Fonds consists of records, including marriages, 1858-1909, of Bobcaygeon Methodist Circuit (includes Bobcaygeon Wesleyan Methodist Circuit, Bobcaygeon, Robinson's Church in Fairbairn, Silver Lake, Zion Church in Nogies Creek, Providence Church in Red Rock, Bethel Church in Verulam Township, Eden Church in Verulam Township, St. John's Church in Verulam Township), 1858-1912; records of Bobcaygeon Methodist Church, 1875-1913; records of Robinson's Methodist Church in Fairbairn, 1885-1924; subscription book of St. David's Methodist Church in Verulam Township, 1897; records of Salem Emily Methodist Church in Emily Township, 1903-1923; deed of Zion Methodist Church in Nogies Creek, 1885; deed of St. John's Methodist Church in Verulam Township, 1905; records of Emily Presbyterian Church, Emily Township, 1843-1925; records, including baptisms, 1876-1925, of Knox Presbyterian Church in Dunsford (includes Canada Presbyterian Church in Verulam Township), 1869-1925; records, including baptisms, 1907-1939, marriages, 1907-1946, burials, 1907-1952, of Bobcaygeon Pastoral Charge (includes Bobcaygeon Methodist Circuit, Bobcaygeon, Providence Church in Red Rock, Robinson's Church in Fairbairn, Zion Church in Nogies Creek, Bethel Church in Verulam Township, Eden Church in Verulam Township, St. John's Church in Verulam Township), 1934-1969; records of Dunsford Pastoral Charge, 1915-1966; records, including baptisms, 1900-1969, marriages, 1900-1958, burials, 1900-1969, of Dunsford-Providence Pastoral Charge (includes Dunsford Methodist Circuit, Dunsford Pastoral Charge, Salem Emily Church in Emily Township, Providence Church in Red Rock), 1900-1969; records, including baptisms, 1939-1994, marriages, 1973-1994, burials, 1952-1993, of Bobcaygeon-Dunsford-Providence Pastoral Charge (includes Bobcaygeon Pastoral Charge), 1939-1994; records of Trinity United Church in Bobcaygeon, 1937-2000; records, including baptisms, 1969-1979, marriages, 1958-1975, burials, 1969-1975, of Dunsford United Church (includes Dunsford Pastoral Charge, Dunsford-Providence Pastoral Charge), 1923-1996; records of Providence United Church in Red Rock, 1939-1978; church history of Zion United Church in Nogies Creek, (1935?); collection book of Robinson's United Church in Fairbairn, 1925-1936; records, including baptisms, 1948-1965, marriages, 1958, burials, 1960, of Salem Emily United Church in Emily Township (includes Salem Emily Methodist Church), 1923-1969; records of St. John's United Church in Verulam Township, 1941-1987.

This collection consists of yearbooks; annual reports; newsletters, handbooks; prize lists; constitutions and by-laws; board of director information; lists of presidents; correspondence; a newspaper clipping; programmes; show announcements; booklets; emblems; publications; hand-written notes; a petition; rules and regulations; proceedings of an annual convention; show books; bulletins; pamphlets; articles; a presentation; and member lists.

Series consists of photographs acquired by the Office of the City Clerk. Included are group photographs of City Councils for Fort William, Port Arthur and Thunder Bay from various years, photographs of children at sporting events and in school settings and portrait photographs of Aldermen, Mayors and City Clerks from various years. Also included in this series are early photographs of construction and development within the Thunder Bay region, photographs of accidents including train accidents and ship wrecks and a variety of early photographs showing the landscape of the region. Landscape photographs include images of industrial areas such as grain elevators, mills and mines in the district, Kakabeka Falls, views of the Kaministiquia River and Mount McKay, early street views of downtown Fort William and various railway bridges in the region, and photographs of the old Fort William City Hall.

The Lake Superior Voyage Diary fonds consists of a diary written by an unknown author detailing a trip to Fort William on Lake Superior.

Marshall Blanchard Dean was an early physician in Fort William; his son Marshall Macdougall Dean had a career with the Canadian Coast Guard and a lifelong interest in history and genealogy. Collection includes correspondence, photographs, and research materials.

Photographs and documents from the Silver Islet Mine and Silver Islet Store, including ledgers and a chart.

A rich deposit of silver was discovered on Silver Islet in 1868. A small island at the tip of the Sibley Peninsula, the mine was built deep below the waterline, and relied on breakwaters and pumps. Silver Islet was mined until 1884, when pumps failed, and the mine was flooded. The small community built on shore to support the mine is still inhabited.

Photographs and documents, generally collected because they would be of interest regarding the history of Port Arthur and Fort William. Includes rail and CPR, ships, fishing, and social and sporting groups.

