The William Pearce Fonds consists of records documenting the three phases of his professional life: federal surveyor and administrator (1874-1884); federal advisor for western development policy (1884-1904); and western consultant for the Canadian Pacific Railway (post-1904). Most of the records in the Pearce fonds were created in the region that was the focus of his career: the territory fomerly known as Rupert's Land and the North-West Territory, later to become the prairie provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. A small portion of the records document Pearce's activites during his retirment
Pearce, WilliamPersonal and career papers
Pearce, WilliamMacdonald comments positively on Pearce's manuscript, encourges him to have it printed
Macdonald, HughInformation for narrative history of railway line in Western Canada
Pearce, WilliamCorrespondence sent to Steele related to his duties in the Yukon from Fred White, Yukon Commissioner James. M. Walsh, A.B. Perry, and William Pearce, Superintendent of Mines; includes a completed Chilkoot Pass duty form and instructions for Steele's transfer to Dawson.
Pearce, WilliamPersonal letters sent to SBS from William Pearce, Chief Inspector of Surveys for the Canadian Government; his letters are long and newsy and provide much detail about crops, land use and development, etc. in Western Canada
Pearce, WilliamGeneral Correspondence – Letters from family and friends, re: various matters; includes a letter from the parent seeking further information about a son killed in South Africa. Handwritten.
Pearce, WilliamInvitation from Western Canadian Irrigation Association for Pearce to speak on the topic of the North West Saskatchewan Irrigation Project.
Colley, JamesLetter sent by Pearce to several government officials requesting data on irrigation and settlement. Pearce collected the information for the purposes of presenting a paper to the Calgary Branch of the Engineering Society on the benefits of irrigation.
Pearce, WilliamManuscript describes the early navigation of the river systems of the North and South Saskatchewan beginning with the Hudson's Bay Company efforts in 1874. In addition to commerce the vessels listed were used for public purposes such as transporting military resources until the 1885 Riel Rebellion. Rail development supplanted river navigation shortly thereafter.
Pearce, WilliamSapir tells Pearce the Royal Society will not likely publish his manuscript next year.
Sapir, E.Pearce asks Hewitt Bostock to read his manuscript and comment
Pearce, WilliamPearce's presentation to the Alberta Military Institute delivered in Edmonton on the 6th of October 1923.
Pearce, WilliamPearce's essay concerning settlement of land title on the prairie provinces.
Pearce, WilliamPearce describes the mid-nineteenth century narrative of European settlement surrounding the region currently known as St. Albert. The manuscript is predominantly a quote of a letter Pearce wrote to A. Walsh, Commissioner of Dominion Lands, describing the Catholic Church's efforts to acquire land in the area known as "Big Lake," an enlargement of the Sturgeon River near contemporary St. Albert
Pearce, WilliamPearce asks Howard to read his manuscript and comment.
Pearce, WilliamPearce thanks Mavor for his help in brining his manuscript to the attention of Royal Geographical Society.
Pearce, WilliamPearce explains to Burpee that with Mavor's support his manuscript could be published by the Royal Society of Canada. He
Pearce, WilliamPearce requests Wallace to read his manuscript
Pearce, WilliamMcKay acknowledges receipt of Pearce's manuscript and promises to read and criticise the work.
McKay, Hon. JamesMavor informs Pearce his manuscript is scheduled to be discussed at an upcoming Royal Society of Canada meeting.
Pearce, WilliamPearce acknowledges the Royal Society will not publish his manuscript and inquires if it might consider publishing it the next year.
Pearce, WilliamPearce requests Haultain read his manuscript
Pearce, WilliamPearce sends his manuscript to Prof. James Mavor for comment. Inquires into the possibility of the Royal Geographical Society covering the cost of printing.
Pearce, WilliamPearce asks Judge Mckay, of the Court of the King's Bench, to read and comment on his historical manuscript. He includes the letter he sent to Prof. James. Mavor of the Royal Society of Canada (formerly Professor of Political Economy at the University of Toronto) to inform his comments.
McKay, Hon. JamesStead advises Pearce he has received his manuscript but will not have time to read it carefully for some time.
Stead, Robert J.C.Pearce sends a copy of his manuscript to R.J.C. Stead of the Department of Immigration. He wants Stead's advice to publish his work.
Pearce, WilliamPearce informs Prof. Fay he will pay for printing his own manuscript and is looking for a good price.
Fay, C. R.Grual sends Pearce a quote for the cost of printing his narrative.
Grual, H. C.Macdonald agrees to send Pearce his manuscript and pay for express postage, suggests again the C.P.R. or a government office to cover the cost of publication.
