The Pat Evans (Skipper's) Corner

Patrick Michael Oldfield Evans, known as Pat, or by local sailors as "Skipper", was a transplanted Brit who immigrated to Canada in 1928 at the age of 15 and died in Wakefield in 1999. A writer and historian, he established the archives of the Historical Society of the Gatineau, as it was then known, and later became its honorary archivist. The Pat Evans Corner honours his contribution to the Society and showcases some of his local research and writing. See article Archivist's lifetime work honors the Outaouais by Bob Phillips.

The following are some of Pat Evans' more notible accounts as a local historian:

Echoes from the Past

A compilation of selected stories of the Gatineau Valley from the Pat Evans column "Echoes from the Past", originally printed in "The Low Down to Hull and Back News", compiled by Jay Atherton and published in book form in 1998 by the Gatineau Valley Historical Society. The following are selected items from the book:

- Preface by Ernie Mahoney
- Introduction by Jay Atherton
- Patrick Michael Oldfield Evans - An Autobiography
- Reference Index from the list of articles

See Echoes from the Past in the Low Down Columns and Articles to search and view the complete list of 111 articles.

A Tale of Two Chelseas

A charming account of Old Chelsea and New Chelsea published in 1988. The beginning, settlement spreads, the economy, down on the farm, chores, pastimes, the importance of water and wood, the naming of Chelsea, local businesses, the postal service history.

Pat was also the founder or had extensive involvement with a number of local organizations where he exensively documented many of their activities. The following are some of his historical accounts:

Wakefield Scouts

Pat Evans founded the First Wakefield Scouts troop in 1953 and continued to lead local Scouting youth until 1964. The following are some of his accounts:

- First Wakefield Scouts Log Books
- Wakefield Shorts (Newsletter)

Gatineau River Yacht Club

Pat Evans was a founding member of the Gatineau River Yacht Club and held several key Board positions including Commodore and Secretary as well as being an active member. Shown below are selected items from Pat's role as club archivist, including a book that he wrote and assembled on the first 8 years of the Club (1962 - 1969), along with news clippings and pictures.

- Early Days At The GRYC
- G.R.Y.C. Log - Chronicle from 1962 to 1969
- A G.R.Y.C. Chronicle - The First Five Years - part of the GRYC 1982 Annual Report
- Me and GRYC - part of the 25'th Anniversary GRYC 1987 Annual Report

Articles in Up the Gatineau!

For many years, starting with Volume 1, Up the Gatineau!, Patrick Evans assisted with the selection and editing of the Society's annual local history journal. He was also a frequent contributor. Three of his articles are included below, as well four tributes to him printed in Up the Gatineau! the year after he died.

Articles by Pat Evans
- Early Kirks Ferry, Quebec (published in Volume 1 Up the Gatineau!)
- Philemon Wright Memorial (published in Volume 7 Up the Gatineau!)
- Toponymy (published in Volume 14 Up the Gatineau!)
Articles on Pat Evans
- About This Year's Editor: P.M.O. Evans (published in Volume 14 Up the Gatineau!)
- Pat Evans, Neighbour and Friend (published in Volume 26 Up the Gatineau!)
- Pat Evans: A Tribute (published in Volume 26 Up the Gatineau!)
- Remembering the Life of Patrick M.O. Evans (published in Volume 26 Up the Gatineau!)

Wright Papers

The Wright papers are a collection of over 600 documents held by David Wright, of Chelsea, QC. They are concerned primarily with the business affairs of Philemon Wright (1760-1839) and his son Ruggles Wright (1793-1863). These documents were catalogued by Pat Evans in 1994-1996.

- The Wright Papers Digitising Project - digitized collection of the Wright Papers.
- Wright Papers Digitising Project - description of the digitization of Pat's catalogues.