The collection consists of legal files and documents, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and drawings from the legal firm Wink & Cameron (Port Arthur). The collection consists of the following series:

1. Legal Documents
2. Drawings

Consists of photographs of particularly mining development in Northwestern Ontario in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as the waterfront and shipping, local scenery, and notable figures. Also includes some correspondence; railway construction plans.

Series consists of photographs collected by Thunder Bay Fire Rescue and include photographs from the former fire departments of Fort William and Port Arthur. Included are photographs of formal ceremonies and other activities of the fire department, photograpghs of fire fighters combating fires in various areas of Thunder Bay and group photos of fire personnel.

Thunder Bay Fire Rescue consists of the following divisions; Fire Prevention and Investigation, Apparatus and Equipment, Fire Suppression, Training and Administration. Each division is led by a Director and is overseen by the Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief. At 2011, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue is positioned under Community and Emergency Services and reports to the General Manager of this department. The key responsibilities of the department include fire suppression, emergency planning, auto extrication, handling of hazardous materials, industrial accidents, medical assistance, fire prevention (including education and awareness strategies), and investigations and rescue operations in situations that involve high and low angles, water and ice and confined spaces.

Under By-Law 1545, dated December 30, 1918, the duties of Officials were set out. The duties of the City Clerk included secretary of council, returning officer, voters list preparation, local improvements, preparation of juror’s list, registrar of vital statistics, supplies control, responsibility for fuel controller records, isolation hospital, tax roll and office. (the By-Law may be consulted for more detailed information)

The records were in the custody of a number of Clerks commencing with William Howard Langworthy who was appointed Clerk and Treasurer of the Town of Port Arthur on May 12, 1884, under By-Law 1. Mr. Langworthy was also appointed Clerk of the Police Office on January 25, 1886, under By-Law 88. On January 26, 1891, under By-Law 275 he was again appointed Clerk and the By-Law also stated that his salary as Clerk also included his salary as Secretary of the Local Board of Health.

On February 10, 1897, under By-Law 481, James McTeigue was appointed Clerk and the ByLaw also stated that his salary as Clerk also included his salary as Secretary of the Local Board of Health. On February 7, 1898, under By-Law 502 , Mr. McTeigue was appointed Clerk and Treasurer. On January 18, 1907, under By-Law 898, Mr. McTeigue’s salary as Clerk and Treasurer and Secretary of the Local Board of Health, also included his salary as Secretary Treasurer of the Electric Railway and Light Commission. Under By-Law 52, dated January 15, 1908, his title as Secretary Treasurer of the Electric Railway and Light Commission was changed to Secretary of the Electric Railway and Light Commission.

In 1908, under By-Law 113, dated April 13th, the Office of the Clerk and Treasurer was separated and William Gurney was appointed Treasurer. Mr. McTeigue continued as Clerk, Secretary of the Local Board of Health and Secretary of the Electric Railway and Light Commission. Under By-Law 500, dated January 9, 1911, the title Electric Railway and Light Commission was changed to Utilities Commission. Under By-Law 734, dated January 11, 1912, Mr. McTeigue was appointed Clerk and Secretary of the Local Board of Health.

Under By-Law 837, dated July 30, 1912, T. F. Milne was appointed Clerk. Under the ByLaw, his salary as Clerk, also included his salary as Secretary of the Local Board of Health, Secretary of the Board of Park Commissioners and Secretary of the Board of Police Commissioners. Under By-Law 960, dated January 13, 1913, Mr. Milne was again appointed Clerk, with his salary also including his services as Secretary of the Local Board of Health. No other duties were mentioned in this By-Law. Under By-Law 1142, dated January 19, 1914, Mr. Milne was again appointed Clerk. No other duties were mentioned in this By-Law.

On March 20, 1922, under By-Law 1684, Mr. Milne was appointed Clerk and Deputy Treasurer. Due to the death of T.F. Milne , Arthur H. Evans was appointed temporary Clerk and Deputy Treasurer of the City of Port Arthur under By-Law 2085, dated January 29, 1934. Under ByLaw 2100, Arthur H. Evans was appointed the permanent Clerk and Treasurer.

On September 11, 1939 under By-Law 2348, pursuant to the provisions of the Revised Statutes of Ontario, 1937, Chapter 266, Section 234, Sub-section 2 and Section 238, William V. McComber was appointed Deputy City Clerk and Deputy City Treasurer during the absence of the then Clerk and Treasurer, Arthur H. Evans who was serving in His Majesty’s Forces.

On December 11, 1939, under By-Law 2371, William V. McComber was appointed permanent Clerk and Treasurer during the indefinite absence of Arthur H. Evans, subject to the said Arthur H. Evans being able to return to his position upon his return, which provision is covered under By-Law 2349, dated September 25, 1939. On December 27, 1946 under ByLaw 2711, Arthur H. Evans was re-appointed as Clerk and Treasurer pursuant to The Reinstatement and Civil Employment Act 1946 and to By-Law 2349.