Macdonald, HughProf Fay explains he cannot find a publisher for Pearce and inquires if the C.P.R. might be interested in publishing it.
Pearce, WilliamLasoie offers editorial comments on Pearce's historical manuscript, questions Pearce's depiction of aborignal script.
Tassie, Gilbert C.Pearce responds to Tassie's editorial comments concerning his historical manuscript.
Pearce, WilliamPearce consults Prof. Fay concerning the editorial comments of Gilbert Tassie.
Pearce, WilliamProfessor Fay explains he cannot find a publisher for Pearce's manuscript. He recommends trying to publish it in Calgary as a local history.
Fay, C. R.Macdonald tells Pearce he is still reading his manuscript, recommends "Pearce Papers" as the title.
Pearce, WilliamPearce thanks Coyne for his positive comments on his historical narrative.
Pearce, WilliamPearce discusses the development of Livingstone.
Pearce, WilliamPearce apologizes to King for blaming the Department of Pubilc Works for his inability to locate records relating to the construction of Government buildings in Livingstone.
King, J. H.Pearce requests information regarding the settlement of Livingstone.
Pearce, WilliamPearce sends Mr. Naismith a copy of his findings regarding the settlement of Livingstone.
Pearce, WilliamPearce sends Mr. Naismith a copy of his findings regarding the settlement of Livingstone.
Pearce, WilliamPearce sends Coleman information regarding the settlement of Livingstone, and an excerpt from his Historical Manuscript.
Pearce, WilliamJ.H. King explains why Pearce could not locate information regarding construction of government buildings from the Deparment of Public Works.
King, J. H.Pearce sends information regarding the settlement of Livingstone, Department of Indian Affairs, construction of government buildings, C.P.R. lines, and Lt. Governors
Pearce, WilliamPearce sends information regarding the settlement of Livingstone to Coutts and McCleod. He also requests additional information on Livingstone.
Pearce, WilliamBedford provides Peace with information regarding the Postal Service in the West.
Bedford, SpencerMeyer provides Pearce with information regarding Postal Routes in British Columbia.
Meyer, J. T. L.Pearce asks for information regarding the development of the North West Territories and the appointment of David Laird.
Pearce, WilliamPearce requests information regarding the Postal Service in British Columbia.
Meyer, J. T. L.Bedford provides Pearce with information regarding Postal Routes in the West.
Bedford, SpencerPearce provides Meyer with a copy of his narrative on the development of the Postal Service in the West.
Pearce, WilliamPearce discusses the development of the North West Territories, the NWMP, and the development of the C.P.R line.
Pearce, WilliamMacdowell provides Pearce with information regarding telegraphs.
Macdowell, D. H.Pearce provides Frank Oliver with several copies of questions regarding the development of telegraph lines and asks Oliver to distribute the questions to informed parties.
Pearce, WilliamPearce provides Hume with a list of questions regarding the development of telegraph lines in the West.
Pearce, WilliamPearce requests information regarding the development of the Postal Service in the West.
Pearce, WilliamPearce asks for information regarding the development of telegraph lines in the West.
Pearce, WilliamPearce requests information regarding the relationship between the Hudson's Bay company and the development of telegraph lines.
Pearce, WilliamPearce requests information regarding telegraphs from C.N. Bell.
Pearce, WilliamStarnes provides Pearce with information regarding the settlement of Livingstone and military forts.
Starnes, CourtlandG.G. Ommanney provides Pearce with information regarding telegraphs.
Ommanney, G. G.Pearce requests information regarding telegraphs from McCaig.
Pearce, WilliamMcDonald provides Pearce with information regarding the development of telegraph lines in the West.
McDonald, D. H.Pearce requests information on the C.P.R and telegraph lines from Ommanney.
Ommanney, G. G.Frank Oliver provides Pearce with information regarding telegraphs and the formation of the Edmonton Bulletin.
Pearce, WilliamPearce requests information regarding telegraph liines from Macdowell.
Macdowell, D. H.Payne replies to an inquiry from Pearce and informs Pearce that he cannot answer his inquiry regarding telegraph development, but states that he will send him a copy of Railway Statistics from 1908.
Payne, J. L.Pearce sends L.J. Reycraft a copy of his memorandum on the establishment of Ft. Livingstone as the first capital of the North-West Territories. Pearce also attaches a photo of a "monolith" erected by the Saskatchewan Historical Society to commemorate the location of Ft. Livingstone.
Pearce, WilliamPearce sends Dennis a copy of address to the Alberta Military Institute. He also offers to locate a copy of his "Detailed Report upon All Claims to Land and Right to Participate in the Northwest Half-Breed Grant."
