol with a dog team en route to Herschel Island, possibly after being at Fort Resolution visiting Sinnisiak and Uloqsaq. These photographs include Inspector Joy, Inspector Phillips, Constable Doak, Constable Clay, Mrs. Clay, Mrs. King, Mrs. Anderson, and 'self' (who may be the original creator/owner of the album).
Some of the other photographs in the album (not annotated) are of unknown people, but likely family members, possibly of the Colin Fraser (Jr.) family. These may include Colin Fraser (Jr.) and his trading post at Fort Chipewyan, his son Jim Fraser, and Jim's dog sled team, as well as possibly Colin's daughter, Mary Jane Fraser.
Mary Jane Fraser married Arthur H.L. Mellor, a RNWMP officer, who was often on northern patrols early in his career.
There is one gentleman common to many of the photographs however his identity is not known. For description purposes and to show the connection between the photographs, he has been described as Mr. X.
It is not known for certain who the album belonged to, however, given the newspaper clipping and the photographs are of activities in the far north (Alberta, NWT and Yukon) including RNWMP, it is possible the album belonged to a Fraser family member, perhaps Mary Jane Fraser Mellor, or Jim Fraser.
Schneider, Jean