On July 28, 1947 under By-Law 2758, Arthur H. Evans was appointed Clerk and William V. McComber was appointed Treasurer and Deputy Clerk.

On July 25, 1955 under By-Law 3771, Lillian Dennis was appointed Deputy Clerk, the aforesaid Arthur Henry Evans retained his position as Clerk at this time, under By-Law 3770 also dated July 25, 1955. On May 27, 1963 under By-Law 4945 it was necessary to appoint an Acting Clerk, and Lillian Dennis was appointed. Frank Morphet was appointed Deputy Clerk under By-Law 4946, dated May 26, 1963. On November 12, 1963 under By-Law 5014, Lillian Dennis was appointed Clerk of the City of Port Arthur. Lillian Dennis remained in the position as Clerk until her retirement on January 1, 1970.

The series contains records generated in the office of the City Clerk and consists of files arranged alphabetically under the categories Education, Election, Employees, Finance, Government, Government Housing, Government Licenses/Licensing, Government Police, Government Vital Statistics, Health, Health Hospitals, Legal, Miscellaneous, Planning, Property, Property Zoning, Real Estate Transactions, Recreation, Social, Trade, Trade Elevators, Trade Railway/Railways, Traffic & Safety, Utilities, Utilities
Telephone/Telephones, Utilities Water, Works & Construction, Works & Construction Streets, Works & Construction Traffic & Safety, Works & Construction Traffic, Fire & Safety and Works & Construction Water.

Fonds consists of Lindstrom's professorial and scholarly research files throughout her career, as well as records documenting her academic activities. Research files pertain to her publications and monographs such as "Defiant Sisters : A Social History of Finnish Immigrant Women in Canada, 1890-1930" (both the English and Finnish editions), and "From Heroes to Enemies : Finns in Canada, 1937-1947," as well as book chapters, articles, papers, presentations and lectures, and her involvement with the National Film Board production "Letters from Karelia," and subsequent research. The research files span the activities of Finnish and Finnish-Canadian organizations across the political spectrum, such as the Finnish Organization of Canada (left wing), and Loyal Finns in Canada (right wing). Records include oral history interviews (audio cassettes and transcripts), research notes, clippings, a significant and extensive number of photograph and letter collections passed down through generations of Finnish Canadians, diaries, correspondence, publication drafts, academic and professorial notes, microfilm of Finnish language newspapers published in Canada and archival records, financial records of Finnish-Canadian organizations such as newspapers and post-World War II relief funding bodies, scrapbooks, photocopies of rare and unusual documents such as two volumes of a Soviet register of Finnish War Crimes, a list of persons found in the mass grave at Karhumaki, and Soviet lists of North American Finns who journeyed to Karelia to help build a socialist utopia there, academic and professorial files, publicity files, files pertaining to her work with the School of Women's Studies, and her own papers as a university student. The fonds also includes letters written by Lindstrom as a newly-arrived teenaged immigrant to Canada to her best friend in Finland; many of these letters were published in Finnish with English translation in 'Letters from an immigrant teenager' in 2012.

This series consists of meeting minutes for the Municipal Council for the Town and City of Fort William. Comprehensive indexes compiled by staff at the City Clerk’s office provide access to the various issues discussed at council meetings.

By-laws cover a great variety of issues and concerns. There are By-laws to formalize agreements with other institutions, appoint municipal officials, regulate tax collection, construct sidewalks and roadways, license local establishments, provide for holding elections, establish rates for water and other applicable utilities, and construct City facilities. While most By-laws pass after three readings by council, some early by-laws affecting the “future position” of the municipality required the electoral approval by ratepayers according to the Municipal Act. These by-laws would generally include debenture by-laws for the borrowing of funds on credit, but would also include by-laws for annexation or separation, a re-division
of wards, construction of street railways, local assessment and improvement to name a few.

Interspersed with the earliest Fort William By-laws, there are also sundry by-laws generated by the Municipality of Neebing (1890-1894).

The collection consists of photo albums, photographs, newspaper clippings, assets, agreements, stocks, bonds, certificates, correspondence, miscellaneous items, and two videos with the same recording. The collection is composed of three sous-fonds:
James Whalen
Laurel Conmee and James Conmee
Thunder Bay Hydro

Einar and Hilma Kajander were immigrants from Finland, and were active in local organizations. Their son Art was a lawyer, and later Finnish Consul. Grandchild Ann is faculty at Lakehead University.

These photographs depict the Kajander family and their friends, in and about the Port Arthur area, approximately 1900 to 1970. The photographs include studio portraits and candid photographs printed at a variety of sizes. The images primarily depict family life and outdoor recreation.