Dennis, J. S.T. Shanks, Assistant Director of General Surveys, thanks Pearce for sending him the Annual Report of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association for 1921 and a newspaper copy of his October 1920 address before the Alberta Military Institute.
Shanks, ThomasJ.H.King provides Pearce with information regarding the construction of buildings in the West.
King, J. H.Pearce tells Coleman he found several copies of his "Detailed Report upon All Claims to Land and Right to Participate in the Northwest Half-Breed Grant" and sends Coleman a copy.
Pearce, WilliamPope provides Pearce with information regarding the appointment of David Laird, and a history of Lt. Govenor's in the West.
Pope, JosephPearce acknowledges Macdonald's receipt of the historical manuscript and asks for comment on the presentation and layout of the material
Pearce, WilliamPearce requests information regarding an early map of the C.P.R. land holdings from Montreal to the Pacific.
Pearce, WilliamBurpee offers a critique of Pearce's paper "Titles to Land in the Three Prairie Provinces."
Burpee, Lawrence J.Thompson addresses the question of "Hudson's Bay Reserve Lands." Pearce has made several inquiries into this issue for the purpose of researching his essay, "Titles to Land."
Thompson, J.Stephenson provides Pearce with information regarding the appointment of Mr. Sabine to agent of the Dominion Lands.
Pearce, WilliamMayor Webster returns Pearce's manuscript concerning settlement of land claims in Calgary and vicinity.
Webster, G. H.Pearce informs Stephenson of his desire to publish his paper "Titles to Land in the Three Prairie Provinces" and requests information regarding the Department of the Interior.
Pearce, WilliamR.F. Clarke requests information on land settlement in the West for the Dominion Land Surveyors Historical and Biographical Committee.
Clarke, R. F.Pearce asks McCaig to comment on H.H. Smith's, former Commissioner of Dominion Lands and Pearce's superior, critique of Pearce's paper, "Titles to Land in the Three Prairie Provinces."
Pearce, WilliamPearce discusses a section of his paper regarding the Hudson's Bay Company in his paper "Titles to Land in the Three Prairie Provinces" and requests a critique from Cote.
Pearce, WilliamPearce requests information regarding land holdings in the prairies.
Pearce, WilliamPearce asks for advice on his paper "Land Titles in the Three Prairie Provinces" and inquires about the possibility of pubilcation by the Royal Society.
Burpee, Lawrence J.H.H. Smith, former Commissioner of Dominion Lands and Pearce's superior, critiques Pearce's paper "Titles to Land in the Three Prairie Provinces."
Smith, H. H.Nanton responds to a letter H.H. Smith, former Commissioner of Dominion Lands and Pearce's superior, wrote to Pearce regarding a critque of his paper "Titles to Land in Three Prairie Provinces."
Nanton, Augustus M.Pearce writes to Dr. Deville to obtain information regarding surveying on the South Saskatchewan and Bow River.
Pearce, WilliamSmith comments on the "Wild Land Tax Act." This Act direcly affected the Hudson's Bay Company.
Smith, H. H.Pearce asks Nanton to forward his paper "Titles to Land in the Three Prairie Provinces" to H.H. Smith, former Commissioner of Dominion Lands and Pearce's superior.
Nanton, Augustus M.Pearce asks Smith to provide him with a copy of the "Wild Land Tax Act." This act directly affected the Hudson's Bay Company.
Smith, H. H.Pearce comments on the causes of the 1885 Rebellion and proposes to write an exculpatory essay on the opening of the West.
Pearce, WilliamPearce asks H.H. Smith, former Commissioner of Dominion Lands and Pearce's superior, to critique of his paper "Titles to Land in the Three Prairie Provinces. "
Pearce, WilliamPearce asks White to prepare and send him copies of his paper "Titles to Land in the Three Prairie Provinces."
Pearce, WilliamNanton thanks Pearce for the opportunity to read his paper "Titles to Land in the Three Prairie Provinces."
Nanton, Augustus M.Pearce comments on the Hudson's Bay Company .
Nanton, Augustus M.Lynch sends Pearce 12 photostat copies of the "Detailed Report on the North-West Half-Breed Grant" in response to Pearce's request. He also thanks Pearce for sending him a copy the paper he delivered before the Alberta Military Institute.
Lynch, F. C.Dennis acknowledges receipt of Pearce's paper, intended for the Dominion Association of Chartered Accountants, and notes its "extreme value."
Dennis, J. S.M. Ommaney of the C.P.R. wrrties to Pearce explaining he cannot locate a map from 1885 documenting the proposed location of the C.P.R.
Ommanney, G. G.