Einar Kajander (1882-1973) and Hilma (Muhonen) Kajander (1886-1965) met in Canada and married in Port Arthur in 1909. Einar worked as a miner, and later opened a grocery store in Port Arthur. Both were involved with local sports organizations and the Finnish Labour Temple, and Hilma sang in Oras Choir.

Aatto Arthur Kajander (1913-1998) attended university in Toronto, was a lawyer in Thunder Bay for 55 years, and served as Finnish Consul appointed in 1957. He was also heavily involved in music and outdoor activities.

This series consists of index books for the Fort William Council. Each index is filed by year and contains an alphabetic order of topics with references to the page number where the topic was recorded in the Council Minute Book.

E. S. Rutledge was appointed in 1903 as the Collector of Rates for the Town of Fort William and retired at the end of 1905.

When established as a Town on April 14th, 1892 by the Province of Ontario, four wards were established in Fort William and their boundaries defined. Assessment rolls, currently in preparation by the township of Neebing, were to be transferred as appropriate to the new Town of Fort William for the collection of taxes. It is unknown who acted as the original assessment commissioner and tax collector for the Town of Fort William, however, J.J. Wells held the position from 1905 to 1912 and was the original Assessment Commissioner /Tax Collector for the newly incorporated City in 1907.

Under the Act Respecting Municipal Institutions 1914 (Chapter 192 Section 230) assessment commissioners could be appointed by a Council through a By-law. The records show Assessment Commissioners for the Town of Fort William as follows; J.J. Wells, 1905 to
1912 - Charles England, 1913- 1916 - R. Dagger 1931 to June 1945 (Hendersons) - Alexander Halliday appointed under By Law 3937 dated June 26th, 1945 and sworn in June 30, 1945 - 1950 Hendersons Lists J. A. Colvin as Assessment Commissioner - W. Paul Simpson appointed under By-law 4356 dated July 11th 1950 takes office August 8th - Wilbert Wray appointed under By-law 11-1957 dated February 26th, 1957.

Organized by Ward and Subdivision, details of the Assessment Rolls included the Name, Address and Occupation of the Property Owner, the street name, lot number, house number, plan number, size of the lot, The Rate, the Actual Land and Building Value, school support, number of children and whether the occupant was a tenant or an owner.

In addition to calculating property values for tax purposes, early Assessment rolls were used for election purposes to establish polling sub divisions and to determine eligibility to vote on the bases of property ownership.

Under By-law 4262 (1949) Assessment for the year was to be conducted between January and September, the assessment rolls to be returned to the City Clerk by dates specified in the bylaw. In the same year, a report prepared by Stevenson and Kellogg indicated that the Commissioner completed all assessments and that the department was overburdened, spending most of its time on the collection of taxes. It was recommended that the department be severed in order to have one assessment office and one tax office. In 1950 this division was completed and a new Assessment Commissioner was hired for the City of Fort William.

This series is virtually complete consisting of 817 bound volumes with detailed records of information for assessment purposes. Fort William Collector’s Rolls, Series 15 may substitute or be used to fill in any gaps in the Assessment Rolls.

This series contains records relative to Council and the City Clerk’s office. The First Box is strictly correspondence, alphabetically filed and dating from 1903 to 1913. Additional materials are arranged by file code and can be accessed through reviewing the file list.

Records in the Fort William City Clerk’s Files reflect some of the above mentioned legislative requirements, however, this series largely reflects local issues including correspondence relative to Council actions and the administration of the City through its various Boards. The earliest records of the of Fort William Clerks Files consist of correspondence for the Town of Fort William in the early part of the 20th century. These records are alphabetically ordered and cover the period from 1903 to 1913. Latter records are subject-based files organized by a file code. The following titles are in no way exclusive or consistently applied over the span of years for the City Clerks files. They are included here to reflect the variety and scope of issues addressed by the Clerk.

File headings include the following: Auditorium, Board of Education, Bridges, City Statistics, City Hall, Complaints, Court of Revision, Council, Court of Revision – Voters List, Elections, Fort William Gardens, General Correspondence, District Officer of Health, Health, Housing, Historical, Hydro-Electric Commission, Industry, Legislation, Local Improvements, Loch Lomond, Public Utilities, Railways, Rinks, Royal Visit, Streets, Street Railway, Tax, Tourists, Town Planning, Transit, Visitors, Vital Statistics, War and Zoning. A detailed file list is available.

In 1949 a report conducted by Stevenson and Kellogg identified the work performed in the Clerks department. In addition to duties already mentioned, the clerk oversaw City insurance matters, performed secretarial duties for Council and its committees (such as the Police Commission and Board of Health) issued marriage licenses, and was responsible for the internal coordination of work between departments as well as the coordination between departments and the committees of Council which managed the City. This last responsibility for the coordination between departments and Council was likely alleviated after the appointment of Sydney H. Blake as City Administrator in January of 1958, his duties being described in By-law 58-1961 to include the control and direction of department heads.